Joe Rogan Rushes to Defend Jake Paul Amid Gervonta Davis Fight Backlash

‘Ridiculous’ and ‘crazy’ – that’s just one of the few attributives heaped on the Netflix exhibition between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis. The boxing world is staring at the Canelo-Crawford showdown. Two months later, the David Benavidez-Anthony Yarde super card will follow. But it’s the Paul-Tank gala at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, that seems to have captured everyone’s imagination. And why shouldn’t it be so? It’s a fight between a heavyweight/cruiserweight and a lightweight champion who stepped into 140 pounds only once in his professional career!

Even for a non-professional match, something Jake Paul‘s brother did years before when he faced a retired Floyd Mayweather, the bout has been at the receiving end of scathing criticisms. So it might have shocked a few. As he wades through a stream of doubts and sticks, Paul has received a surprising endorsement. In the latest episode of ‘JRE Fight Companion,‘ Joe Rogan lavished praise on the Ohioan for putting in efforts that most would rather duck out of.

Like him or not, Jake Paul continues to make his mark

“I watched him knock out Tyron Woodley, just watched him. I’d say that kid’s a prospect. He’s fun. He’s exciting. He’s young. He’s got one-punch go-to-sleep power. He didn’t have all that baggage. “But I—but that’s the baggage that is psychological,” remarked Rogan as the show touched the halfway mark.

As he reflected on how so many slammed Jake Paul as a ‘f**king YouTuber,‘ Rogan’s thought came to pass. It may be right or wrong. That’s an individual perspective. But that doesn’t mean Jake Paul can’t be good at something.

“I always say, like, when people talk about Jake Paul. They say, “Oh, Jake Paul is f**king YouTubers. This goes to pull all and push all that away.” Yes. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be good at something,” Joe Rogan said. He highlighted how Paul used to wrestle as a high schooler. “Legitimate athlete,” Rogan vouched.

Now Rogan’s view emerged during a lively discussion that had Gordon Ryan and Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen pouring in strong opinions on training and the relevancy of belts.

Pump the brakes

Considering how he found himself against the ropes when he fought Mike Tyson last November, Jake Paul finally made inroads to boxing legitimacy with a fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The fight earned him a cruiserweight top 15 rank.

Still, the matchup against Gervonta Davis seemingly invited widespread censure. “Every time this guy tries to be more legit.” “He wants people to really take him seriously, and he’s going to spin it,” on Michael Bisping’s podcast, former lightweight and now color commentator Paul Felder said. The whole idea of fighting a 135-pound fighter, widely considered one of the best of the generation, appeared crazy.

Perhaps it’s time to rein in the horses. One of the most prominent voices of modern boxing, Terence Crawford is all set to face the greatest test of his professional career. Speaking about the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis fight, he felt it should be taken for what it is all about – a spectacle. Why?

“If they’re really going to fight, Jake is too big. Tank won’t be able to get past that jab. This could be over in seconds,” Crawford stated. According to him, the November 14 match would more likely be a sparring session rather than a real fight. “This isn’t a normal fight; it’s a show where one mistake can decide everything.”

As Joe Rogan highlighted, it’s time one introspects Jake Paul’s efforts. Even from the eyeball perspective, his work has been commendable.

What’s your take? Do you agree with Joe Rogan?