Wilder v Paul next? You wouldnt flinch

Deontay Wilder and Jake Paul fight in separate contests this weekend

Jake Paul and Deontay Wilder are two men separated by weight, experience and tradition, yet orbiting the same strange boxing universe.

The Problem Child Paul fights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on Saturday in Arizona, while his fellow American Wilder returns against Tyrrell Herndon on Friday in Kansas.

And really, thank goodness theyre not fighting each other, because thats exactly the kind of boxing world we live in now.

If someone called you tomorrow and said, "Wilder v Paul next," you wouldnt flinch.

Picture this: Wilder wipes out Herndon in a round in a vintage Bronze Bomber display.

Just 24 hours later, Paul is behind on all cards and then stops Chavez Jr late on in a thriller.

By Sunday morning, the clips go viral, the messages start, and someone makes a call.

Wilder v Paul outdoors in America later this year? Its not impossible. Stranger things have happened.

Because every fighter wants to be in the Paul business. You cant find me a boxer from middleweight to heavyweight who wouldnt fight Paul at the drop of a hat for the type of money on display.

Wilder has 42 knockouts in 43 wins, a 98% knockout rate

Wilder was dropped five times by Tyson Fury in their trilogy. He looked a shadow of himself against Joseph Parker. And against Zhilei Zhang, I was about four feet away and he honestly didnt look like he knew where he was. His instincts were scrambled.

Hes lost four of his last five and yet were still not convinced hes finished. Why? Because Wilder has a gift that defies logic.

He owns one of the most dangerous right hands in boxing history - a punch so destructive that it wipes out most sensible analysis. When you can end a fight in the blink of an eye, you get chances. You get forgiven. You get watched.

He faces the relatively unknown Herndon in Wichita - and no, I couldnt point it out on a map either. Herndon was stopped in two rounds by Olympic silver medallist Richard Torrez Jr, a terrific heavyweight whos flying under the radar.

If Wilder detonates early and finishes Herndon quicker than Torrez did, expect someone somewhere to shout: "Hes back!"

And then hell want the big names again. Hell talk about a Parker or Zhang rematch, or maybe even that long-awaited super-fight with Anthony Joshua.

Of course, theres also Dave Allen. The fact Wilders even being linked with Doncasters Allen - and no disrespect to Dave, who we all love - shows just how far Wilders stock has fallen.

But heres the twist: put it on at the O2 and it sells out. You will struggle to get a ticket.

Paul faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr who held the WBC middleweight world title from 2011 to 2012

I get asked about Paul all the time - "Buncey, what do you make of him?"

I tell them that Paul is one of boxings best-promoted and best-matched fighters. Hes the sports greatest modern self-publicist.

Hes had just 12 fights but operates with the publicity machine of a 30-year veteran. Thats the reality.

This next one – against Mexican Chavez - is another masterstroke. Win, and Paul can truthfully say hes beaten a former world champion. Never mind that Chavez has been unmotivated and underwhelming for years.

This is elite matchmaking, the kind Mickey Duff or Frank Warren would have admired in the 1980s. Find a guy with a belt in the past, a name the public still knows and has just enough miles on the clock. Time it right, get the win, build the brand.

In fact, smart matchmaking has always been Pauls strategy. Even the Mike Tyson fight was cold, calculated business. It may have counted to both their records but it was just a glorious payday for Tyson, who didnt really let his hands go and nor did Paul either. There was a degree of benevolence in that ring.

Paul upsets the purists when he fights UFC guys and then starts calling out the likes of Saul Canelo Alvarez or Joshua. His mouth is his crime, not his commitment to boxing. Ive seen him in the gym - Paul trains like a world champion.

Hes raw, his footwork clunky, his technique mechanical, but his commitment is real. He trains like hes going 15 rounds at Madison Square Garden.

As for Chavez, this could be redemption. If a motivated, fit Chavez - the kind we havent seen in years - shows up, he could give Paul a real fight.

And if he wins, hell become a folk hero for those traditionalists eager to see the Paul machine slowed down.