These days, it seems that Jake Paul is the main attraction in boxing when it comes to producing "eyeballs." And that thought makes boxing purists cringe. Paul isn't the only "famous" person in action on his show next Saturday, however. A couple of athletes we know from other sports will battle it out in the heavyweight debut for each.

First, let's mention that Paul, who was originally slated to fight Tommy Fury, the younger brother of Tyson Fury. But the Fury kid pulled out with an injury. Tyron Woodley, who gave Paul a rough fight last time out, seemed to be immediately available as a substitute. So they will rematch it at the Amalie Arena in Tampa. At BetOnline, Paul is a -300 favorite, with Woodley at +240.

That is the main event of this Showtime pay-per-view presentation. And it's what is getting the most attention. But football and basketball fans may be focused on something else.

Frank Gore, the retired NFL running back, will be squaring off against Deron Williams, a retired NBA point guard. It will be the first professional fight for each.

That's entertainment!

The story on Gore

A participant in five Pro Bowls, Gore has amassed 16,00 rushing yards for his career. That is third on the all-time list. And he insists that should be enough to gain him Hall of Fame enshrinement when the time comes. Perhaps this fight is part of an ongoing effort to keep himself in the public eye.

He is certainly getting press coverage he might not otherwise get. Among other things, he has stated that he would indeed come back to play. But that would have to be a team looking for help right before the Super Bowl. That would have to be a team that qualified for the Big Game, but suffered some sudden backfield injuries. Those odds are longer than they are on him in this fight.

But at least we know that he'd be in decent physical condition. Gore played as recently as last season. And of course, when you are training for a fight that keeps you relatively fit.... theoretically anyway.

The Story on Williams

Deron Williams was a three-time All-Star in the NBA, and generally considered one of the better point guards in the league when he was at his peak. But there's a checkered past in there.

It wasn't a big secret that his rebellion against Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan promoted Sloan to step down. That was big, because Sloan was in his 23rd season with the team.

Essentially, Williams defied some of Sloan's directives, which caused a problem between the two. And management was slow to back Sloan's side, which was the last straw.

It was clear that Williams was going to be unpopular in Salt Lake City. So the Jazz unloaded him to New Jersey less than two weeks later. There, he is reported to have promoted he firing of coach Avery Johnson. And so he had a rep as a "coach-killer."

And the winner is.....

That's a tough one. We can tell you that Gore says he has used boxing in many off-seasons to get ready for NFL play. How that applies,we're not sure. For a lineman, we can see it. For a running back, well, maybe.

Williams is the part-owner of an MMA /fitness center in Dallas. And he says he has done an awful lot of sparring with aspiring fighters. So maybe he's the guy with more "experience."

Williams is favored in this fight. And with his height and reach advantage (he's 6-3, while Gore is 5-9), he may provide some value at -125, while Gore is +105 at BetOnline, where you get more boxing odds than anywhere else. And there are more ways to get involved as well. Not just with a credit card, but with a load of crypto options, which includes Bitcoin!