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Former NBA star Nate Robinson called out YouTube celebrity Jake Paul some months back for a boxing match. The 36-year-old basketball player may now wish he hadn’t, as the 23-year-old Paul smashed Robinson inside of two rounds on the Tyson-Jones undercard.
Paul, who has been training in boxing for a couple of years now, may not be the second coming of any great boxer you can name off the top of your head, or any good boxer, or any OK boxer, but he was clearly a much better boxer than Robinson, who only took up training in the last few months.
Robinson’s natural athletic gifts meant nothing in the ring, as Paul was more composed, better-schooled, and didn’t get rattled at all by Robinson’s furious, reckless charges. In fact, after tying Robinson up easily a few times, Paul checked him and dropped him with a right hand in the first round, then blasted him out with two more knockdowns in the second.
The boxing pros, of course, had their thoughts on the fight. Many are insulted by the level of attention this thing gets, some just argue that Nate Robinson with basically no training shouldn’t have been licensed to fight — which he was, this was not an “exhibition,” this was a sanctioned pro fight — and others just, y’know, whatever, man.
Man this some bullshit! Nate don’t need to be in there with no head gear! Can’t play boxing! Wtf @triller
— ClaressaT-rexShields (@Claressashields) November 29, 2020
Can we stopped with these bs YouTube fights? Shit embarrassing and disrespectful to the sport. Boxing isn’t a sport to play with. These guys gonna get hurt.
— Joseph Diaz (@JosephDiazJr) November 29, 2020
This is why they need to keep these celebrities and YouTube fighters out the ring even against each other they can’t fight and boxing is not a game ♂️ I hope nate Robinson is ok
— JulianJrockWilliams (@Jrockboxing) November 29, 2020
I don’t care about athletes or not, stop allowing guys who don’t know how to fight into ring!! Paul has actually trained to fight. Awful. #TysonJonesJr #TysonJones
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) November 29, 2020
These YouTube celebs making boxing a joke that’s a serious ko because the red gave him every chance to continue for the fans. This is a farce
— Isaac Chamberlain (@IChamberlain_) November 29, 2020
Well Nate Robinson Found out boxing not a game terrible fucking reffing though
— Enzo Maccarinelli (@theRealEnzoMac) November 29, 2020
Scary thing is Nate Robinson got licensed to fight a pro fight! ♂️
— Kal Yafai (@iam_yafai) November 29, 2020
Jake about to call out Floyd...#PaulRobinson
— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) November 29, 2020
That fight should have been stopped twice before that third scary knockdown. Guy needed yo be saved from himself. Wtf CSAC!! That wasn’t a professional who was probably concussed. Did you see the knockdowns?!? C’mon now!!!! #boxing #TysonJones
— Lou DiBella (@loudibella) November 29, 2020
They need to STOP this Stupid Celebrity boxing thing. Boxing is a serious game. Nothing to be doing for YouTube likes. Most amateurs turning pro fight 4 rds these guys debuting in a 6 rdr. Someone’s going to get really Hurt one day. Not cool at All ♀️
— Amanda Serrano (@Serranosisters) November 29, 2020
Still better then Jacobs vs rosado lol
— Michael Dutchover (@MDutchoverbox) November 29, 2020
What y’all expect from a basketball player. #PaulRobinson
— Mykal(Michael) Fox (@ProfessorMyke) November 29, 2020
Jake Paul has some decent fundamentals really. Sets the jab and keeps his distance
— ℤ (@MikaelZewski) November 29, 2020
Nate Robinson drawled can’t play boxing man
— 100 Billion (@coolboysteph) November 29, 2020
You can’t play boxing! Hope Nate alright though...
— Luis Angel Feliciano (@Luis_Feliciano) November 29, 2020
This boxing shit ain’t a game!
— Adam BluNose Lopez (@Adam_B_Lopez) November 29, 2020
Damn Nate
— Showstopper (@StephonYoung88) November 29, 2020