No matter how much I desired to have faith in the improbable underdog story of Mike Perry triumphing over Jake Paul, there was never a single instance where I truly believed it. Perry’s resilience and toughness make it unwise to underestimate him in a brawl, but the glaring issue in this scenario was clearly his disadvantage in size.
It just didn’t feel fair.
While size was undeniably a contributing factor, it is important to acknowledge that Perry’s defeat cannot be solely attributed to it. Despite being hailed as the king of bare knuckle fighting, Perry’s skills as a gloved boxer are rather lacking. His stance, although effective in the BKFC realm to some extent, fails to translate well in the conventional boxing ring. Standing rigidly upright with locked knees, Perry appears out of his element, struggling to adapt. His limited maneuverability forces him to primarily rely on advancing steadily through taking punches. On occasion, he manages to slip inside and launch forward, but it seems that his success in doing so stems more from his natural athleticism rather than proper technique.
Paul executed a strategic game plan to address that fundamental flaw, delivering a forceful jab, well-aimed left hooks, and powerful overhand rights. The jab immediately halted his opponent’s progress, while the sweeping punches grazed his towering head. Although the approach was somewhat predictable, it proved effective.
Paul’s weight gain of 30 pounds makes it difficult to be impressed. Known as “The Problem Child,” he consistently chooses older and smaller opponents to ensure his advantage. However, the illness of Mike Tyson, who was expected to be an extreme example of the former, led to a size difference that is disheartening.
Perry has been a Welterweight for a long time and has never appeared to be significantly larger for the weight class. On the other hand, Paul has typically fought at around 185 pounds. However, in preparation for the Tyson fight, Paul has concentrated on increasing his weight and now needs to shed some pounds to meet the 200-pound requirement. It is possible that Paul achieved this weight gain quickly through intense training and a protein-rich diet, or he may have resorted to other potentially artificial methods. Regardless, he has now become incredibly bulky and is clearly not suited to compete against Welterweights.
It’s poor style.
Paul is set to have a showdown with Tyson, a former Heavyweight, later this year. If only it were 2004 when Tyson’s skills seemed to be declining. On the other hand, Paul has also challenged Alex Pereira, the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, who always appears quite formidable.
This callout is incredibly clever, albeit frustrating. Paul deserves recognition for challenging a highly skilled knockout artist who is currently dominating in the UFC at the right weight class. However, the unfortunate truth is that this matchup will never materialize as long as Pereira remains under contract with the UFC. Therefore, there is no real danger of Pereira exposing Paul’s lack of skill and making him appear amateurish.
Following Tyson, I am uncertain about Paul’s next course of action. Nonetheless, it is clear that he has essentially eliminated any possibility of his desired match-ups against considerably smaller opponents such as Canelo Alvarez or Conor McGregor.
If he’s not careful, he’ll end up in the ring with the other Fury brother.
For complete Perry vs. Paul results and play-by-play, click HERE!
