"Nowhere near world class" - Eddie Hearn changes stance on Jake Paul after Anthony Joshua fight

While Anthony Joshua handed Jake Paul a brutal knockout loss last Friday, the fight has elevated 'The Problem Child's' standing in boxing promoter Eddie Hearn's mind.

Despite Paul's recent string of wins against the likes of Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Hearn had never recognized him as a credible professional boxer, maintaining that he was merely decent at the sport.

However, after going six rounds against 'AJ', the Matchroom Boxing chairman has shifted his stance on the YouTube sensation. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Hearn said:

"I did say before, in the build-up to that fight, I said I used to think [Paul] was an average fighter, now I just think he is a decent cruiserweight. In my opinion, nowhere near world-class, but how many are?"

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Hearn went on to acknowledge that Paul has dedicated himself to the sport in recent years and has undoubtedly improved:

"I mean, he obviously has got a really decent chin. Maybe not anymore, but he did have a decent chin, because those shots that he stood up to, and the final shot, he was conscious... He has dedicated himself to the sport. He is having serious training camps; he has got the best facilities, he has got the best training, he has got good sparring. So he has definitely, definitely improved."

Check out Eddie Hearn's comments on Jake Paul below:

Following the loss to Joshua, Paul confirmed that he would be dropping back down to cruiserweight, which he believes is his natural weight class, and continue his pursuit of a world title.

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Logan Paul believes Jake Paul won four rounds against Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul lasted six rounds against Anthony Joshua, far longer than most in the fighting community expected. Paul even largely limited the amount of damage he incurred in the first four rounds.

Now, Paul's older brother, Logan, believes he won four out of the six rounds the fight lasted. During a backstage interview with Fight Hub TV, the WWE superstar proclaimed:

"I view that as a victory on all fronts... Bro, no one expected him to last four rounds with 'AJ'. In my opinion, he won four of them. People will argue that he at least won three. No one expected him to last that long. Rolled his ankle, broke his jaw, still f**king fighting, man. That's toughness." [0:20 mark of the interview]

Edited by Ujwal Jain