The Herd with Colin Cowherd – THE W.A.D.E. Concept: Week In Review

Episode Focus:
An in-depth look at the whirlwind surrounding the official announcement of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, including reactions to their press conference, the odds and realities of the matchup, interview breakdowns with Devin Haney and David Benavidez, and analysis of the Ring IV Night of Champions fight night.

Episode Overview

The episode kicks off with Wade (host of THE W.A.D.E. Concept) reacting to the bombshell: Jake Paul is set to face Anthony Joshua in a sanctioned professional heavyweight fight, live on Netflix, December 19th. Wade walks through the press conference, public perception, the mechanics and dangers of such a fight, and what this means for Jake Paul’s career. The episode also features interviews with top boxers Devin Haney and David Benavidez, exploring their mindsets ahead of the Ring IV 'Night of Champions' card, along with breakdowns of their upcoming bouts.

Main Event Breakdown: Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua

[03:00] – The Announcement & Immediate Reactions

• Wade’s Take:
  "Jake Paul has lost his mind…this is probably the worst mistake of his career. Danger personified. He’s going to get hurt very badly."
  (03:15)

• Why This Fight is Wild:

  • Jake Paul, previously seen as a cruiserweight/light heavyweight, is now facing one of the world’s most dangerous heavyweights.
  • The bout is eight rounds, three minutes each, with 10 oz gloves and a 245 lb weight cap for Joshua—intended to "replicate" the conditions from AJ’s fights with Usyk.

• Anthony Joshua Trash Talk:

  • “I’m about to break the Internet over Jake Paul’s face.”
    (AJ, quoted at 06:30)

• Wade on Jake’s Motivation:

  • “Whether you like him or not, Jake Paul has gigantic balls...I just don’t see the upside for Jake here except the giant payday.”
    (07:40)

[11:00] – The Matchup: David vs. Goliath?

• Side-by-side photos highlight their vast size disparity (Jake up to AJ’s shoulder).

• The conditions—eight rounds, pro rules, not an exhibition—“fire up” boxing traditionalists, though Wade jokes the real monstrosity is a typo on the poster.

• Financial Speculation:
  Rumors swirl that Jake’s purse is in the “$267 million” range—Wade is rightly skeptical but compares it to Mayweather vs. McGregor territory.

• Jake’s Confidence:
  Jake's press tour messaging: “On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain's Goliath gets put to sleep again.”
  (09:17)

[13:00] – Manager’s Hot Take

• Nikisa Bedarian (Jake’s manager) on Why This Is “More Winnable” Than Gervonta Davis:

  • “Joshua is big, heavy puncher, but not as evasive...if Jake has the right game plan, he has a pretty good shot of winning.”
    (Interview clip at 13:04)

• Wade’s Response:

  • “Nikisa says it’s a more dangerous, but more winnable fight…That’s a down to your last dollar, all-in on a hand of blackjack bet.”
    (13:20)

[15:00] – Tale of the Tape & Odds

• Stark physical differences:
  • AJ: 6’6”, 245 lbs, 82” reach, Olympic gold medalist, 32 pro fights
  • Jake: 6’1”, 28 years old, 13 fights, huge underdog
• Betting Lines:
  • Jake +800, AJ -1500 at opening (lines moving but Jake remains massive underdog)
• Wade's Visual:
  • "AJ is the 18-wheeler going 90 down the straightaway and Jake is in a golf cart going ten toward him. It's freaking destruction."

[17:00] – Is This a Real Fight or Circus?

• Nikisa Bedarian:

  • "Much less of a mismatch than what you saw with AJ and Francis Ngannou."
    (17:01)

• Wade:

  • "AJ's dangerous with power—jab, reach, relentless...Jake couldn’t knock out 58-year-old Mike Tyson...if you can't get AJ's respect early, it’s going to go very badly."

[20:00] – Jake’s Perspective: Hype, Delusion, or Both?

• On Logan Paul’s channel:

  • “When you called out Anthony Joshua, were you on cocaine?”
  • Jake: “No, I don’t do that. Dang. But I would if you got some.”
    (20:05)

• Jake’s Analysis of AJ:
  “Joshua is stiff and no rhythm, no skill, just power.”

  • Wade: “Jake has to be trolling. AJ has skills. But Jake's delusion drives him. It’s why he’s here.”

• Prediction:

  • “No matter what happens, if Jake knocks out AJ the entire Internet might blow up. If AJ knocks out Jake they’ll hold a celebration like if the devil had passed.”
    (22:35)

[23:40] – “Ring of Champions” Interviews

Wade hosts rapid-fire interviews with:

• Devin Haney: On moving up to 147 and fighting Brian Norman Jr.
• David Benavidez: On headlining, his title defense, and motivations.

Devin Haney Interview Highlights

• Moving up to 147: “Super excited to make my debut at 147 and fight for another world title. Put my name in the history books again.” (23:55)
• On motivation: “This is all part of the plan…Take over each weight, win multiple world championships…It was a dream come true. The sacrifice was worth it.” (24:35)
• Approach to Brian Norman Jr.: “I look to handicap him of his strengths and bring out his weaknesses…He’s never been on this level before.” (26:03)
• Power and statement at 147: “I want to show how much better I am at this weight class, how much stronger…My punch resistance…show the best Devin Haney.” (28:13)
• Future plans: “I want to fight the champions. Ryan again—that’s a huge fight with a lot of unfinished [business].” (33:49)
• “I want to be the best Devin Haney that I can be. Improve my weaknesses, make my strengths better.” (36:10)

David Benavidez Interview Highlights

• On headlining the Night of Champions:
  “Paid my dues…now I’m the main event on a card full of champions…all these fights could be main event on their own.” (44:28)
• On motivation: “I never gave up on myself. I had a dream…If you do your job right, the money's going to come in on its own…I want to be on that Mount Rushmore of boxing.” (48:49)
• Fighting with a chip on his shoulder:
  “I was never the first pick…controlled anger was the biggest motivation…Sometimes you need people to say you can't do something—that's what's going to catapult you.” (52:03)
• On the Yard fight:
  “Every fight for me, I gotta go in and give my respect. If they’re not thinking I’m the monster by the time my fight’s done, I didn’t do my job.” (53:32)
• Goal: “I want to make sure Anthony Yard remembers me for the rest of his life.”
  • “We're the new age gladiators…I want the young generation to remember me like I remembered Pacquiao, De La Hoya, Roy Jones Jr…” (56:15)
• On what’s next: “We’re looking at [fighting] Dmitry Bivol, maybe Betterbiev or Zordo Ramirez—bigger fights every time.” (58:51)
• Faith & message to fans:
  “I really found my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…you don’t have to wait for something bad to happen to look for Jesus Christ…If you give thanks for the blessings you have in life, you could co-create with God in your head…That’s the message I want to share.” (68:42)

[71:35] – Jake Paul vs. AJ: Press Conference Breakdown

[Theme: Delusion vs. Reality]

• Wade on Jake’s Mentality:

  • “Delusion is Jake’s greatest strength and possibly his greatest weakness. Delusion got him here, but now he’s in real danger—he might get physically, career-endingly hurt.”
    (71:35, 103:57)

• Press Conference Moment:

  • Jake Paul: “I’ve gotten to where I’m at today because of delusional optimism. It’s delusion until it’s not…Nobody thinks I’m going to win. So join the list, and be ready to be shocked.” (104:00)

• Anthony Joshua:
  “Give credit to Jake…this is colossal. Marketability meets ability. We're here to put on a show. It's an opportunity for me to fight, and why not?” (105:52)

  • “I’m going to be honest—I’m going to break his face, break his body, and I’m a stomp all over him. That’s my mentality.” (122:08)

  • “I’m not in there to try and knock Jake out in ten seconds or eight rounds. I’m gonna go in there and do a job. I want to hurt him.” (122:58)

  • “I'm not only fighting Jake, I'm fighting his mind—the psychological Jake I need to break. Man who believes in himself, they say he's delusional. I've got to break that delusion and make him have a reality check in the ring.” (140:50)

• Jake’s Predictions:

  • “A fourth or fifth round knockout by me.” (142:24)

• AJ’s Response:

  • “That’s my dream. I’m going to bring it to reality.” (142:17)

• Face-off:

  • “Jake has got a fresh look at AJ’s titties—he is eye level with AJ’s pectorals. This is crazy.”
    (142:27)

• Wade’s Press Conference Verdict:

  • “Jake was playing mind games. AJ was matter-of-fact, there to do a job…Jake’s made a terrible, terrible mistake here that he doesn’t even know yet because of that delusional confidence.” (after 142:27)

[145:00] – Fight Night: “Ring IV Night of Champions” Results

David Benavidez vs Anthony Yard (Main Event Recap)

• Benavidez wins by 7th round TKO:
  “Systematically broke down, brutalized and defeated Anthony Yard—this was a systematic destruction from David Benavidez.” (End segment)
• Analysis:
  Benavidez’s pressure, pace, and volume wore Yard down; Yard could never get Benavidez’s respect with his power.
• Notable Moments:
  • Benavidez threw 10+ punches in the clinch with one arm pinned: “Like a video game…trying to pop the head off a PEZ dispenser.”
  • Ref takes two points for punches with Yard on a knee, but Benavidez scores a minute later for the stoppage.
• Postfight:
  • Benavidez announces a move to cruiserweight to fight Zordo Ramirez, saying:
    “There’s a new sheriff in town…there’s a new star in Mexican boxing and his name is El Monstro.”
• Wade:
  "David Benavidez, that's the type of boxing I like to see—nasty, violent, systematic domination. He's on the move. There's a new star in town."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Wade on Jake Paul’s Motivation:
  “All the business around boxing has maybe put him in a corner where this is the event he had to do…But this time and this choice of Anthony Joshua was a mistake.”
• AJ on Pressure:
  “I'm dedicated, hungry, and chasing…I'm not only fighting Jake, I'm fighting his mind…I've got to break that delusion.”
• Jake on Stakes:
  “I've never been knocked down or knocked out even in sparring…But I know the risks. This is a win-win for me.”

Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jake vs AJ Announcement & Reaction: 03:00–13:00
• Nikisa Bedarian Interview/Matchup Debate: 13:00–17:00
• Jake & AJ Quotes, Tale of the Tape: 17:00–22:00
• Haney/Benevidez Interview Highlights: 23:43–56:15
• "Delusion" Editorial and Jake's Mindset: 71:35–101:00
• Jake vs AJ Press Conference Full Recap: 103:57–145:00
• Ring IV Main Event Recap (Benavidez-Yard): 145:00–end

Tone & Language

• Wade’s language is direct, conversational, sometimes irreverent but rooted in deep fight knowledge. The prevailing tone is one of skeptical excitement (“does Jake know what he’s in for?”) and respect for fighters testing themselves at the sport’s highest level, but quick to point out when delusion may become self-destruction.

Conclusion

This episode dives headfirst into the circus and seriousness of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, exploring its risks, comedic absurdity, public reactions, and the psychological warfare at play. Devin Haney and David Benavidez interviews add gravitas and insight from real champions, rounding out a lively, informative, and unfiltered week in boxing.

Most memorable moment:

• AJ, cold as ice: "I want to cut him up, break him up, and hurt him. That’s what we do. Nothing more to it." (134:09)
• Jake, ever the dreamer: "Delusion is only until it’s not…Join the list, and be ready to be shocked." (104:00)

Verdict: For fans, fighters, and skeptics alike, December 19th is circled in red, not just as spectacle—but possibly a pivotal, dangerous chapter in modern boxing.