With his tenth victory, Jake Paul might have silenced many of his critics. Questions about the quality of his opponents have followed him since the beginning of his boxing journey. Questions over Mike Perry‘s experience in boxing or the size difference still persist. But there’s no point in denying the kind of draw ‘The Problem Child’ has become over the years. With ambitions taller than his 6-foot frame, the Ohioan wants nothing short of greater challenges. The YouTuber-turned-boxer, it seems, has started receiving support from hitherto unknown quarters. Some even from the topmost echelons of contemporary boxing.

Terence Crawford is just ten days short of his light middleweight debut against Israil Madrimov at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium. He looks forward to marking his presence in the third weight class. However, the Nebraskan might as well have his sights set on a higher target—Canelo Alvarez. Perhaps that could be a reason why he finds common ground with Jake Paul. Speaking with Ariel Helwani in ‘MMA Hour’s latest episode, the former undisputed welterweight champion believes that it’s high time people gave ‘The Problem Child’ the respect he deserves.

Respect for efforts Jake Paul: Reservations for the Battle Ahead

It looked like ‘Bud’ Crawford was on the wheel in Las Vegas. So Helwani asked him the obvious question, “Did you watch the Jake Paul fight on Saturday night?” Yes, he saw the match; thank you. The next question followed. As one of the best boxers around, what were his thoughts on the fight?

Aside from a few glitches, such as tuning up his stamina, the Nebraskan felt that the Ohioan has been upping his game commendably. Admiring the latter’s boxing abilities, he said that unlike other YouTube boxing wannabes, Jake Paul admirably trains hard and remains focused on the trade. Thus he is getting better each day. but there remains the Mike Tyson fight.

But it seems Crawford is not willing to buy the much-anticipated bout between boxing greats and a YouTuber-turned boxer. Despite all he gave to the sport, Mike Tyson, he said, is no longer in his prime. “I wouldn’t want to see Mike go in the ring and and get hurt on um a fight,” he said. The recent medical issue has made the matter more complicated, mentioned ‘Bud’ Crawford.

Then it was off to ‘The Problem Child’s future. Ariel Helwani highlighted how Paul spilled the beans on his future plans. He might be going for a championship fight or fights in the cruiserweight division.

Critics Beware: A Star in the Making

There also, Terence Crawford remained quite positive on what the Ohioan could accomplish. He has a rightful claim over a powerful right hand. However, the fact remains that Paul has been putting up a resume for just about any other boxing prospect, beginning from scratch. Then he gave the example of how every now and then a known name would try to latch on to Jake Paul’s name for all the limelight and payday. Crawford said, like any other professional boxer, ‘The Problem Child’ is also building a profile gradually instead of going straight at a title.

“Jake is still in the learning process… so you know he’s taking his time, and that’s what he should do: take his time, keep getting better, keep learning new tricks and things like that in the ring, and keep getting more experience,” said Terence Crawford. Perhaps after some time, when he is ready, he can go against a bona fide boxing competition. In his view, the early years are needed to build the ring IQ, build the stamina, and understand the boxing nuances. Only then does the boxer turn out better and get into bigger fights.

Clearly, a lot of Jake Paul fans might see a blue print for success. Given that these insights are coming from one of the best in the business, they carry significant weight.

What are your views on Terence Crawford’s assessment of Jake Paul’s career? Do you agree with him?