Lawrence Okolie, who used to entrust Anthony Joshua as his mentor, suggested this week that he’d relish the opportunity to effectively cross enemy lines and help the combat sports disruptor Jake Paul beat the British heavyweight.
Paul and Joshua broke boxing’s internet recently when they confirmed they’ll collide on the 19th of December in a legitimate bout — not an exhibition. The show salvages Paul’s relationship with Netflix via Most Valuable Promotions, after the upstart firm canceled an unofficial bout with Gervonta Davis after Tank’s ongoing civil issue. Like the Jake vs Tank exhibition, this fight with Joshua will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
It is, unquestionably, the toughest test of Paul’s career, considering Joshua is a former two-time heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medalist from the 2012 Games, and a fighter who has shared the ring with elite fighters like Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Oleksandr Usyk, and Francis Ngannou.
This is a stark contrast to the level of fighter Paul has fought. Regardless, Okolie believes he can help Paul prepare for AJ. And some fans are not happy.
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Fans React to Lawrence Okolie Wanting to Help Jake Paul Beat Anthony Joshua
“I do want to go in and work with Jake Paul in preparation for this fight,” Okolie told Boxing Social. “I need to know what he sees that makes him think this is a good idea. I want him to feel what it’s like to be in there with a big, strong, world-class heavyweight before the day. I don’t want him to get hit with a jab, and it’s this whole, new sensation.”
“You never know, there’s some gameplans [for him] that could cause a bit of trouble.”
It did not take long for fans to share how they felt about Okolie considering sharing insider knowledge with Paul, regarding game plans. And one poster on X, formerly Facebook, even dubbed it “sellout” behavior. Another, though, pointed out that Okolie is “not mates with [Joshua] anymore [so] good on him, get that money up.”
Other members of the British boxing pack are also seemingly siding with Paul, over Joshua. Moses Itauma, widely considered the next great heavyweight in the sport, told Boxing Scene: “Jake Paul has smashed life, conquered YouTube, and now he’s trying to conquer boxing, although I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as he thinks. I’m going to be behind him because I like to see a man strive for success.”
“Although I don’t want to see him beat AJ, I’m going to be behind him for his success story.”
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Colombian football has been home to some memorable moments and standout individual talents throughout the sport’s history.
Los Cafeteros have featured in numerous World Cups and have been regarded among the more successful participants in the Copa America as well. They are one of eight teams to have earned the mantle of South American champions, after their emphatic triumph as hosts in 2001, and have reached a further two finals in addition.
Colombia has also seen a plethora of electrifying talents dominate local ranks in the country, before invading European club football. These players have also contributed massively to their national team, with their names subsequently endeared into the hearts of fans.
That said, here is a ranking of 15 such Colombian players considered among the greatest to have ever graced the sport.
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15 Santiago Arias
Career Span: 2009-Present
Luisa Gonzalez via Reuters
Few full-backs have represented Colombia as dependably and consistently as Santiago Arias. After developing his game in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon, the most successful spell of his career arrived at PSV Eindhoven, where he won multiple Eredivisie titles and built a reputation as one of the league’s finest right-backs.
That form earned him a move to Atletico Madrid, where he continued competing at the top level of European football. He became a regular fixture for Colombia during a strong period for the national team, featuring at two World Cups and several Copa America tournaments, earning over 60 caps.
14 Juan Pablo Angel
Career Span: 1993-2014
Wherever Juan Pablo Angel played, goals tended to follow. After making his name with Atletico Nacional, he moved to River Plate and quickly became one of the most feared forwards in South American football, picking up a string of domestic honours along the way. His finishing eventually earned him a move to Aston Villa in the Premier League, where he spent seven seasons and found the net more than 60 times for the club in all competitions. He would leave Aston Villa and spend five years in the MLS as one of their best and most consistent strikers.
Angel was incredibly talented in the air and clinical in front of goal, consistently scoring through intelligent movement. His contribution at international level is one of the only reasons he isn’t higher on this list, with him never playing in a major tournament for Colombia. Despite this, he still managed a respectable 9 goals in 33 matches.
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13 Carlos Bacca
Career Span: 2007-Present
Christian Hartmann via Reuters
Not every footballer arrives via an academy and a glittering youth career, and Carlos Bacca’s story proves it. Bacca would sell fish and worked as a bus conductor to help support his family as a youngster, before becoming one of Colombia’s best strikers. He found his way to Europe at 24-years-old, where he enjoyed productive spells at Club Brugge, Sevilla, AC Milan and Villarreal.
He was particularly effective in Spain, helping Sevilla to back-to-back Europa League titles. He scored twice in the 2015 final before winning it again with Villareal in 2021, beating Manchester United on penalties. He went on to represent Colombia at a pair of World Cups and Copa America tournaments, earning over 50 caps.
International Stats
Caps
52
Goals
16
12 Andres Escobar
Career Span: 1986-1994
Ruben Sprich via Reuters
Andres Escobar earned the nickname ‘The Gentleman of Football’ for good reason, admired as much for his character off the pitch as his composure on it. The elegant centre-back spent the majority of his club career at Atletico Nacional and became a regular in Colombia’s highly regarded national team during the early 1990s.
He represented Colombia at the 1990 World Cup, their first in 28 years, and once again in 1994. His tragic death shortly after the 1994 World Cup is still to this day one of the most harrowing stories to come out of a World Cup. After Escobar’s own-goal that saw Colombia eliminated from the tournament, he was shot six times in the car park of a nightclub less than a week later in Medelin. He passed away at the age of just 27.
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11 Freddy Rincon
Career Span: 1991-2013
Nick Potts via Action Images
There have been few midfielders in Colombian history capable of dominating a game quite like Freddy Rincon. Known to fans as “El Coloso” (The Colossus), he was a central figure in the Colombian side that rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early ’90s. He represented his country at three World Cups and scored one of the most iconic goals in Colombian football history, equalising against West Germany at Italia ’90 to help his nation reach the knockout stages for the first time.
His club career took him across South America and into Europe, where he became one of the first Colombians to wear the famous white shirt of Real Madrid. Despite being only 55-years-old, Rincon passed away after a car accident in Cali, but his footballing memory lives on with his son, who plays professionally in India.
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10 David Ospina
Career Span: 2005-Present
After a six-year spell with French outfit OGC Nice as first-choice between the sticks, David Ospina largely switched to the role of understudy. With four seasons each for Arsenal and Napoli, the Medellin-born man was a pillar of consistency for both sides. Albeit not a starter at the forefront, his goalkeeping talent in tandem with a calm demeanor made him a useful squad player.
Though having lifted a fair few pieces of silverware in his club career, much of his legacy undeniably stems from his work with the Colombia national team. A trusted guardian of the goal, Ospina was pivotal in his country’s run to the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup, and he has played a similar crucial role in a total of six major international tournaments, amassing a national record of caps that’s still being added to.
9 Juan Cuadrado
Career Span: 2008-Present
Juan Cuadrado’s ability to shift seamlessly between attack and defense has made him an indispensable asset to every side he featured in, and his pinpoint crosses and fearless dribbles eventually became his signature. With his skillset, the wide man found his place in Serie A, where he was able to run riot on the right flank, tearing defenses apart.
Registering over 100 appearances for his national team, Cuadrado ranks among the longest-serving Colombians in history, and in particular, his extraordinary display in the 2014 World Cup earned him further widespread plaudits and endeared him to the country’s fans.
8 Mario Yepes
Career Span: 1994–2015
Mario Yepes’ adventurous career took him to several corners of the world. After initially travelling around his home continent, he earned a strong reputation by starring for local Colombian clubs, as well as River Plate in Argentina. Subsequently, the Cali-born international switched to Europe, and went on to feature for top outfits including Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, even winning the division title with the latter.
But a key factor in Yepes’ legacy lies in his performances for his nation as a stalwart captain. Embodying his country’s fighting spirit, he helped guide Colombia to some of their best performances both in the World Cup and the Copa America.
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7 Luis Diaz
Career Span: 2016-Present
Luis Diaz broke through the ranks in European football initially with Porto, with his electric pace and flair easy on the eye for fans in Portugal. After his switch to Liverpool in 2022, the Reds saw the same weaves and tricks from the Colombian at Anfield, who quickly established himself as a key player after the departure of Sadio Mane. Diaz would score 13 goals and provide 7 assists to become a Premier League champion in the 2024/25 season.
This led to a £70 million move to Bayern Munch, in where Diaz is part of one of the most lethal attacking trios of all-time. Alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise, the trio combined for 109 goals, the fifth-most of any trio since 2000. For his country, he has been among the most influential in recent years, even sweeping up the 2021 Copa America Golden Boot as joint top-scorer and making it to the final in 2024.
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6 Ivan Cordoba
Career Span: 1993-2012
Colombia’s iconic triumph in 2001 goes down as one of the greatest achievements in the nation’s history, where Los Cafeteros conquered South America and lifted the first and, till date, the only, Copa America title. The man who enabled such a feat? It was Ivan Cordoba.
A formidable defender, Cordoba had already contributed massively at the back in the tournament, but the former Inter Milan star rose to the occasion in the 65th minute of the tournament’s final, netting the game winner for his country. Alongside his accomplishments with Colombia, Cordoba was a loyal servant to the blue side of Milan as well, recording five Scudettos and a Champions League to his name with I Nerazzurri.
