Ben Askren to box YouTube celeb in March

[TripNSweep 465]

Looks like he's going to box Jake Paul who just beat former NBA player Nate Robinson. Even though Askren has terrible striking he's a lot tougher. I'd be very surprised if Askren lost. 

[jchapman 1,070]

7 minutes ago, TripNSweep said:

Looks like he's going to box Jake Paul who just beat former NBA player Nate Robinson. Even though Askren has terrible striking he's a lot tougher. I'd be very surprised if Askren lost. 

Didn’t he just get a hip replacement?

[AnklePicker 521]

I think this is a risky move by Askren. I guess he has nothing to lose other than his pride but Askren is terrible at striking and boxing. He won zero fights because of his striking ability. He’s just completely unnatural at it. He says he’s a world class athlete and 2 time ncaa champ but that’s completely irrelevant in a boxing match. I don’t like this move. He must be getting a major payday. 

[nom 797]

Please please please don’t watch this.  

[backpack 7]

Yeah.... I'm having trouble picking Askren in this one if it's strictly boxing. 

[MadMardigain 1,242]

Paul is a complete *sshat, but I do conceded that he has much better boxing skills than Askren.  

[TripNSweep 465]

55 minutes ago, MadMardigain said:

Paul is a complete *sshat, but I do conceded that he has much better boxing skills than Askren.  

You'd think so but he also boxed total scrubs who are not boxers at all. Askren has at least stood in front of guys with legit skills who could hurt him and maybe hasn't gone toe to toe but has been rocked before and can at least take a punch. Plus Askren's strength is very deceptive. If he takes training for this seriously I think he's really going to hurt this guy. Even if he doesn't Askren knows how to compete and win. 

[Force118 97]

Just going to leave this here.

[GreatWhiteNorth 164]

Ben looks like Baryshnikov out there!

No doubt, I'll be rooting for Askren... but I won't be placing any wagers on it.

[TripNSweep 465]

3 hours ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

Ben looks like Baryshnikov out there!

No doubt, I'll be rooting for Askren... but I won't be placing any wagers on it.

Askren will win. You have to be a great competitor to do that well in wrestling. 

[jchapman 1,070]

He just had a hip replacement, did he not?!?!?!?!

[Wrestleknownothing 349]

1 hour ago, jchapman said:

He just had a hip replacement, did he not?!?!?!?!

He did. I still think he wins this. He has competed at a world class level in two combat sports. I think that matters.

[Billyhoyle 1,987]

5 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

He did. I still think he wins this. He has competed at a world class level in two combat sports. I think that matters.

Neither of which were boxing. In fact, he spent his entire career avoiding throwing or taking a punch. Nate Robinson was a world class basketball player, which also isn't boxing.  

[AnklePicker 521]

Ben is literally one of the worst strikers I’ve ever seen in MMA. Who is worse?  This is a dumb move. 

[Broomstick 65]

I think this fight, if it happens, will be unwatchable.  Askren's striking is embarrassing, which he seemingly embraced in his MMA career knowing that, until he got to the UFC, it did not matter.  But he is, of course, unbelievably tough and can take a punch (but not a flying knee to the head). 

The Youtuber will look better in the early going and land some good shots, but Askren will be relatively unphased and takeover after his opponent has boxed himself out.  Askren will win by TKO somewhere between rounds 3 and 6, if it is schedule for that many.

[nhs67 901]

3 hours ago, Billyhoyle said:

Neither of which were boxing. In fact, he spent his entire career avoiding throwing or taking a punch. Nate Robinson was a world class basketball player, which also isn't boxing.  

I didn't realize Basketball was a combat sport.

Perhaps 60 years ago when you could throw bows.

Since the turn of the millennium, the league has been more about acting than actual physicality, aside for the early 2000s Pistons.

Edited December 24, 2020 by nhs67

[Wrestleknownothing 349]

28 minutes ago, AnklePicker said:

Ben is literally one of the worst strikers I’ve ever seen in MMA. Who is worse?  This is a dumb move. 

The way I look at it is that the worst striker among professional strikers is still among professional strikers. And that counts for something. 

[dman115 120]

26 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

I didn't realize Basketball was a combat sport.

Perhaps 60 years ago when you could throw bows.

Since the turn of the millennium, the league has been more about acting than actual physicality, aside for the early 2000s Pistons.

Exactly...to compare basketball to MMA and Sr. level wrestling is completely asinine.  

With that being said...I am an Askren fan, but not sure I understand this move other than maybe Ben wants a chance to beat the crap out of this a^% hat.

[2td3nf 536]

I think Ben will be fine here.  He was actually out striking Damien Maia in his last UFC fight. Damien‘s face was cut up,  Besides, this will help keep Ben in shape for the Midlands next year. 

[AnklePicker 521]

40 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

The way I look at it is that the worst striker among professional strikers is still among professional strikers. And that counts for something. 

Disagree. MMA is just that, mixed martial arts. Some dudes in mma aren’t strikers. Most are BJJ and wrestling guys and Askren never beat a striker by out striking him. Have you seen Askren throw hands?  

[1032004 812]

Askren might not be a great boxer, but is Paul?  Apparently he just started boxing in 2018, and his only other actual fight besides Robinson was against some other YouTube guy.   Give me Askren.

[dtry222 26]

Paul is a considerably better boxer than Ben Askren. If this actually happens, I'd expect Paul to win 

[MadMardigain 1,242]

2 hours ago, 2td3nf said:

I think Ben will be fine here.  He was actually out striking Damien Maia in his last UFC fight. Damien‘s face was cut up,  Besides, this will help keep Ben in shape for the Midlands next year. 

I’m going to assume this is sarcasm, as Maia is by far the least likely stand up striker in the UFC. 

[2td3nf 536]

1 hour ago, MadMardigain said:

I’m going to assume this is sarcasm, as Maia is by far the least likely stand up striker in the UFC. 

 Wait a second, I thought it was Askren that was least likely to strike?  Everyone’s saying Ben is the worst striker in mma.

[MadMardigain 1,242]

27 minutes ago, 2td3nf said:

 Wait a second, I thought it was Askren that was least likely to strike?  Everyone’s saying Ben is the worst striker in mma.

Least likely does not equal worst.  Mia has no interest in striking and does a lot to avoid it against any useful striker whenever possible.  Mia not looking too concerned about Askrens stand up should tell us something. Bens just has poor technique, but will engage in it for awhile on the way to attempting a takedown. I’m sure Ben had spent some time training in boxing, but from his in ring actions it doesn’t seem he’s really made it a focus.  Not sure Bens the worse, but he’d be smart to take after Mia’s playbook get the fight to the ground as quick as possible and keep it there as long as possible.  Something he won’t be able to do against Paul, so hopefully Ben really puts in the focus on boxing technique and his footwork prior to their fight. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by MadMardigain