Jake Paul will return to action on Dec. 15, headlining what was originally scheduled to be a “Most Valuable Prospects” event but now, uh, isn’t.
An opponent has not been named and we’re less than two months out from the fight night, so names are swirling out there, like when you flush a toilet.
For whatever it’s worth, Casino Alpha are listing Tommy Fury as a 2/1 favorite to be Paul’s next opponent, with KSI at 4/1.
But Tommy Fury is boring, and who cares? So let’s look at some weirder options.
Former WWE star and ex-UFC fighter Matt Riddle, recently released by WWE, and Carl Froch are also among those listed, as is a potential Nate Diaz rematch, recent crossover boxing embarrassment Dillon Danis, and others:
- Tommy Fury 2/1
- KSI 4/1
- Jorge Masvidal 5/1
- Matt Riddle 8/1
- Nate Diaz 10/1
- Darren Till 10/1
- Dillon Danis 16/1
- Michael “Venom” Page 16/1
- Carl Froch 20/1
In the past, Froch has had plenty to say about the Paul brothers and their boxing escapades. In 2021, Froch said, “All them YouTubers are easy money, let’s be honest, come on. They can’t fight. Swinging handbags,” but did admit that there probably was a money offer that could get him to face Jake Paul, and that he would “smash them all to bits.”
Earlier this year, Froch was far more aggressive in a message to Paul:
“You’re not good enough. You’re not a professional fighter. You’re a performing clown. That’s all you are. Keep my name out of your mouth until you’ve done something in the game. … (If) you are stupid enough to take a fight with me, when this right hand lands on your chin, it’ll put you into fucking orbit and knock that stupid bonnet off the top of your head.”
There are absolutely a lot of boxing fans out there who would love to see a 46-year-old Carl Froch knock out Jake Paul, but one thing to keep in mind here is that Paul’s Dec. 15 date is for DAZN, not DAZN pay-per-view. They could change that on a whim, I suppose, but expecting someone with major name value — and, more to the point, major money demands to do it — might be a reach for this one.
As for Riddle, which would get some headlines in various places, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently said that there has been interest out there from MMA promotion PFL and from Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, as well as potential interest in the pro wrestling world.
It should be noted that Riddle has a lot of personal baggage, but that sort of thing is seemingly never much of a concern for these “crossover” boxing events, and if they think Jake Paul vs Matt Riddle could sell and draw eyes, then yeah, it could happen if Riddle is interested. He has legitimate MMA experience — though at this point it’s quite well in the past — but he is no professional boxer, which would fit Paul’s standard resume for opposition.
It’s entirely possible, given what looks to be the scope of the event, Paul might sign up a “real boxer” basically nobody has ever heard of, or who is eons past their best days (and their best days can’t have been that great), to be a “credible” opponent and “prove” something.
Hey, 49-year-old Darryl Cunningham is still out there. He’s about the right size. (30 lbs too small.)