Deron Williams vs Frank Gore predictions: Who wins the NBA vs NFL boxing match?

Former NBA All-Star Deron Williams and former NFL Pro Bowler Frank Gore will lace up the gloves on Saturday night, featuring on the Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley undercard on Showtime pay-per-view.

Who wins? Who knows! But we’ll take our best shot at making picks.

Deron Williams vs Frank Gore predictions

Scott Christ (64-22)

Here’s what I know about these guys in a fighting context, and what I think is about the sum total anyone who hasn’t been in a gym with them knows:

• Frank Gore has trained boxing a while.
• Deron Williams has trained MMA a while.

So, there you go. Williams, 6’3”, will have height on the 5’9” Gore, and one figures a healthy reach advantage, too. But height and reach advantages are things for fights where, like, people know how to use them. Or are going to use them, even, sometimes top level fighters who should know how still don’t. These are not top level pro fighters, and any bit of discomfort could trigger wild swinging chaos.

I have no problem with these two lads getting in there and doing four rounds. They’re elite level athletes who have trained enough that they have the desire to test themselves in the ring for real. Gimme the draw, 2-2. D-4

Wil Esco (70-16)

This fight is a complete wild card, no doubt, so the one thing I’m going to lean on here is the Iron Man that is former NFL running back Frank Gore. I’ve never seen either of these people fight before, but one thing I believe is that Gore is going to be more accustomed to the sheer physicality, brutality, and punishment of boxing than Deron Williams. On top of that I’m aware that Gore has spent years boxing training for conditioning purposes, and watching some of his mitt work I can tell that the man at least has some muscle memory and technique behind what he’s doing. If over 15 years as an NFL running back hasn’t concussed him out of there, I don’t see why Deron Williams should. Gore UD-4

Patrick L. Stumberg (71-15)

My knowledge of the NBA has gone off a cliff since my beloved Spurs’ dynasty petered out, and my NFL knowledge isn’t faring much better. If there’s someone I’m familiar with nowadays, odds are they’re either so ridiculously skilled that I can’t help but be aware of them, they’ve done something stupid enough to trend on Twitter, or Jon Bois has highlighted them as someone strange enough to pay attention to.

This is a very long and inefficient way of saying that I’m completely in the dark here. Just on the basis that running backs willingly charge headlong into densely packed masses of gigantic people and point guards act like they got shot when someone bumps into them, I’m going with Gore. Gore UD-4

And the staff winner is...

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Frank Gore (2-0-1)!