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Jake Paul Destroys ‘King of Violence’ Mike Perry

In a boxing ring, Perry was no match for Paul

Justin Barrasso

Jake Paul knocked out Mike Perry in the main event of the Most Valuable Promotions card at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, finishing the fight by TKO in the sixth round.

In only his second pro boxing bout, Perry (0-2) looked overwhelmed against Paul. He lacked the boxing skills necessary to compete, and he had no answer for Paul’s jab, uppercuts, body shots, and foot work. Paul had the size advantage, and it all added up to be too much for Perry.

Next up for Paul (10-1) is Mike Tyson, a bout that is currently scheduled to air on Netflix in November. Whether that fight actually takes place is a valid question. Tyson is 58 years old and only months removed from a medical scare, which was deemed to be an ulcer flareup. But if the fight against Perry was an appetizer to set up the main course with Tyson in November, then it served its purpose.

Perry has been outstanding in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but he hadn’t boxed since 2015. Paul was head and shoulders better, and he knew it–even filming a comedy scene in his locker room before the fight.

The outcome was never in doubt. A right hand from Paul briefly dropped Perry in the opening round. Another right hand dropped Perry in the opening moments of the second round.

Perry finally started to connect near the end of the second, despite an unconventional stance where he kept his hands low and his chin constantly exposed. He did his best to bully his way into control in the third, but due to Paul’s speed, that approach didn’t last.

The fight turned in the fourth round. Paul started landing his jab, a punch that was non-existent from Perry, who only attempted home run swings. Paul’s jab set up the uppercut, and he wailed on Perry throughout the round, with the shots landing 15-2 in his favor.

Perry became a punching bag in the fifth. All the offense was from Paul, and it looked like the referee was on the precipice of stopping the fight. In the sixth, Paul’s jab set up his left hook. He knocked down Perry again, the third time overall, and the referee wisely called an end to the bout after Perry stumbled while attempting to show he could continue.

In the co-main, Amanda Serrano looked dominant, defeating Stevie Morgan by TKO in the second round. This was a woeful mismatch. Morgan had no business being in the same ring as Serrano, who now gets her rematch against Katie Taylor in November on the Tyson-Paul card, seeking to avenge a tightly contested loss from 2022.

The undercard also featured an outrageous knockout when Lucas Bahdi put Ashton Sylve to sleep with a double right straight, left hook combo.

After the win, Paul called out UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira for a boxing match.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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