Terence Crawford changed stance on Jake Paul as Logan Paul asks if he’s ruining boxing
Terence Crawford has softened his stance on Jake Paul's boxing career after watching him fight live.
Paul's career in the squared circle has attracted widespread criticism, largely for his choice of opponent which include ex-MMA fighters such as recent rival Mike Perry.
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The 'Problem Child' has faced backlash from boxing purists, given he wants to become world champion, and has even announced he will face 58-year-old veteran Mike Tyson in a professional bout in November.
Crawford, who is in the boxing's current pound-for-pound top three, has claimed he wasn't sure about Paul's career until he saw how seriously he was training.
He told Paul's brother Logan Paul : "Yes he's boxing. At first I was against it.
"I was like man 'this dude', when people was coming at you and your brother negatively, I was like 'yeah they are just using their YouTube status to come in boxing and make all this money'.
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"You have all of these boxers doing it their whole life that don't make anything close, and I thought it was disrespectful to us and the game.
"But after watching him and seeing the seriousness he is taking to actually train and put the focus into the sport, I was like this dude is getting better."
'Bud' went on to add he changed his opinion eve more, when watching Paul beat Ryan Bourland by KO in Puerto Rico.
"His last fight against Bourland I was there in Puerto Rico, we had a convention. I was sitting there and I was like 'this dude can hit with his right hand'.
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"Something changed. Of course he isn't fighting a killer, but for him it is stepping stones just like any other fighter.
"A lot of people just want Jake Paul to fight Oleksandr Usyk, but no you have to just work your way up.
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"And when I saw him live, I gained way more respect for him than I already had."
Paul is clearly unfazed by public opinion, but will be delighted to have picked up an unlikely bond with a modern-day great.
The YouTube star will likely pile on weight again and look to record a mind-blowing KO of Tyson, who reigned as undisputed champion during his prime.
Terrence Crawford says he’s still waiting to play Eddie Hearn at darts ahead of his fight with Israil Madrimov
There are justifiable concerns for his rival's health, and many have criticised the age of Paul's opponents.
As he moves forward, Paul would need to fight more boxers with a natural background in the sport to achieve his goal of becoming an unlikely world champion.
But for now he is generating huge revenue and interest in his career, and his showdown with 'Iron Mike' is set to once again set him off with another lucrative payday.
Crawford himself has a big upcoming test and will fight Israil Madrimov for the chance to become a four-weight world champion.
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