For some, Jake Paul is just an internet poser. For others, the 27-year-old Youtuber is an extremely brave man, because he stands up to Mike Tyson.
At first glance, Jake Paul looks like the perfect villain from a Hollywood movie: hulking figure, grim face, bushy beard, defiantly displayed tattoos. And that look: What do you want from me? But the 27-year-old is neither a gangster nor a good guy. He’s a real-life guy who has fought his way to the top – not on the ropes, but online. As an influencer, a self-promoter, whatever. Jake Paul, a former working-class kid with behavioral problems from the run-down industrial city of Cleveland, has generated clicks, gained notoriety and made money. A lot of money. Americans love stories like this. Instead of envying the multimillionaire’s fame and fortune, they admire him.
Back in 2013, Jake Paul and his brother Logan, two years older than him (who had a show fight in 2021 against Floyd Mayweather Jr., 25 kilos lighter than him, and narrowly escaped being knocked out), had millions of followers on the short video site “Vine”, where they performed stunts in the style of the old MTV show “Jackass”. Everything that kids love because it’s informal, without rules. The fact that Jake Paul is now one of the best-known and best-paid protagonists in boxing says a lot about the current situation: Youtubers often earn more than seasoned TV show hosts. And fun boxing matches between two influencers sometimes arouse more interest than world championship fights. “Initially, many old-school boxing fans thought that this Jake Paul thing could kill our sport,” explains Mike McAtee, CEO of the US amateur boxing association USA Boxing. Instead, more and more people are asking themselves today: Can Jake Paul save the “Sweet Science”?
“I believe that God empowers me to change the world in some way,” says Paul about himself. And perhaps it really did take an extraordinary guy like him to step into the ring to achieve extraordinary things. The fact is: live boxing has arrived at streaming giant Netflix – thanks to a thoroughly bizarre show fight. On November 15, Jake Paul will step into the ring against 58-year-old Mike Tyson at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (USA). In front of 80,000 spectators and an audience of tens of millions worldwide. A “wannabe fighter” against the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world – against the pit bull, the street brawler, the “ear biter”. An unequal fight in many respects….
You can find the full story about Jake Paul in the current issue of BOXSPORT. It is now available in the app.
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