Jake Paul has a pretty big month ahead of him. ‘The Problem Child’ will lock horns with WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in an exhibition match in Miami, Florida, on November 14. While the Netflix exclusive fight might be an exhibition, it will have a winner by the end, either via knockout or via judges’ decision. Naturally, the Cleveland native has brought in the big guns to help him secure a victory.

The social media star turned boxer has assembled an elite team of sparring partners to help prepare for the fight this month. According to reports, the 28-year-old has been sparring with the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Raymond Ford, and Montana Love. Stevenson is, of course, Tank’s bitter rival, who has been asking for a fight against Gervonta Davis for years, but to no avail. Nonetheless, during their training session, Paul and Stevenson played a little game.

Jake Paul beats Shakur Stevenson with ease

Earlier today, Most Valuable Promotions, co-owned by Jake Paul and promoting the upcoming exhibition bout, shared a clip on Instagram that quickly went viral. In the clip, Paul and Shakur Stevenson can be seen standing just inches away from a wall fitted with a punch-speed sensor—a device that records the velocity of a punch when it makes contact. Both fighters threw their jabs simultaneously with full intent. 

Moments later, the results were revealed—to everyone’s surprise, Paul’s jab was faster than Stevenson’s, a man known for his speed and precision. In disbelief, Stevenson laughed at the result, turning toward Paul in amusement, while the YouTuber-turned-boxer celebrated the moment, proud to have beaten a far more experienced and accomplished world champion. MVP posted the video with the caption: “Wait a minute… Is [Jake Paul] quicker than [Shakur Stevenson]?” 

If the clip itself didn’t give it away, yes, Paul did outscore Stevenson in speed—but there’s a caveat to that result. Jake Paul, after all, is a natural cruiserweight, considerably bigger and longer than Stevenson, boasting a 76″ (193 cm) reach. Stevenson, on the other hand, is a natural lightweight with a 68″ (173 cm) reach. Naturally, the distance between their fists and the sensor wasn’t the same. 

This meant Paul’s hand had less ground to cover before making contact. That shorter distance likely helped him clock the higher speed. This became the central argument among fans on social media once the video started circulating, as many pointed out that the test wasn’t exactly a fair comparison between the two athletes.

‘Sugar’ is still faster, says fan

Paul might be popular, but he’s far from universally liked among boxing fans—especially since he’s built a reputation for fighting older or past-prime opponents. Even though ‘Tank’ Davis is closer to his age, the massive size disparity between them hasn’t helped Paul’s case. Naturally, one user pointed this out in the comments, writing, “Jake’s hand is closer, but he was definitely slower.” Still, the post was clearly designed to stir up conversation—and it certainly did.

Another fan chimed in, insisting that Stevenson was faster despite what the sensor showed. “[You] can literally see Shakur’s is faster,” the user wrote. Of course, judging speed through a short video clip isn’t easy. 

A third commenter agreed with the general sentiment but still gave Paul some credit. “Jake was closer, they both [were] fast asf tho,” they said. For Paul’s level of experience, that’s indeed impressive.

Meanwhile, another user brushed off the speed test entirely, demanding more footage. “That don’t mean nothing. [I] would also like to see a clip of that sparring sesh tho,” they wrote. Though it’s unlikely Paul will release such a clip before his fight with Davis.

Finally, one more fan refuted the claim by pointing out the physical difference between the two. “[You] all do realize Jake is longer and has his jab hand further than Kur’s right?” the user commented. In the end, most fans don’t seem convinced that Jake Paul could genuinely be faster than Shakur Stevenson—and for good reason. 

Stevenson’s shorter reach and lighter frame naturally lend themselves to quicker movement, while Paul’s longer reach means his punch travels a greater distance. But what do you think? And will you watch the Paul vs. Davis fight?