By the end of 2020 there will be a fight between YouTube star Jack Paul and former NBA star Nate Robinson. The first question you may ask is: Why?
This is a reasonable question.
If you know Robinson, you wonder how he went from basketball to boxing. This is not a normal career change and even when you realize that this fight is an undercard fight for Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. it is very difficult.
If you are familiar with Paul, boxing is no different for you because he is already involved in two fights. But those two fights are against fellow YouTube stars. Now why has he turned his attention to a real athlete at Robinson?
These are all valid questions, let’s talk about the “beef” between these two and how we got to this point.
Also: Everything you need to know about Jack Paul vs. Nate Robinson
Why are Jack Paul and Nate Robinson fighting?
The play between Jack Paul and Nate Robinson resumed in May 2020. A few months after Paul’s first professional boxing victory over Anson Gibb, Robinson spoke to DMZ Sports about wanting to fight Paul. The call seemed mostly random, but Robinson was emotional.
“I want all the smoke,” Robinson told DMZ Sports. “I’m a top athlete. You’ve beating me up is the biggest achievement of your boxing career, or social media influence – whatever it is. The biggest claim to fame right now is hitting Nate Robinson, so do it. It’s very simple. “
Robinson’s interview with TMJet Sports was in May 2020, and by July the two sides had reached an agreement.
In a statement announcing the fight, Robinson said, “I wanted to show that I am a world-class athlete. I played college football, played in the NBA for 11 years, and I enjoy this endeavor in the game of boxing.”
Former NBA guard Nate Robinson and YouTube star Jake Paul make it official: They tell me they will be battling Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. on September 12 in California. pic.twitter.com/ClEP64JZFp
– Shams Sarania (ha Shamsarania) July 23, 2020
In short, there is no real “beef” between these two.
Robinson just feels like a top athlete and wants to step into the world of boxing. Paul has already been into boxing with two professional fights (one professional only), and the fight against a real athlete attracts one who has two weak opponents.
Both want to prove themselves as boxers, and fighting each other gives them an opportunity they would not otherwise have.
“A lot of boxers have approached me and I said that was an inspiration because you have to be a little crazy about what we do.” Robinson told Yahoo Sports. “They see that I take it seriously by posting [on social media]. I want to show the boxing world that I take this seriously. I want them to see the hard work I do because I value what they do.
“It’s amazing how hard they go. It’s not a game, man. I know from this flow and punching and working out first, I see what they do. I see why Floyd. [Mayweather] The best boxer in the world and what he did 50-0. He did the hard work, the hard work in this game. So, for me as a foreigner, I want to show them respect by giving everything I have and actively preparing. ”
