Nate Robinson looked like he took an Ambien with how quickly he went to sleep in his boxing debut. Now one ex-NBA All-Star thinks that he will do much better in the ring.
Retired former Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams spoke Wednesday ahead of his pro boxing debut next month. Naturally, the comparison was drawn between him and Robinson, another former basketball star who got knocked out in embarrassing fashion by YouTube star Jake Paul last year.
“I’m not Nate Robinson,” said Williams matter-of-factly, per ESPN (h/t Ahn Fire Digital). “I think I have a little more experience than Nate. I’ve been training stand-up and boxing for eight to ten years. I’ve sparred against high-level UFC guys that are bigger than me, that are my size and that are smaller than me.
“I think I’m a little more prepared than Nate was for that fight,” Williams went on. “And I don’t think anybody really respected Jake Paul at the time as a fighter, but obviously things are changing.”
The three-time NBA All-Star Williams will be fighting ex-NFL running back Frank Gore on Dec. 18. They will be on the undercard of Paul’s bout against Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. There is already a surprising favorite listed between Williams and Gore.
Williams has advantages over Gore in both age (37 to 38) and height (6-foot-3 to 5-foot-9). Robinson (36 years old at the time of his fight and 5-foot-9) had neither over Paul (23 at the time and 6-foot-1). Williams also clearly believes his experience will be a big boost. But if Williams is wrong, he might get hit with some brutal memes just like Robinson was.
More must-reads: