Almost five years ago Jake Paul climbed through the ropes for his professional boxing debut as a playful YouTuber looking to cash in on his online fame and enjoy the ride. Yet had no idea how long the ride would last.
‘Who knows where the sport takes me, but I love it and it’s fun, and I’m good at it,’ Paul declared ahead of his fight against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib back in 2020.
‘I wouldn’t do something just to do it.’
The social-media star had caught the ‘boxing bug’, he said, and was ready to throw himself into the unrelenting world of blood, sweat and tears on a full-time basis. ‘I’m choosing to do this, it’s something I’m passionate about,’ he added.
Though not even Paul could have imagined the unprecedented position he’d find himself in just under five years later.
In front of over 70,000 people, last Friday he outclassed boxing legend Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas while an estimated 65 million more tuned in across the globe.
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Jake Paul had no idea where boxing would take him ahead of his professional debut in 2020
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The YouTube sensation dismantled fellow online star AnEsonGib to get up and running
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Just under five years later, Paul defeated boxing legend Mike Tyson in a record-breaking event
What can’t be taken away from him, however, is the record-breaking appeal of the event itself. His underwhelming battle with a vulnerable Tyson brought in a staggering $18million in total revenue – which goes down as the ninth-highest combat sports gate in US history and the largest outside of Las Vegas.
When you take into account that his first amateur contest only took place in 2018, Paul’s unlikely rise as one of the biggest draws in boxing has to go down as the fastest and most unfathomable of all time – regardless of the limited opposition he has faced so far.
The fuse for his astonishing venture into the sport was actually lit by two other YouTubers in British duo KSI and Joe Weller.
KSI’s amateur win over Weller in February 2018 was the first big influencer scrap that generated a significant buzz, with close to two million viewers watching it unfold on YouTube.
And after seeing an online rival flex his muscles as king of the YouTube ring, Paul wanted in.
Six months later he followed in KSI and Weller’s footsteps by taking on the former’s younger brother, Deji, in an amateur contest of his own at Manchester Arena. The result was an emphatic one, with Paul eventually forcing the stoppage in round five after a one-sided beatdown of his overmatched opponent.
While his older brother Logan enjoyed two battles with KSI – one amateur and the other professional – Jake continued to hone his craft behind the scenes before eventually agreeing to turn pro himself, albeit with his debut coming against fellow online personality AnEsonGib in January 2020.
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His rise as one of the biggest draws in boxing is one of the most astonishing of all time
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Last week Paul faced Tyson in the highest-grossing US boxing event ever outside of Las Vegas
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Over 70,000 packed out AT&T Stadium in Texas, while 65 million tuned in across the globe
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While the fight itself was farcical, there is no disputing the success of the event commercially
On a show promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom company, there was plenty of anticipation after AnEsonGib – real name Ali Loui Al-Fakhri – talked a good game in the build-up and promised to knock out Paul in devastating fashion.
In the end, though, that prediction couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Instead, Paul needed just one round to dismantle a calamitous Al-Fakhri, who was dropped to the canvas three times before the referee waved the contest off.
While it may have came against a complete novice, the ‘Problem Child’ was off the mark in the professional ranks after an embarrassingly straightforward debut.
And he hasn’t looked back since.
In the near-five years which have followed Paul has contested 11 more pro bouts; winning 10 of them, sharing the ring with some high-profile names and raking in plenty of cash in the process.
He brutally dispatched of former UFC stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, the latter of whom previously enjoyed a lengthy reign as the MMA promotion’s welterweight champion.
Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz were beaten convincingly on points, while a brave Mike Perry was blasted out in six rounds after putting up a valiant effort.
As a young, raw prospect who is still plying his trade as a novice in the sport, Paul has also taken on more standard tests for a fighter of his level against the likes of Andre August and Ryan Bourland.
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Paul has had some big wins in his career so far, including over ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley
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But he suffered a narrow points defeat when he finally faced a legitimate boxer in Tommy Fury
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Regardless, Paul’s journey from online personality to boxing cash cow has been remarkable
And the first time he locked horns with a legitimate boxer in Tyson Fury’s younger brother, it ended in a split-decision points defeat – the only blemish on his otherwise-perfect record.
Paul has spoken frequently about his plan to go on and win a world title in boxing, a slightly ridiculous ambition which has been rightfully rubbished in recent years. ‘I don’t believe you will ever come close to being a world-class fighter,’ Eddie Hearn brutally told him to his face in 2022.
The latest outing against Tyson will have done nothing to help Paul in his unrealistic bid to become world champion, yet it has boosted his profile to even dizzier heights than he was previously accustomed to as one of the most famous influencers on the planet.
As a result, a number of current world champions are keen to grab a slice of the lucrative pie he’s serving up in the sport.
In the wake of his victory over Tyson, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois and undisputed light-heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev have both called Paul out – the most serious indication yet that, from a marketing standpoint, he is becoming a force to be reckoned with in boxing.
So what next for the YouTuber-turned-fighter?
There is little to no chance he will entertain the prospect of getting in the ring with either Dubois or Beterbiev even if they are serious about doing so. Both men are genuine world-level operators with little superstar appeal, meaning the risk almost certainly outweighs the reward.
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World champions Daniel Dubois (left) and Artur Beterbiev (right) have called him out of late
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Paul is desperate to take on Canelo Alvarez, but doing so would end disastrously for him
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Conor McGregor would make sense as an opponent both commercially and strategically
Paul has not tired in mentioning the name of Canelo Alvarez in recent years, another pound-for-pound star who would simply pick him apart with ease. Unless he wants to knocked out in vicious fashion, he should avoid the four-weight world champion at all costs.
A more realistic option which would make perfect sense both commercially and strategically is Conor McGregor.
The UFC icon has not competed in the octagon for over three years now, failing to return since suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier back in July 2021.
Given he is one of the highest-grossing combat sports stars of the century, tempting McGregor into the boxing ring would undoubtedly be a box-office hit as well as a winnable fight.
Nevertheless, Paul expressed doubts over the Irishman’s willingness to meet him in a boxing ring after last week’s win over Tyson, meaning he may well need to look elsewhere.
Regardless of what comes next, the journey has already been a historic one for the former Disney Channel star.
And like it or not, he may only just be getting started.
