The Wuhan virus has starved sports fans of many major events.
In response to the disrupted sports calendar, fans were buzzing over a couple exhibition boxing matches.
And one former NBA player stepped into the ring, but things went horribly wrong.
Many high-level athletes believe they could be stars in other sports.
For example, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens swore that he could’ve been an elite NBA player.
Very few athletes have enough ability to naturally excel in multiple sports.
Former NBA player Nate Robinson found that out the hard way.
Despite only being 5’8”, Robinson played in the NBA for a decade and won the slam dunk contest three times.
Robinson also played college football, starting at cornerback for the Washington Huskies as a freshman before concentrating on basketball.
Now that Robinson’s NBA career is over, he thought it would be a good idea to try his hand at boxing.
Robinson signed on to fight YouTube celebrity Jake Paul in a boxing match on the undercard for a fight between former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and more light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr.
That turned out to be a big mistake because Robinson suffered a brutal knockout that instantly turned him into a hilarious meme.
My God 😱😱
The way Nate Robinson landed on the canvas. Good stuff by Jake Paul #tysonvsjones pic.twitter.com/4STxSBjgaK
— MMA India (@MMAIndiaShow) November 29, 2020
Even though Robinson was a professional athlete for a decade, he is not a skilled fighter.
Paul has been training legitimately as a boxer for at least a year, while Robinson put on gloves for the first time only three months ago.
Exhibition boxing matches always seem to bring fan intrigue.
Former MMA star Connor McGregor took on undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Paul and his older brother Logan Paul have cultivated a huge and lucrative following on YouTube.
Paul recently made headlines when his home was raided and guns were seized, which is ironic because he had previously made a documentary discussing gun control issues.
Jake’s brother also beclowned himself when he tried to argue gun control with Kaitlin Bennett, a YouTuber who’s a gun rights advocate.
Paul seems to be taking boxing seriously, but he recently challenged McGregor to a fight.
He may not want to bite off more than he can chew.
A professional MMA fighter is a different beast than a 36-year-old retired basketball player with three months of training.
Robinson’s embarrassing showing serves as a warning to anyone who thinks it’s easy to step into the ring without putting in the requisite work.