Terence Crawford has given Jake Paul his flowers. ‘The Problem Child’ got into boxing back in 2018, in what started off as just influencer indulgence. Since then, he has improved leaps and bounds and aspires to become a world champion. At first, everyone questioned his determination and his dedication to the sport. But with each passing fight, even the P4P best in boxing has put his faith in him.
Crawford is definitely a good blueprint for Paul to follow, although he is a generational talent and it’s not easy to try to fit into his shoes.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani for The MMA Hour, ‘Bud’ spoke about how he has gained a lot of respect for Paul and what he has been doing in the sport.
“I gained a lot of respect for Jake because he’s not a YouTuber that’s just boxing just to box he actually trains and actually wants to get better….A lot of people write Jake off, but Jake can punch with that right. He’s got a nice right hand.”
Terence Crawford says he “gained a lot of respect” for Jake Paul
“A lot of people write Jake off, but Jake can punch with that right. He’s got a nice right hand.”
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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 22, 2024
Crawford spoke about how he respects the time and effort Paul has put into the sport. However, he does believe there are a lot of areas for him to improve in.
The main advice ‘Bud’ gave him was to improve his stamina. ‘The Problem Child’ seems to gas out early, and start mouth breathing in just the first few rounds as could be seen even during his Mike Perry fight.
Amidst the advice, Crawford also let slip out the choice of opponents for his next fight.
Crawford eyes Canelo Alvarez over Jaron Ennis
Crawford is returning to the ring after a year-long hiatus. He defends his belt against Israil Madrimov on August 3 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
But this fight is more of a tune-up fight for what comes after.
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, ‘Bud’ revealed why he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez instead of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis,
“Where I’m at right now, I’m looking at the fight that makes the most sense and that’s not Boots. Canelo’s gonna bring way more to my legacy and way more to my bank account.”
Terence Crawford feels there’s a chance Canelo could be his next fight
“Canelo’s gonna bring way more to my legacy, way more to my bank account.”
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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 22, 2024
It’s simple. Canelo is the biggest name in boxing at the moment and so the fight that makes more sense for Bud’s legacy and his bank account.
A classic Mexico vs. USA fight between the ‘Face of boxing’ and the P4P best in boxing. It has all the makings of a mega fight.