At the open workouts this week, we got the final glimpses of Jake Paul and Ben Askren before their boxing match on April 17th. It seems that Jake is not very impressed with what he saw from the Funky one.
This weekend sees a boxing match that nobody ever expected, as Paul and Askren headline a pay-per-view event on Triller. It will also feature a musical act headlined by Justin Bieber as the former Olympic wrestler makes his pro boxing debut against the 2-0 YouTuber.
The buildup to this contest has been a bit contentious, with both men talking nonstop trash about one another. They even had a brief physical altercation during their media day face-offs, with Ben shoving Jake’s face.
.@BenAskren rips the pads at open workouts ahead of his pro boxing debut vs. Jake Paul. What do you think?#TrillerFightClub | Full video: https://t.co/ejYsu8QoXV pic.twitter.com/GAiQUbBoHg
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 14, 2021
Ben Askren Is A Mitt Warrior
Before their fight this weekend, we got to see Ben Askren and Jake Paul each do their thing during the open workout. When it came to Ben, he was seen hitting the mitts with his coach, showing off his striking prowess.
It seems that Jake was not particularly impressed with what he saw from Askren. Speaking in a recent interview, he said that Ben’s coach was doing most of the work when they hit mitts, and that he looked awful while training.
“I think he’s very square, has too much weight on his front foot, and doesn’t punch like a pro. He’s a mitt warrior is what it looks like,” Paul said.
“I call them mitt warriors because they look good on the mitts, and their coach has the mitt and is smacking their punches, smacking their punches. The guy’s not even punching, it’s actually the coach hitting so I call them mitt warriors.”
As for what he expects from Askren, the younger Paul brother says that he anticipates unorthodox striking from the Olympic wrestler. That said, this is nothing new to him considering the lack of experience from his previous foes.
“I think he’s going to be really awkward. I think he’s going to be coming with some rabbit punches, some weird angles, and just random s—t honestly. He likes the overhand right, but look I’m ready for all of that. I’ve been fighting these green amateur guys for all of my fights so far… I’m used to the weird punches and the awkwardness.”
Have you seen an open workout quite like @JakePaul's? 🧐#TrillerFightClub | Full video: https://t.co/ejYsu8QoXV pic.twitter.com/nbeOv77Dco
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 14, 2021
Jake Paul Explains His Odd Stretching
Ben Askren was not the only one with a questionable open workout. Jake Paul was also turning heads with his unique stretching with his coach during his portion of the workout.
Despite what some may think, this was not an unusual format for the YouTuber. He says that this is the way he normally stretches before working out, and that it helps him feel loose and ready to go.
“I feel pretty loose. That’s something we do on a day to day basis. Flexibility equals speed, and so I’m constantly improving my flexibility,” Paul said.
The fact of the matter is, Jake Paul vs Ben Askren is going to be nothing short of a messy, insane contest. Nevertheless, it seems like everybody and their brother is going to be watching anyway, like a car accident that you can’t help but stare at.
