Former NBA star Nate Robinson received support from Floyd Mayweather after YouTube star Jake Paul knocked him out in his debut boxing match Saturday.
Paul, 23, dominated the fight from the beginning, knocking 36-year-old Robinson down twice in the first round.
Paul knocked Robinson down again early in the second round before delivering the final knockout blow later in the same round.
A video clip circulating on social media shows the moment Paul KO’ed Robinson with a hard punch to the side of his face.
Paul moved in with a barrage of punches, and Robinson attempted to respond with a counter-attack of his own. He exposed his face in the process, and Paul landed a brutal right-hand blow to the side of his opponent’s face.
The blow knocked Robinson out cold.
The win gave Paul his second boxing victory (2-0).
One of the most brutal KO’s of the year, by the YouTuber Jake Paul pic.twitter.com/r4WUGtka1a
— Rob Brown (@RobBrownBetting) November 29, 2020
Monsters & Critics reported in July 2019 that Jake Paul married fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau in a lavish ceremony. A fight broke out during the wedding ceremony in Las Vegas.
The two split in January 2019, only six months after they tied the knot.
Reactions on social media
At first, people were concerned when Robinson dropped down and lay still for several minutes. His fans were relieved when he got up and later took to Instagram to announce that he was OK.
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Following expressions of relief over Robinson’s well-being, many took to social media, mocking his loss to Paul. The video showing the moment that Paul knocked Robinson out became a meme on Twitter.
Here are a few Twitter reactions:
Bruh I can’t explain how funny the Nate Robinson challenge is ??? #naterobinsonchallenge pic.twitter.com/VL9jv4uyD4
— Nasser ? (@nasser_fnbr) November 30, 2020
Sleep good my brother???? @nate_robinson pic.twitter.com/BZsnmM1RIu
— Ray Wilcox (@halloffame20) November 29, 2020
Why Jake Paul Do Nate Robinson Like That ? pic.twitter.com/17q5g3N4tU
— Mukhtar ? (@HouseOfDrake) November 29, 2020
Floyd Mayweather slams the people mocking Robinson
Support for Robinson came from unexpected quarters. Former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. came to his defense.
In a post to Instagram, Mayweather singled out members of the black community, especially black athletes and entertainers, who mocked Robinson on social media.
“Nate, I’m proud of you and I will always stand behind all my brothers,” Mayweather wrote. “I will never kick my brother when he’s down. It’s ok for people to voice their opinions on social media, but no black athletes or black entertainers, especially black NBA players should make a mockery out of you.”
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Nate Robinson is a former NBA point guard. He played for several teams, including the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, and Denver Nuggets.