This Saturday (July 20, 2024), “El Gallo” Jake Paul continues his combat sports career opposite bare knuckle bruiser, Mike Perry, in an eight-round gloved boxing match from inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Ten fights deep into his professional career, Paul has proven himself pretty decent at this whole boxing thing. A split decision defeat to Tommy Fury cost him some luster, but he’s managed to rebound well by taking out the veteran Nate Diaz and viciously stopping a couple club fighters. He rebuilt momentum, lining up a marquee — if bizarre — match up versus Mike Tyson.
Tyson’s health issues cost Paul that opportunity (for now), but he’ll instead face a more legitimate challenge than a 58-year-old. Perry is at the top of his game, carving game opponents up inside the bare knuckle arena, and there is little doubt that he’ll take the fight to “The Problem Child.”
In the meantime, let’s examine Paul’s boxing skill more closely.
Boxing
Paul should be acknowledged for his dedication in working with reputable coaches and sparring partners to develop genuine boxing skills. This is further enhanced by his innate athleticism and usually having a physical advantage in terms of size.
Throughout history, Paul has consistently relied on his superior reach to establish dominance. He effectively utilizes his extended range by employing a swift and dynamic jab. Moreover, he skillfully conceals this strike by consistently moving his leading shoulder. Additionally, Paul effectively employs double and triple jabs, frequently directing them towards the opponent’s body. However, similar to other young boxers, Paul occasionally lingers too long after executing a jab, creating opportunities for Tyron Woodley to land cross counters on a few occasions.
Overall, Paul demonstrates skill in targeting the body during his fights. He frequently uses the jab to connect with his opponent’s torso and also incorporates the cross to aim low. In order to create opportunities, Paul cleverly employs a high jab to divert his opponent’s attention before landing a powerful strike downstairs. Occasionally, he follows up with a left hook, but he is also comfortable throwing a hook directly after the jab.
The focal point of Paul’s game is centered around utilizing his right hand, usually in the form of a straight punch or an overhand punch. When standing at a distance, Paul frequently follows his initial jab, double jab, or jab high-jab low with a powerful cross directed towards the center. He displays excellent technique and consistently delivers his punches with precision, natural power, and a snap.
Paul has a preference for the right hand, but his true affection lies with his overhand punch. This particular strike holds immense power, and Paul is more than willing to put his entire weight behind it. At times, he cleverly combines his overhand with an uppercut, effectively maneuvering around his opponent’s defense.
Paul’s ability to generate force while throwing from his back foot is a testament to his athleticism and innate strength. It is usually challenging to acquire this skill, but Paul demonstrated it effortlessly in his second professional bout against Nate Robinson. Despite Robinson’s lack of boxing knowledge, Paul skillfully landed two counter right hands, effectively taking him down as Robinson charged forward recklessly. Timing such an uncontrolled advance still requires expertise and coordination.
In a similar manner, he successfully broke through Ben Askren’s defense and struck him with powerful counter shots. These actions caused Woodley to become even more hesitant.
Paul’s main strengths lie in his agility, as he remains nimble on his feet, particularly when not fatigued. His jab is both vigorous and efficient, while he possesses the ability to unleash a devastating right hand when the chance arises. Additionally, he exhibits commendable skill in targeting the mid-section, all the while maintaining good positioning throughout the fight.
Silva was faced with an elevated game plan that remained consistent. Paul displayed an active jab, effective feints, and frequently targeted the body. Nevertheless, two significant qualities stood out and left a lasting impression on me.
To begin with, Paul remained composed in his defensive stance. Silva is known for his ability to intimidate opponents, and given Paul’s limited experience as a novice boxer, it would be understandable if Silva could unnerve him. However, when Silva became aggressive and attempted his unpredictable feint combinations, Paul maintained a tight guard, evaded punches by moving his head, and strategically countered with well-placed jabs. Whenever he found himself cornered, Paul made it a priority to swiftly maneuver out of the situation.
In the same vein, intelligent defensive decisions also hindered any potential late comeback from Nate Diaz.
As the fight between Silva and Paul progressed, Paul’s confidence grew steadily while maintaining his flawless performance. His skillful knockdown of Silva was truly a sight to behold. With Silva falling behind in the scoring, he was desperate to make a comeback, and Paul seized the opportunity. As Silva moved forward, Paul swiftly executed a jab to distract and raise Silva’s guard. He followed up with a pair of body shots to create a new opening, then seamlessly continued his combination with strikes to the upper body.
Silva’s presence marked a significant improvement in Paul’s performance compared to his fights against Woodley. However, Paul appeared less ready for the challenge posed by Tommy Fury. When faced with an opponent who possessed similar speed and reach, Paul encountered considerable difficulty in constructing effective combinations. Adding to his struggles, Paul’s exhaustion greatly diminished his agility and quickness.
In summary, Paul discovered that he was on the defensive and falling behind in terms of volume. However, he did find a positive aspect in his improved ability to counter with his left hand. Before, he relied heavily on the overhand to counter the jab, but this time he showcased that strike against Fury repeatedly, perhaps a bit excessively. Nevertheless, it did prove advantageous for Paul as it allowed him to slip past the jab and deliver powerful left hooks or jabs.
He was knocked down due to a counter jab, but the most impactful hit he landed during the fight was possibly a slip-left hook counter that turned Fury’s head around in the fifth round.
Paul showed great resilience against Diaz and notably improved his conditioning. Despite facing a high-volume pressure fighter in a longer fight, Paul impressively maintained a consistent combination of punches, agile footwork, and a high guard. Additionally, his left hook counter proved to be a game-changer, resulting in the only knockdown of the fight and enhancing Paul’s offensive repertoire.
It is uncertain whether Paul’s cardio would have fared as well against a bigger or younger striker, but it proved effective against Diaz.
Conclusion
Paul’s progress in boxing has been fairly consistent since he began his journey. It is reasonable to anticipate a stronger version of Paul compared to his performance in the Diaz fight. However, Perry, being a dynamic and ambitious slugger in his prime, still poses a significant threat.
LIVE! Watch ‘Paul Vs. Perry’ On DAZN PPV
FEAR NO MAN! International superstar and serial risk-taker, Jake “El Gallo” Paul, returns to the squared circle on Sat., July 20, 2024, inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., attempting to tame his most dangerous opponent to date, bareknuckle boxing champion and former UFC star, “Platinum” Mike Perry, streaming live online via DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) globally. “Paul vs. Perry” is scheduled for eight, three-minute rounds at Cruiserweight (200 pounds), replacing Paul’s upcoming showdown with Mike Tyson on Netflix, which was postponed until November (here’s why). Meanwhile, in the “Fear No Man” PPV co-main event, women’s boxing trailblazer and unified Featherweight champion, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, will battle Tampa’s Top 10-ranked IBF, WBO and WBA knockout artist, Stevie “Sledgehammer” Morgan. “Paul vs. Perry” start time is slated for 9 p.m. ET, with a PPV price tag of $64.99.
Don’t miss a single second of face-punching action!
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Andrew Richardson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, is a professional fighter who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California. In addition to learning alongside world-class talent, Andrew has scouted opponents and developed winning strategies for several of the sport’s most elite fighters.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry card right here, starting with YouTube “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET (and right here). The remaining PPV main card will air on DAZN at 9 p.m. ET.
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