Boxer Nate Robinson completely stole the show in his professional-debut bout that was the undercard for Saturday night’s highly-anticipated fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. at the Staples Center.
But it wasn’t in a good way.
Robinson was knocked to the mat three times by Jake Paul, including a brutal final knockout that made the former NBA player a trending topic over the weekend.
He poked fun at himself on Instagram Sunday by posting a clip from the ’90s classic film, Friday.
In the clip, Pops confronts Craig for carrying a gun and tells him, “Kids today are nothing but punks. Sissified. So quick to pick up a gun. You scared to take an ass-whipping.”
“This is what makes you a man,” the late John Witherspoon, as Pops, says in the scene, lifting his fists in a serious moment with Ice Cube, who’s playing his son. “When I was growing up, this was all the protection we needed. You win some, you lose some, but you live. You live to fight another day.”
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Robinson wrote: “Put that gun down son, get knocked out like your father used to. Great souls are grown through storms of struggles and seasons of suffering.”
A three-time NBA slam-dunk contest winner, Robinson was savaged on Twitter Saturday night following the devastating knockout.
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When the eight-team veteran had declared earlier that he was “fighting for my brothers in the NBA, athletes across the world, and most importantly my children,” his former Golden State Warriors teammate, Steph Curry, retweeted his message in support.
“Let’s go @nate_robinson. Hold it down,” wrote Curry. Robinson said in response he was “Gonna shock the world bro.”
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Late Saturday night, after the final knockout, Curry replied: “I see no lies.”
He did, however, get some words of encouragement.
“Yo @nate_robinson stay strong my brother. That could’ve happened to anyone. I respect the fact that you stepped up and took a chance. Maximum respect my brother!!!!,” wrote LL Cool J.
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Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Jr. also sent Robinson some kind sentiments.
“Nate, I’m proud of you and I will always stand behind all my brothers,” Mayweather wrote on Instagram. “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. We are supposed to all stand with each other through the good, bad, and ugly. I’m here to uplift you and let you know we all love you and congratulate you for just making an effort.”
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