It took Jake Paul lower than two minutes to win his third skilled combat.
Paul, the YouTube star-turned-boxer, despatched Ben Askren to the canvas with a straight proper hand halfway via the primary spherical of their cruiserweight combat on Saturday. Regardless that Askren obtained up, referee Brian Stutts determined Askren could not go on, giving Paul a first-round knockout at 1:59 within the first spherical at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Paul (Three-Zero, Three KO) then collapsed to the canvas in tears earlier than celebrating and doing pushups within the ring.
The 24-year-old Paul took care of Askren rapidly. Paul was affected person for the primary minute whereas Askren chased him across the ring.
Then, as Paul started to get comfy, he made fast work of the 36-year-old Askren. Paul arrange the straight proper with a jab, and the stable contact despatched Askren down. After the combat, Paul climbed up into the published sales space to rejoice with Snoop Dogg.
“It has been 4 months. I have been in coaching camp on daily basis,” Paul stated on Triller after the combat. “I deserved that s—. That is the craziest second of my life.
“I informed y’all I used to be going to do it within the first spherical. I informed y’all I am an actual fighter. I do not know what number of occasions I’ve obtained to show myself that is for actual.”
Paul landed 9 of 26 punches within the combat, whereas Askren landed Three of 14 punches. It was the final two of Paul’s punches that did essentially the most harm. Paul informed Snoop Dogg after the combat he did not even get an opportunity to essentially get warmed up.
This got here months after Paul knocked out former basketball participant Nate Robinson within the first spherical with a viral knockout throughout Triller’s first combat on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. principal occasion in November.
Paul headlined Triller’s second occasion and dispatched of Askren — making his boxing debut — nearly as rapidly.
Paul’s entrance, throughout which he walked into the ring with some kind of pretend robotic accompanying him, might need lasted longer than the combat itself. Paul’s win capped an evening that was an entire spectacle.
It featured a literal slap combat together with performances by The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Ice Dice, Mount Westmore and Justin Bieber. Roving reporter/comic Pete Davidson stole the present, making enjoyable of everybody and every little thing.
After the combat, Paul stated he devoted it to his safety guard, who died 10 days in the past. It was a part of a news-heavy week for Paul, who additionally was accused by TikTok star Justine Paradise of forcing her to carry out a intercourse act with out consent in 2019. Paul’s legal professional informed ESPN earlier this week that Paul “categorically denies the allegation.”
Boxing was secondary all through the vast majority of the evening as musician after musician carried out, with only one combat over the primary two hours of the pay-per-view — a bout lasting two rounds, as Reykon refused to come back out of the nook for the third spherical in opposition to Joe Fournier.
In any other case, it was music and skits — the present opened with a skit through which Snoop Dogg and Jaleel White, enjoying his iconic position as Steve Urkel from “Household Issues,” joking about marijuana — with little or no precise preventing happening within the combat membership.
Snoop Dogg and Ice Dice acknowledged rapper DMX and boxing nice Marvin Hagler, who each died earlier this yr, throughout the present, together with with a video honoring the late rapper.
Even the combat that includes essentially the most well-known prospect, Regis Prograis, led to controversy after his opponent, Ivan Redkach, was taken out of the ring on a stretcher following a punch from Prograis within the sixth spherical.
The combat, which had been scheduled for 10 rounds, went to the scorecards as an alternative, with Prograis incomes a 60-54, 60-54, 59-54 majority resolution win.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi contributed to this report.