David Haye has reacted to Anthony Joshua’s sixth round knockout victory over Jake Paul and suggested exactly what Paul should do next.
The YouTuber turned boxer entered the heavyweight competition at Miami’s Kaseya Center as an almighty underdog, but he arguably left the ring with an enhanced reputation.
Indeed, he survived several more rounds than many had previously suspected, primarily by using his lateral movement to keep himself out of harm’s way.
However, this strategy only lasted for a while, as it was by the finish that Paul had suffered four knockdowns and appeared to be running on empty.
He was of course forced to face a series of disadvantages, with Joshua – a more physically impressive specimen – possessing far greater experience and physical prowess.
For this reason, many credited Paul’s determination to continue coming off the canvas, suggesting that he displayed several elements of true fighting spirit throughout their competition.
Whether this offers an accurate assessment of his performance is perhaps up for debate, but the 28-year-old is nevertheless likely to remain a fixture on both sides of the rope.
In an interview with Daily Mail Sport, former cruiserweight world champion David Haye credited ‘AJ’ for “doing what he had to do” and insisted Paul must now move down to 200lbs, campaigning in a division where he has a much greater chance of success.
At the same time, Haye highlights Paul’s strategy against Joshua as a stroke of genius, explaining that the Internet star’s elusiveness was the reason “AJ” couldn’t get him out of there before the sixth round.
“He did the right thing: he got the knockout. Everyone expected it.
“It’s very difficult to pin someone when they’re not trying to engage. Jake’s game plan was good: it was to use lateral movement in hopes of landing a big forehand at some point, to catch ‘AJ’ off guard.
“It didn’t really work out, but credit to Jake. He took some big hits there – I think his jaw was broken; I saw him coughing up blood at the end of the fight.
“But he showed he can compete. Maybe not at heavyweight, but maybe at cruiserweight.
“If he picks the right matches and returns to training camp, he could do something in the cruiserweight division.”
