By: Sean Crose
He’s successfully made the jump from social media to boxing, so it makes perfect sense that 5-0 boxer – and ubiquitous celebrity – Jake Paul has decided to weigh in on national politics. “Biden accomplishments,” the 25 year old tweeted over the weekend. “1. Highest gas prices 2. Worst inflation 3. Plummeting crypto prices 4. Highest rent prices ever 5. Created new incomprehensible language If you’re reading this and voted for Biden and you still don’t regret it then you are the American problem.” As of Monday morning, the tweet was causing Paul to trend on Twitter. That, however, is what Jake Paul does best – get attention.
He also boxes surprisingly well for a 5-0 fighter. Paul may be criticized for his choice of competition – over the hill former UFC stars and other outside the ring notables – but as he himself says, no fighter just starting off jumps into major competition if he or she is serious about a career in boxing. And, make no mistake about it, Paul appears to be quite serious about boxing. Like him or not – the guys works hard. He also appears to have a real talent for the sweet science. How much talent, of course, remains to be seen. Still, it’s getting harder to write him off as a boxer (albeit a quite inexperienced one).
And, love or hate what he has to say, lots of people absorb Jake Paul’s words and actions. Which is why it’s actually newsworthy that a 5-0 fighter has waded into politics, which is itself sometimes more malevolent than the action to be found in the ring. A quick look at Twitter Monday morning indicated a lineup of pro-and-against responses to Paul’s comments. Like contemporary politics itself, the reactions appeared to depend on where the commenter leaned ideologically to begin with.
Having said that, it’s worth noting that Paul is far from the first fighter to become involved in political and/or social issues. Jack Johnson. Muhammad Ali. Joe Luis. Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad and a seemingly endless list of others have weighed in on weighty matters over the decades. Whether fans approve or not, politics and boxing have, in a sense, long been intertwined. Still, Paul is going to have to soon focus back on boxing if he wishes to maintain his winning ways. He’s lined up to fight in Madison Square Garden on August 8th. Tommy Fury, brother of (Retired?) heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, has been talked about as a possible opponent.