Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard about TikTokers and Youtubers competing against each other and professional fighters in the ring. Despite the lack of experience on Tiktokers and Youtubers end, it seems to be receiving lots of buzz. What seems to be the fight of the summer, is the Logan Paul versus professional boxer, [who is said to have a 50-0 record] Floyd Mayweather Jr. Many believe Paul doesn’t stand a chance, while others believe he is highly underestimated.
The race issue
The Paul brothers have been called out for countless acts of discrimination towards brown and black individuals as well as discrimination towards Japanese culture. People of color have vocalized their opinions as well as writer Ciarra Jones from The Conversationalist. She brings up the example of Logan deciding in a video that he wants to have cornrows and new grills to boost his street credibility. This is just one of many examples where the brothers seem to blatantly disrespect black culture and use our (my) culture as a prop. Regarding the fight that took place on November 28 of 2020, journalist Jemele Hill went as far as asking if knocking out Nate Robinson was racist. The issue with the question is that Robinson knew what he was getting himself into, so how can it potentially be a race issue…? After these comments were made people took to social media to vocalize that they felt as though the brothers, specifically Jake, were taking advantage of that interview and acting out as a result. This is evident in the case that Jake Paul snatched Mayweather’s hat off his head and proceeded to troll him online mocking the incident. Many believe this is just Jake being Jake, while others believe there’s a deeper issue at hand. What do you think?
Is it only about money?
Many viewers have suspected that the brothers are doing it for clout and money whereas they strongly stand behind wanting to take their career more seriously. Jake Paul’s fight between former UFC fighter Ben Askren attracted $1.5 million in terms of buys on Triller and generated approximately $75 million. Dana White, who is also a professional fighter went as far as calling out Paul about the amount he was receiving. Jake Paul took to Twitter and wrote “Maybe it’s time to pay your fighters their fair share? No wonder they all want to get into boxing… Why are UFC fighters so underpaid [compared to] boxers? Why did I make more in my third fight than all but two UFC fighters have in history? I know why…” At the end of the day, Mayweather has more experience and is predicted to win. But to a degree, the brothers win in terms of money made from pay-per-view. It is simply another form of disposable income. Not to mention the unfair matchup… Everyone might as well consider themselves a winner to some degree.
What do we know about the fight?
The special exhibition match was rumored to take place on February 20th, 2021, but was postponed indefinitely until the media got word the fight was back on for June 6th at Hard Rock Stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The fight can be streamed via pay-per-view.
The future of their “career”
The Paul brothers seem to be taking their boxing career seriously, so we can expect to see more planned fights and hopefully a more professional persona. Only time will tell if their careers will launch in the right direction.
