MIAMI – On a day where the middleweight champion defended his title and a former 154- titleholder began a comeback, the most watched boxing event on Saturday was headlined by a YouTube star and a retired ex-UFC fighter. Jake Paul-Ben Askren wasn’t for everybody, but the circus proved a lot more popular than the real thing.
Be embarrassed, boxing. You did this. Demetrius Andrade could have defended his 160-pound title against Jermall Charlo, a mouthwatering matchup that would have drawn a huge audience in primetime. Instead, Andrade, boxing’s most avoided fighter, defended his belt against Welshman Liam Williams in an afternoon show made to capitalize on a potential viewing audience in Wales.