Could Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren Be New York Bound?

Although true fans of the sport may shudder at the thought of calling it real boxing match, April 17th is the date that has been set for the meeting of Jake Paul and Ben Askren. But the contestants and the date of the encounter are about the only elements have been confirmed so far.

For example, as of the start of February no weight category has been chosen and the venue is also still very much up in the air. We do know that it will be on American soil, but whether it will be East Coast, West Coast or even Las Vegas has yet to be confirmed.

This may also mean that New York has as much chance as anywhere of hosting the bout, one which is set to be an intriguing encounter for a number of reasons. Well, two reasons to be exact – the fighters taking part.

For the many boxing fans who may only be vaguely aware of who they are, Jake Paul is big name on YouTube who has now turned his attention to the boxing ring, while Ben Askren is a retired MMA fighter now obviously searching for other sources of income.

Paul is 24 and from Cleveland and in the past has found himself caught up in a number of controversies thanks to his outspoken and pretty wild nature. For example, in 2017 he was unceremoniously dropped trom the Disney Channel’s Bizarrdvark because, according to hollywoodreporter.com, he was a continual nuisance to his neighbors in LA.

But he made an even bigger splash in 2018 when he announced that he was becoming a professional boxer to add to his numerous other skills. In his first professional fight he took on fellow You Tuber Gib. The fight took place last January in Miami with Paul winning by a TKO a little over two minutes after the start of the bout. His next fight was arranged against the former NBA professional Nate Robinson and took place in November 2020. Again, Jake Paul proved too much for his opponent, knocking him out in the second round.

Although Jake Paul has an unbeaten record to date, it seems highly likely that the April 17th encounter will be a totally different ball game. The superior fight experience of Askren must make him the strong favorite but his opponent is a bit of an unknown quantity, so many betting on the bout will likely use a free wager offer listed at a site like to protect their choice.

That’s because Askren might be 36 now but he has won 19 of his 22 MMA fights and even wrestled for the USA in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. So compared with Paul’s previous opponents this will be a definite step up in class for him.

But as to whether it’s going to be a step he’s going to make in NYC, we’ll just have to hold tight and wait for the official announcement, due anytime soon.