Regardless of the hard work, skills, and unforgiving violence, the one thing that makes boxing great is showmanship. The showdowns, promos, and especially the larger-than-life entrances make this sport a spectacle that we all love.

On Saturday, Richardson Hitchins defeated Liam Paro in a controversial split decision to become the new IBF super lightweight champion. However, it was Puerto Rican rising star Yankiel Rivera Figueroa, who stole the show with his entrance on the undercard. The entrance even earned him a comparison to Jake Paul. Why?

Is that Megatron?

Rivera faced Angel Gonzalez for the WBC Silver Flyweight and WBO Flyweight intercontinental title. He put on an impressive performance and secured the win via a 4th round technical knockout, clinching both titles. However, it was his entrance that left the fans awestruck as the 27-year-old entered the arena with what looked like a giant Transformer.

Rivera walked out to the ring with what looked like a giant Megatron figure, a character who is the main antagonist of the Transformer series. Rivera, who fought for Puerto Rico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, shared a wholesome moment with his family before entering the ring and, hilariously, Megatron was behind lumbering behind him all the way to the ring.

The Bayamon native finished a 10-round fight in just 4 with a performance worthy of his entrance. The larger-than-life entrance has since left the fans enchanted, and they immediately started comparing him to Jake Paul in the comments section of the DAZN post.

Jake Paul: The Pioneer

A fan wrote, “Not recognizing Megatron is crazy work,” stating that the commentators not mentioning Megatron alongside Rivera wasn’t fair. Over the years, Megatron has become one of the most well-known characters from the Transformers franchise. As the leader of the Deceptions, he has garnered some of the most intense fans among fiction lovers.

Another user wrote, “Did he win at least?” implying that losing after such a performance would have been embarrassing for the boxer. However, things turned out well as the Puerto Rican showcased a dominating performance, knocking his opponent out easily.

Another fan wrote, “Jake did it first :),” referring to the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, where the Problem Child entered the AT&T Stadium beside what looked like a giant yellow-colored Transformer as part of his entourage. While El Gallo was accompanied by a giant robot, it was not a character from the franchise, but rather a personalized giant robot promoting the fight as well as his new brand “W”. Furthermore, the robot only accompanied Paul during his entry into the stadium. It was nowhere to be seen during his walkout.

Another user wrote, “I hate to say this but didn’t Jake Paul do this,” implying that once The Problem Child does something, it becomes a trend. Considering the position that the 27-year-old holds currently in the boxing world, he has become somewhat of a pioneer for outlandish stuff in the sport.

Amidst the sea of Transformer comparisons, one fan wrote, “Real steel ahh entrance,” comparing Rivera’s entrance with Hugh Jackman’s famous movie Real Steel. The movie takes place in the near future when human boxing has been replaced by robot boxing. And the main character in the film is a giant robot, repurposed by Hugh Jackman’s character.

Many fans contended that Yankiel Rivera simply copied Jake Paul’s idea. However, even though the idea is quite similar, the entrances were miles apart, making Rivera’s walkout unique from Jake Paul’s.

What are your views on Yankiel Rivera’s entrance? Do you think it wouldn’t have been possible without Jake Paul? Let us know your thoughts down below.