Teddy Atlas thinks there are similarities between Jake Paul and Floyd Mayweather.
When ‘The Problem Child’ began boxing, nobody could have imagined a legendary boxing trainer like Atlas would eventually compare him to Mayweather. With that said, the 66-year-old believes there are similar traits, outside of the ring, of course. During an episode of The Fight with Teddy Atlas, the boxing Guru had this to say about Paul:
“He’s almost been an understudy of the great Floyd Mayweather, really, and that’s a positive thing. We’re not talking about as a fighter. We’re talking about in this business, as a businessman, as a matchmaker, as a manager, just as a smart calculated man. Jake Paul has been every bit of Floyd Mayweather… ”
Atlas concluded his comparison of Paul to Mayweather by saying:
“Floyd was very smart in picking his opponents and just a genius businessman, and Jake Paul is very smart at picking opponents, and he’s a genius businessman. Give him credit. Give him credit, d**nit. It’s the American way. I don’t have a problem with him because he went, got a trainer, he worked his backside off to become the best fighter he could, and he’s still doing it.”
Atlas was referring to Paul strategically picking his opponents, including his upcoming match against longtime rival Tommy Fury. When discussing the upcoming cruiserweight fight, the legendary boxing trainer and his co-host agreed that ‘The Problem Child’ picked Fury because the former YouTuber likely sees a weakness he can expose, similar to what Mayweather did throughout his career.
Teddy Atlas praises Jake Paul for trying to become the best version of himself
Despite building a professional boxing record of 6-0, some people don’t want to give Jake Paul credit for his hard work and determination. Teddy Atlas is not one of those people. Atlas respects anybody willing to train and compete against legitimate fighters. During the same podcast episode, Atlas gave Paul his flowers by saying:
“He’s still trying to get better. He’s never gonna be a world-class fighter. We understand that, but he’s gonna be the best he can be, and he’s trying to be the best he can be. He respected the sport enough to go about it the right way. Yeah, he’s careful picking [his opponents], but there’s still risk. There’s still risk. He deserves respect. There’s still a risk when he gets into that freakin’ ring. He’s getting in there with real people that throw real punches.”
After attempting several times between Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr, ‘The Problem Child’ has landed a legitimate boxer as an opponent. On February 26, the former YouTuber is putting his reputation on the line against Fury in Saudi Arabia. With a win against Tyson Fury’s step-brother, Paul will be one step closer to reaching his goal of a massive super-fight.
