Whether traditionalists like it or not, Jake Paul is putting his stamp on the sport. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS]( In todayās FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: We examine Jake Paulās legitimacy as a boxer and upcoming rematch against Tyron Woodley ... Deion Sanders makes a big signing day move ... and more! Another week, another contrived boxing match between non-boxers that will take up too much airspace and do little for the credibility of the sport. Or, depending on how you see it, another massive event that will reach an expansive audience, capture the imagination of superstars and social media influencers alike, and catapult boxing to a greater contemporary relevance. Wherever you stand on the topic of celebrity fights and the absolute proliferation of such contests over the past couple of years, there is little doubt that the conceptās primary trailblazer is the man headlining this weekendās card. Jake Paul ā YouTuber, loudmouth, multi-millionaire and opinion-divider supreme - will be in action in Tampa Bay, Florida, on Saturday night, fighting Tyron Woodley in a rematch of the August scrap between the pair that he won on points. āCelebrities are coming out left and right,ā Paul told reporters. āPeople are even more excited to see me fight Tyron again and there are unanswered questions.ā [STORY IMAGE 1] There have been, although theyāre not entirely the questions Paul wanted people to be talking about. After he beat Woodley via split decision, there were queries raised as to whether the whole thing was above board, or merely a contrived result aimed at further boosting Paulās juggernaut-like popularity and level of intrigue. Mixed martial arts fighter Dillon Danis, who infamously got into a cage-side fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov after Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor in 2018, claimed recently that in the first bout, Woodley was contractually prohibited from knocking Paul out. Paul immediately and heatedly disputed that accusation and has now offered a $500,000 bonus for Woodley to KO him in the rematch, seeking to dispel rumors of impropriety that would surely scuttle pay-per-view sales. Or would they? āNot necessarily,ā [said Lance Pugmire of USA TODAY Sports+]( who broke the news that Danisā claims were, in fact, incorrect. āThe thing to remember with Jake Paul is that it is a specific and unique audience weāre dealing with. His fans understand that it is a show and a story, but they want the story to play out to its maximum potential, which Paul understands is far more intensive than acting out one of his YouTube scripts.ā The phenomenon of mass interest fights between non-traditional boxers became a thing in 2018, when Logan Paul ā Jakeās brother ā fought British rapper KSI. Neither of them were particularly accomplished in the ring. Jake Paul, however, has taken things to a new, hybrid level, and profited from it spectacularly. [STORY IMAGE 2] Heās not a world-class boxer, nor anything close to it, but there have been many far worse fighters who have competed professionally. Paul trains with fanatical intensity and is a knowledgeable student of the sport. āPeople just need to realize how serious I take this and how a lot of these other professional fighters donāt train as hard as me,ā Paul added. āTheyāre not as prepared as me. āIāve fought with a broken nose. Iāve fought sick. The list goes on. Last fight against Tyron, I had a hyperextended elbow. Didnāt say anything. Why? Because it doesnāt matter. Iām still going to go in there and find a way to win. Thatās my motivation.ā The earliest celebrity fights were really just the equivalent of watching an organized street brawl. It is different now. Paul does have some boxing chops and there are times when heās looked really good in battle, albeit against opposition that has to date numbered YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson, MMA fighter Ben Askren and Woodley. But we will never know for sure what his capability is until he steps in against recognized guys, not athletes from different sports. Paul purports to be on a three-year plan that will end with him getting a shot at pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez, which would be laughable, except for the reality that money doesnāt just talk in boxing ā it positively screams its head off. āI think there will probably come a time when Jake Paul steps in with someone who is just too good and classy and it gives him a wake-up moment about whether he really wants to be doing this,ā Pugmire added. āBut with a personality like that, you can never count them out. He is so convinced he is on this track and if he got anywhere near title contention, it would be a no-brainer of a fight to make ā an absolute goldmine for everyone involved.ā [STORY IMAGE 3] Meanwhile, Paul will continue doing what heās doing; being noisy, fighting frequently, getting peopleās attention by whatever means necessary. The boxing purists hate it, believing the celebrity fight craze to be the death of a sport that can be as compelling as any at its best but which has dropped off the mainstream radar outside of the elites. In one sense, it hardly seems fair that limited boxers like Paul and others can rake in huge checks while even some divisional world champions fight for sums that are tiny by comparison. However, thatās showbiz, thatās boxing and itās also a reflection of modern life. In the broadest of terms, those capable of capturing the most sets of eyeballs will make the most money. Others in the combat world are quick to embrace it, reasoning that for a boxing match ā any boxing match ā to be seen by so many people, can only be a good thing. [STORY IMAGE 4]( It is a wild time in the industry, confusing, confounding and possibly revolutionary. It is hard for the traditionalists to reconcile with, but the key thing here is that Paulās target audience ā young, admiring of bombast, accustomed to social media promotional shenanigans - gets it. Which leads us to the most remarkable unanswered question of all regarding Paul and Woodley. Not about whether the fight is real (and thereās no reason to suspect it isnāt), but if, to the hundreds of thousands expected to watch it, that even matters. [STORY IMAGE 4]( Sponsored Content The holidays are that special time of year when weāre kinder to strangers, more loving towards family, and just generally in a good mood ā so, basically, how dogs act every day. With [The Farmerās Dog]( what dogs eat every day is real, healthy food ā made with the fresh meat and vegetables they need for complete and balanced nutrition. Plus, we personally portion it for your dog, deliver it right to your door and give you [50% off]( your first box. If only all holiday shopping could be this stress free! Give your dog the gift you know they want this season (food!) and make every feeding, year-round, feel like Christmas morning. [Get 50% Off]( [IN OTHER WORDS] - Deion Sanders shocked us on national signing day by flipping the No. 1 recruit. [FOX Sports College Football Writer RJ Young has that and more takeaways](.
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