“There’s Nothing Brave About That”: Adam Catterall Explains Why Jake Paul’s Weak Performance Was Embarrassing
Boxing journalist Adam Catterall didn’t hold back after Anthony Joshua dismantled Jake Paul in their December 19th heavyweight showdown at Miami’s Kaseya Center. With the bout streamed live on Netflix and Paul walking away with a reported $50 million payday, plus a double broken jaw requiring surgery, Catterall used his talkSPORT platform to deliver a withering critique of the performance, dismissing it as an “elite bank robbery” rather than a boxing match.
Adam Catterall Exposes Jake Paul’s Ring Strategy: 13 Takedown Attempts and One Real Punch
The core of Catterall’s assessment centers on Paul’s refusal to actually fight. Compubox statistics reveal Paul landed just 16 punches from 56 attempts across 5.5 rounds, a 28.6% accuracy rate that shows his offensive futility.
Meanwhile, Joshua landed 48 shots from 146 thrown, with 61% accuracy. Rather than trading with the heavyweight champion, Paul executed what Catterall describes as a marathon of avoidance, running circles around the ring, clinching whenever cornered, and repeatedly diving at Joshua’s legs.
“He got on his bike, he ran any time he got tired, he dived on the floor,” Catterall explained, emphasizing that these weren’t knockdowns but deliberate diving tactics. The documentary evidence supports this: Paul shot 13 takedown attempts, effectively MMA-style leg dives in a boxing ring, during the bout, making it clear his strategy prioritized survival over sport.
Catterall’s most pointed criticism targeted the narrative around Paul’s supposed bravery. The moment Joshua found his target in round six, landing a single clean right hand that shattered Paul’s jaw, the fight ended. For a fighter who spent most of the evening running and diving, getting paid nine figures to absorb one meaningful punch hardly qualifies as courage.
“There’s nothing brave about that. Everybody’s got a price,” Catterall said, framing it as straightforward financial transaction rather than athletic heroism. He compared it to a playground question: would most people endure shots from a heavyweight champion for $50 million? Of course they would, not because they’re brave, but because the money sorts your life out.
The journalist reserved particular contempt for the performance itself, dismissing it as boxing theater rather than sport. The Florida Athletic Commission’s decision to sanction it as a legitimate professional boxing bout troubled Catterall, given the disparity between the fighters and Paul’s constant evasion tactics.
When the bell rang and the boxing began, Jake Paul was thoroughly exposed, spending 5.5 rounds doing everything except actually box.
