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Gable Steveson just captured Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling for Team USA in Tokyo, and now he’s become one of the hottest names in combat sports. The 21-year-old could return back to the University of Minnesota to defend his NCAA national championship, or he could be heading into the professional ranks of either the UFC, WWE, or even the NFL.
Steveson recently shared his opinion on boxing’s most controversial star Jake Paul. The gold medalist said he’d like to someday meet Paul, but that he’d be rooting for his next opponent.
“Jake Paul is doing something special,” Steveson said.
Both Steveson and Paul, 24, come from the same generation, and both are among the top stars in sports today.
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Steveson Reveals ‘Odd Thing’ About Paul
Steveson had both positive and negative things to say about Paul.
“He’s going out there, and he’s doing his things. He’s making millions of dollars just to do entertainment for boxing. But the one thing that is odd about it is that he’s fighting a lot of older, washed-up guys,” Steveson said.
Steveson is looking forward to seeing how Paul fares in his next boxing match against Tyron Woodley.
Paul vs. Woodley is set for Sunday, August 29 on Showtime pay-per-view.
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Paul’s Toughest Test Lies Ahead
Paul is 3-0 with 3 KOs in pro boxing, but he hasn’t yet faced someone with any kind of legit striking skills.
His last boxing match against former MMA champ Ben Askren saw Paul detonate his knockout blow on a retired MMA fighter who relied heavily on his wrestling skills in cage fights.
While Askren was a one-trick pony in regards to how he won fights under MMA rules, former UFC champion Woodley has been known to stand and rumble with his opponents. Steveson wants to see how Paul deals with that kind of fighter.
“We knew Ben Askren couldn’t box. We’re going to see what Tyron Woodley can do with him,” Steveson said.
Steveson: ‘It’d Be Cool To Meet Him’
The gold medalist praised Paul for all the positive things he’s doing in the sport.
Moreover, Steveson said he’d like to meet Paul someday, even if he’ll be rooting for Woodley on August 29.
“But Jake Paul, he’s cool people. I’ve never met him personally. It’d be cool to meet him and see what he does, see how he goes about what he does. I mean, he’s doing great in boxing, and he’s putting on a show for a lot of people. People are buying his fights most definitely, and we’ll see how the Tyron Woodley fight goes,” Steveson said.
Steveson is backing the former UFC champ over the YouTuber.
“Right now, I’m going to root for Tyron Woodley. A lot of people want Jake Paul to fall, but I think it’s going to be a good fight. I mean, I’m rooting for Tyron Woodley. He’s going to go out there and do a great job. And Jake Paul is going to go out there and do a fantastic thing, too,” Steveson said.
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Olympic Gold Medalist Wants To Meet Jake Paul