How Jake Paul went from YouTuber to boxer who beat Mike Tyson – and what’s next

Nearly 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. Still, I had no idea how long the ride would take.

“Who knows where the sport will take me, but I love it and it’s fun and I’m good at it,” Paul stated ahead of his fight against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib in 2020.

“I wouldn’t just do anything.”

The social media star had caught the ‘boxing bug’, he said, and was ready to dive full-time into the unforgiving world of blood, sweat and tears. “I choose to do this, it’s something I’m passionate about,” he added.

Although even Paul could not have imagined the unprecedented position he would find himself in just under five years later.

In front of more than 70,000 people, he outshone boxing legend Mike Tyson last Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with an estimated additional 65 million people listening around the world.

The YouTube sensation dismantled fellow online star AnEsonGib to get started

Just under five years later, Paul defeated boxing legend Mike Tyson in a record-breaking event

Yes, Tyson would always remain a shadow of his former self at the age of 58. The match itself was a farce, and Paul can’t be at all proud of dancing rings around an old man.

What cannot be taken away from him, however, is the record-breaking appeal of the event itself. His disappointing fight with a vulnerable Tyson earned a whopping $18 million in total earnings, which is the ninth-highest combat sports gate in American history and the largest outside of Las Vegas.

Considering his first amateur bout didn’t come until 2018, Paul’s unlikely rise as one of boxing’s biggest draws must go down as the fastest and most inscrutable of all time – regardless of the limited opposition he faced. far.

The fuse for his amazing venture into the sport was actually lit by two other YouTubers in the British duo of KSI and Joe Weller.

KSI’s amateur victory over Weller in February 2018 was the first major influencer segment to make waves, with nearly two million viewers watching it happen 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 the footsteps of KSI and Weller by taking on the former’s younger brother, Deji, in an amateur match of his own at the Manchester Arena. The result was emphatic, with Paul ultimately forcing the stoppage in round five after a one-sided defeat of his overmatched opponent.

While his older brother Logan enjoyed two fights 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 against fellow online personality AnEsonGib in January 2020.

His rise as one of boxing’s biggest draws is one of the most astonishing of all time

Last week, Paul faced Tyson in the highest-grossing American boxing event ever outside Las Vegas

More than 70,000 people packed AT&T Stadium in Texas, while 65 million people around the world watched

Although the fight itself was a farce, the commercial success of the event is undeniable

On a show promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom company, there was much anticipation after AnEsonGib – real name Ali Loui Al-Fakhri – had a good match in the build-up and promised to knock out Paul in devastating fashion.

But ultimately, that prediction couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Instead, it took Paul just one round to dismantle the disastrous Al-Fakhri, who fell to the canvas three times before the referee waved the match off.

While it may have come up against a complete novice, ‘Problem Child’ was off the charts in the professional ranks after an embarrassingly straightforward debut.

And he hasn’t looked back since.

In the nearly five years that followed, Paul fought eleven more pro fights; by winning ten, sharing the ring with some high-profile names and raking in a lot of money in the process.

He brutally knocked out former UFC stars Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, the latter of whom previously enjoyed a long reign as the MMA promotion’s welterweight champion.

Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz were convincingly defeated on points, while brave Mike Perry was knocked out in six rounds after a valiant effort.

As a young, raw prospect still plying his trade as a novice to the sport, Paul has also completed more standard testing for a fighter of his level against the likes of Andre August and Ryan Bourland.

Paul has a number of big wins in his career so far, including one over ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley

But he suffered a minor points defeat when he finally faced a legitimate boxer in Tommy Fury

Regardless, Paul’s journey from online personality to boxing cash cow has been remarkable

And the first time he fought 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 often spoken of his plan to go on and win a world boxing title, a somewhat ridiculous ambition that has been rightly dismissed in recent years. “I don’t think you’ll ever get close to a world-class fighter,” Eddie Hearn said brutally to his face in 2022.

The latest outing against Tyson may not have helped Paul in his unrealistic bid to become world champion, but it has raised his profile to even more dizzying heights than he was previously used to as one of the most famous influencers in the world.

As a result, a number of current world champions are keen to grab a piece of the lucrative pie he serves up in the sport.

In the wake of his win 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 perspective, he is becoming a force to be reckoned with hold in the fight against Tyson. boxing.

So what next for the YouTuber turned fighter?

There’s little to no chance he’ll entertain the prospect of getting in the ring with Dubois or Beterbiev, even if they seriously intend to. Both men are truly world-class operators with little superstar appeal, meaning the risk almost certainly outweighs the reward.

World champions Daniel Dubois (left) and Artur Beterbiev (right) have called him up lately

Paul desperately wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but that would end disastrously for him

Conor McGregor would make both commercial and strategic sense as an opponent

In recent years, Paul has not tired of mentioning the name Canelo Alvarez, another star who would easily take him apart. Unless he wants to be viciously knocked out, he should avoid the four-weight world champion at all costs.

A more realistic option that would make perfect sense both commercially and strategically is Conor McGregor.

The UFC icon hasn’t competed inside the Octagon in over three years now and hasn’t returned since suffering a gruesome broken leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

Considering he’s one of the highest-grossing combat sports stars of the century, luring McGregor to the boxing ring would undoubtedly be both a blockbuster and winnable fight.

Nevertheless, Paul expressed doubts about the Irishman’s willingness to face him in a boxing ring following last week’s victory over Tyson, meaning he may have 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 just be getting started.