Jake Paul has been getting work in the gym with the WBO Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Lawrence Okolie – and by all accounts it was a promising session.
Many fans are sceptical about Paul’s skills in the ring, despite his 6-0 record with 5 knockouts. Why? Because they point to the fact that he’s been stepping through the ropes with retied mixed martial artists rather than boxers by trade. The young American is keen to point out in response that he spars world champions in the gym – and that’s just been proven by one.
Lawrence Okolie – who has held the WBO title in his division since 2021 – shared a picture of himself alongside Paul on social media, praising the YouTuber turned fighter’s skills, as reported by TalkSPORT’s Michael Benson.
“He’s better than most boxers, people just hate because of his influencer background.”
Jake Paul sparring with WBO cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie today… pic.twitter.com/WrgJKpOkPo
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 9, 2022
‘Better than most boxers’ from a man who’s looking to move up to the premier division and challenge the best heavyweights in the world is praise indeed.
Paul is coming off a career-best performance against 47-year-old UFC legend, Anderson Silva, and faces fresh calls from fans of the sport to face a ranked boxer in his next bout. Rumours of Tommy Fury being in the other corner continue to swirl, however with two scheduled fights already fallen through, the pair may be destined to never trade blows.
As for Okolie, he’s continued to train under Shane McGuigan in the hope of unifying the titles in his division before moving up a weight. The rest of the belts currently reside in Australia with Jai Opetaia. It’s said that the 18-0 fighter from Hackney has one fight left on his Matchroom contract, and he is expected to then entertain offers from other promotional companies and broadcasters.