Is Jake Paul A Boxing Talent? We Still Don’t Know Because He’s Yet To Fight A Boxer

Is Jake Paul any closer to being considered a legitimate boxing talent? No. Well, maybe. Who cares. It doesn’t matter because Paul’s game is to make moments — and make money.

The biggest moment of Paul’s boxing career went down on Saturday night when he roughed up yet another MMA luminary, beating former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva by unanimous decision (77-74, 78-73, 78-73) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Silva showcased skills early on, but Paul closed strong when his overhand right sent “The Spider” down to the mat in the eighth round. Take a look…

“Surreal,” Paul said of beating Silva. “He was my idol growing up. He inspired me to be great.”

This was the greatest challenge so far for Paul, the 25-year-old YouTuber-turned-prizefighter. Silva — even at 47 years old — had solid boxing outings, including a victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., after departing from the UFC two years ago.

Paul’s win over Silva was his third over ex-UFC fighters; the other two were former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, whom Paul beat twice, including a knockout, and Ben Askren, who also got KO’d.

Look for Paul to stick to the formula as he called out another UFC legend, Nate Diaz, who was in the arena backing his teammate Chris Avila, who boxed on the undercard.

A marketing angle for a potential Paul-Diaz fight was cemented Saturday when Diaz and his team and Paul’s team had a backstage scuffle with drinks and obscenities flying earlier in the evening. Security also reportedly removed Diaz from the event. Diaz became a free agent after his fight last month at UFC 279.

After his clash with Silva, Paul called out Diaz: “Nate Diaz, stop being a b— and fight me.”

Paul also called out boxing champion Canelo Alvarez, saying: “And you, too, Canelo. You’re getting old. You looked weird against Triple-G. I still want that fight as well.”

But there’s zero chance a Paul-Alvarez bout happens, not with Alvarez looking to defend his super middleweight crown against mandatory challengers.

So look for Paul — always a masterful promoter — to spin the Diaz controversy into a pay-per-view event.

Paul says his ultimate goal is to become a world champion in boxing some day.

“This definitely moves me in that direction,” Paul said. “[Silva] is insanely tough. Insanely tough. It’s just great experience under my belt. And like I said, it’s only been 2½ years. Who knows what I can accomplish? I know, but I’ll let you guys find out.”

But we will never find out, not until he fights a legitimate boxer. And until then, just enjoy the show.