Why Jake Paul might be becoming a less exciting attraction as he develops into a better fighter

Paul's last few fights haven't delivered the same kind of thrilling finishes as his initial knockouts did

Jake Paul's return to the boxing ring on Saturday to face unheralded "professional boxer" Andre August is, in its way, the most normal step in Paul's entirely unique professional boxing career. Not surprisingly, Paul fighting a boxer of questionable quality has drawn criticism from many, as has nearly every decision for Paul's professional opponents.

The fight with August (10-1-1, 5 KO) will be Paul's ninth professional boxing match (live on DAZN, 7:30 p.m. ET). For reference, Floyd Mayweather Jr. an Olympic medalist and the greatest boxer of his era, fought Jesus Chavez in his ninth pro bout. Chavez entered the bout with a record of 1-13-1. Manny Pacquiao fought 8-9-5 Rudolfo Fernandez in his ninth fight. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez faced 0-1 Daniel Martinez his ninth time out.

That is to say, Paul is not doing anything out of the ordinary in facing an opponent many view as a "light touch" this early in his career when it comes to standard boxing logic and August may outpace the level of opposition for many elite fighters at this stage in their careers. Of course, Paul is already a massive star, both from his social media background and from a boxing career featuring primarily big names from the world of entertainment and mixed martial arts.