David Haye has reacted to Anthony Joshua‘s sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul and suggested exactly what Paul should do next.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer entered their heavyweight contest at the Kaseya Center, Miami, as an almighty underdog, but arguably exited the ring with his reputation enhanced.
This is because he survived several more rounds than what many had previously suspected, mostly by utilising his lateral movement to keep himself out of harm’s way.
That strategy only lasted so long, however, as it was by the finish that Paul had suffered four knockdowns and was seemingly running on empty.
He was, of course, forced to contend with a series of disadvantages, with Joshua – a more physically impressive specimen – boasting the far greater experience and physical prowess.
For that reason, many have credited Paul’s resolve to keep climbing off the canvas, suggesting that he displayed several elements of genuine fighting spirit throughout their contest.
Whether that offers an accurate assessment of his performance, it is perhaps up for debate, but the 28-year-old is nonetheless likely to remain a consistent fixture on both sides of the ropes.
In an interview with Daily Mail Sport, former world cruiserweight champion David Haye credited ‘AJ’ for ‘doing what he needed to do’ and insisted that Paul must now drop back down to 200lbs, campaigning in a division where he is far more likely to garner success.
At the same time, Haye highlights the strategy of Paul, against Joshua, as a stroke of genius, explaining that the internet star’s elusiveness was why ‘AJ’ could not get him out of there until the sixth round.
“He did what he needed to do: he got the knockout. Everyone was expecting it.
“It’s very difficult to pin someone down when they’re not trying to engage. Jake’s gameplan was a good one: it was to use lateral movement in the hope to land a big overhand right at some stage, to catch ‘AJ’ off guard.
“It didn’t quite work out, but you’ve got to give Jake credit. He took some big shots there – I think he’s got a broken jaw; I saw him spitting blood at the end of the fight.
“But he showed that he can compete. Maybe not at heavyweight, but maybe at cruiserweight.
“If he picks the right matches, gets back into a training camp, he could do something in the cruiserweight division.”
