Jake Paul’s young boxing career was a calculated spectacle.
Paul, the social media influencer turned warrior, has carefully forged a path for himself to attract widespread interest and attention, regardless of his skills, regardless of opponents. his.
Since turning to boxing a few years ago, Paul, 24, has an undefeated four-match record that includes wins over a fellow YouTuber, a retired NBA player and two former mixed martial artists. fit.
Next up on Paul’s show will be his August rematch against Tyron Woodley, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Paul defeated by split. Paul and Woodley will meet at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., as part of Paul’s multi-match deal with Showtime Sports, which will sell the eight-round match at a pay-per-view for $59.99 . The fight will be in the 192-pound weight division.
The co-main event will feature Puerto Rican boxer Amanda Serrano, seventh-place world champion, who will face World Boxing Association 135-pound champion Miriam Gutiérrez in a 10th round. light innings.
After building his name in the boxing world through trash talk and gimmicks no different than the ones he used to generate likes, comments, and followers, Paul found seek legitimacy when he and Woodley meet in Cleveland a few months ago. Some observers believe the fight isn’t overstated, and Paul admits it wasn’t his best performance. However, he nearly sold out the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland and gained considerable social media attention.
Paul said: “I think of myself as one of the face of boxing, just because I do it differently.
Paul’s next opponent offered another chance to show how serious he was about the sport, beyond his marketing antics. But that opponent, Tommy Fury, who won 7-0 with four knockouts early in his career and is the brother of superstar heavyweight Tyson Fury, withdraw from the war a few weeks ago because of a chest infection and broken ribs.
“It’s funny when ‘experts’ like Tommy Fury, who is considered a professional boxer, get sick, break a rib and don’t want to fight,” Paul said on Thursday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. “I fought with illness. I have fought with hurt. You have to go in there and get the job done. “
On the table in front of him was a belt with the words “Most Valuable Boxer” and Paul’s name taped to the front. A black mask covered most of his face, allowing only his eyes to show.
“They were like, ‘Oh, now you’ve got Tyron Woodley.’ It’s okay,” Paul said confidently. “That’s why I wear a ski mask. Will they give me a big bag to go in and beat the guy I hit? This is a bank robbery.”
Many thought Woodley, 39, should have knocked Paul out in August. Although this was Woodley’s professional boxing debut, he entered the mix as the more experienced boxer with 27 fights. professional mixed martial arts in his career. In the fourth round, Woodley landed his large right arm, causing Paul to wobble and tripping over a rope. But Paul is still in the game.
“Perhaps I could have done more. Maybe I could have been a little more active,” Woodley said, adding: “This is a kid. He hasn’t really fought for long. This is the first time he has gone more than two or three laps. His chin is not often hit like that. He will be able to take a punch. “
The first time the two met, they agreed that the loser would get a tattoo saying they loved the winner. This time, Paul said he added a clause to Woodley’s contract that he would pay an extra $500,000 if he took him out.
Paul said.
Jake’s brother Logan is also a YouTuber who has played boxing, including an eight-round fight with Floyd Mayweather that went very far and ended in vain.
In keeping with the non-traditional scene of the night, the lower card will feature a cross-match between retired NFL running back Frank Gore and Deron Williams, a former NBA player.
Gore, 38, used 16 NFL career seasons, mostly with the San Francisco 49ers, to amass the third-fastest javelin in league history. Despite attracting interest from NFL teams to return for a possible 17th season, Gore turned his attention to boxing, a sport he speak he has always loved.
Williams is a three-time All-Star who won two Olympic gold medals with the United States. He was a draw in the 2005 NBA competition, the same year he led Illinois to the NCAA men’s championship game. Injuries limited him throughout his career and he retired in 2017.
Williams and Gore will fight in a four-round heavyweight bout on their professional boxing debut. They are limited by contract to a weight of 215 pounds.
“Football and boxing are completely different. When you watch me play, I’ve never really been hit. That’s why I was able to last so long. I was playing off angles,” Gore told reporters. “Now, with boxing, I’m going to go in there with the guys who’ve had 300 amateur fights, 10-0 being pro. So I can’t just dodge all the shots they’re throwing because they’ve got more experience in the ring.”
