Boxing News: Manny Pacquiao's Coach To Train Ben Askren For Jake Paul Fight

It looks like Ben Askren will be enlisting the help of one of the best trainers in the world to prepare for his upcoming boxing match against YouTuber Jake Paul.

Askren and Paul are set to throw down on April 17th at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

To help him train for the bout, Askren says he will be working with none other than legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach.

“I’m only in LA for a week, so I’m gonna get as much as I can out of Freddie Roach. I’m gonna try to pick his brain,” Askren revealed in an interview with MMA Junkie.

Roach, of course, is the man behind the success of a number of boxing world champions including Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., James Toney and many others.

Askren won’t be the first mixed martial arts world champion to work with Roach as well, as he follows in the footsteps of the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, and most recently, Tony Ferguson.

He is best known for his wrestling acumen. That excellence on the mat has helped win him world championships during his stints with Bellator MMA and ONE Championship. His striking, however, leaves a whole lot to be desired.

Askren understands that a week with Roach won’t turn him into a world-class boxer.

“I’m trying to be as good of a boxer as I can. I’m not under the impression that I’m maybe a pro boxer. I’ve been top ten in the world in four different sports, I know what it’s like to be world-class. I’m not a world-class boxer,” Askren admitted.

“But I don’t gotta be a world-class boxer. I just gotta beat up Jake friggin’ Paul. That ain’t gonna be that hard,” he added.

Check out the full interview below.

Currently one of the most talked-about figures in combat sports today, Paul grew to popularity as an actor and a social media influencer.

In 2019, Paul decided to turn pro and faced fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, winning by TKO in the first round. He followed that up with a vicious knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. bout in December 2020.

After knocking out Robinson, Paul has been calling mixed martial artists out and challenging them to boxing bouts. He has most notably called out former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.