There arenβt many times in life where youβre offered a second chance to correct a previous mistake; be it the long-lost love that got away, or the audition you bombed that couldβve completely changed your life. But after embarrassing our ancestors by losing a boxing match to serial idiot Jake Paul back in August, Tyron Woodley begged, pleaded, and even got a tattoo in order to earn the right to avenge his humiliating defeat. Yet somehow, when the 39-year-old finally got his rematch on Saturday nightβwith an added incentive in the form of a $500,000 bonus if he knocked out his opponentβthis happened in the sixth round:
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βLook at what I just did,β Paul said after he finished reading Woodley a bedtime story. βLook at the year I just had. Unprecedented. One of the most valuable boxers in this sport. Four fights. Four massive pay-per-views in 13 months. Iβve knocked out every single person that Iβve fought.β
I mean, he ainβt lying. But imagine having βto wake up after some idiot YouTuber knocked me outβ on your Christmas list. This ainβt what Jesus died for.
βWhen I came into this, I had a lot to prove,β Paul said. βPeople didnβt understand me. They didnβt understand my movement. They thought I was just making a mockery of the sport. And now people really see what Iβm doing. They respect me, they respect my work, they respect the business side of it.β
To that end, while the 24-year-old has been laying more hands than an altar call, heβs also been killing it on the business side. Upon further review, youβll notice that his own company, Most Valuable Promotions, has been promoting his fights and that heβs offering the type of lucrative paydays that fighters wouldnβt see otherwise. Heβs also brought plenty of attention to a sport that has seen waning popularity in recent years, and while you can say what you want about who he chooses to fightβa common critique is that he cherry-picks opponents who have minimal boxing experience or are half his sizeβheβs still putting hands on accomplished athletes. Whenβs the last time you whooped former Bellator MMA and ONE welterweight champ Ben Askren in the ring? Or a five-time UFC champ in Woodley?
βAt some point,β Woodley admitted. βYouβve got to start putting some respect on Jakeβs name.β
I mean, shit. I ainβt ready to go that far yet since this is still the same dude who thinks snatching hats off a grown-ass man is a badge of honor, but heβs trending in the right direction until somebody finally detaches his jaw from his face and proves otherwise.
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