Saturday’s boxing match between Jake Paul and Ben Askren was one for the ages.
Even though Paul entered the bout as the favorite, many spectators expected Askren to win. After all, he’s a former MMA champ and was once a respected UFC fighter.
For that reason alone, Paul’s shocking first-round knockout of Askren caught everyone by surprise.
The final result was so stunning, in fact, that conspiracy theories were immediately born.
Fans at home quickly jumped on the bandwagon of the notion that the match was rigged. There was even video seemingly backing that idea up.
But they weren’t alone. Former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier also seemingly started questioning the legitimacy of the bout.
Wait a minute, did Askren get us all? Like this is some magician stuff he wasn’t laughing on his way to the back was he? Cmon Ben lol @Benaskren https://t.co/Kb3jMkB0nR
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) April 18, 2021
So was the fight rigged?
It seems highly unlikely, but the boxing game’s shady history when it comes to this sort of stuff means you can’t rule anything out.
At some point, Paul will get his due as a guy who can actually do serious damage. But it appears that his demolition of Askren is not enough to sway his doubters as of yet.
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