The Paul brothers are right now the main source of disturbance in martial arts. Logan Paul fought one of the best boxers in history, Floyd Mayweather, on June 7. And his younger brother also decided to keep up. On August 28, Jake fights with former UFC champion Tyrone Woodley, who has long wanted to try his luck at boxing.
This fight was actively promoted by the past rival of Paul — Ben Askren. At first, Woodley was convinced that the ex-Bellator champion would teach the blogger a lesson. And after the knockout, Tyrone decided to try to play and avenge his friend, although he was fired from the UFC in disgrace.
How It All Has Started?
Paul had his debut pro fight in January 2020: he knocked out the YouTuber AnEsonGib in the first round. In November, Jake stepped against former NBA star Nate Robinson. Paul sent him to bed in the second round. Now, he knocked out Askren, whose record in MMA two years ago was 19 wins and 0 losses. To an unknowing person, the fact that a blogger easily knocked out a once invincible fighter looks astounding. However, Askren looked as if he had not prepared for a battle and was never famous for his striking technique, he won all battles thanks to a first-class flight.
The man takes the least risk, but at the same time, he tries to sell events with his participation at the highest price. “Jake Paul is not a boxer, he is a YouTube boy,” said Dana White about him on Mike Tyson’s podcast. Society will accept Paul as a professional boxer only when he steps into the ring against an opponent with at least some understanding of boxing. There is a possibility that this will not happen anytime soon.
What’s Happening Now?
Jake Paul has signed a contract with the cable TV channel Showtime, and it is Canelo Alvarez who will most likely be his next opponent. On April 17, Paul just blew up the world of martial arts when he knocked out Ben Askren in a minute and a half. Although the ex-Bellator champion was not in the best shape, he is still a professional fighter. The fight grossed over one million PPV, making it one of the ten highest-grossing bouts in boxing history. Once again, the blogger did this in his third fight.
Streaming Thriller was waiting for further cooperation, but it was not there: the new boxing star was very quickly intercepted by the cable channel Showtime. Of course, as an argument, the television bosses used the opportunity to fight Floyd Mayweather, who fought Logan Paul on the night of June 7.
The UFC Is Trying to Drag the Paul Brothers into Their Territory
Another myth regarding the brothers is that their main target audience is not boxing. For example, the main star of boxing right now, Canelo Alvarez, thinks so. “The truth is that Paul’s viewers are a different type of audience. We are attracting the boxing audience. For me, Jake Paul’s audience is a different type of audience. Obviously, this audience doesn’t watch a lot of boxing, but they definitely want to see Canelo. YouTubers, young people … On the other hand, it’s very good that these people recognize boxing,” Alvarez said.
Even so, Saul pays tribute to the brothers for popularizing boxing. This is just what Mike Tyson did, who brought Jake Paul into the show’s co-main event against Roy Jones. Another important thing is that if the Paul brothers did not gather a boxing audience, would the main promoter of the world right now Eddie Hearn and DAZN streaming be interested in them? Would you have the bout that broke all pay-to-play presales records against 0-1 boxer Floyd Mayweather (top four highest-grossing fights in history)? Obviously not.
When legends like Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali wrestled, did boxing fans watch their fights? Sure. It is quite possible that there were more of them than in the next match according to the rules of boxing. And that’s okay. If Robert De Niro had challenged Roberto Duran or Sugar Ray Leonard after the overwhelming success of Raging Bull in 1980, this action would have caused an unprecedented stir. Not only because the Hollywood legend received an Oscar for this role but also because he got so used to the role of Jake La Motta that he not only played him convincingly but also conducted real fights.
It is also worth noting that the most revealing attitude towards the Paul brothers from the side of the main stars and the leadership of the UFC. It seems that promotions boss Dane White says more about Jake and Logan than about Khabib and Conor combined.
White Calls Blogger Fights a Freak Circus
White calls blogger fights a freak circus, but for some reason, he does not say that bloggers get much more than the main stars of the UFC. The fact is that UFC champions can read and see how, for example, John Jones frankly respects the Paul brothers.
Dana claims that bloggers do not know how to fight, but for some reason, he suggests the bout between Jake Paul and Amanda Nunez. The former UFC champion in two divisions, whom ESPN included in the list of the four greatest heavy heavyweights in the history of mixed martial arts, offers the blogger to fight according to the rules of MMA.
It seems that neither White nor Cormier have yet understood: Paul himself is already in such a position where he can dictate the conditions. Just like Floyd Mayweather did in his time, allowing White and Conor to earn money. Therefore, if the Paul brothers are called evil for professional boxing, then evil is necessary. After all, you will also turn on the broadcast of their battles.
Conclusion
It is just obvious that Jake and Logan Paul are popular YouTubers who want to expand their audience. Previously, they fought other bloggers, rappers, and basketball players, but on April 18, Jake met with pro — former UFC fighter Ben Askren (19-2). Fans did not believe until recently that the former Bellator and One FC champion would lose to the YouTuber, but this is what has happened. The blogger knocked Askren out in the first round. And on June 7, Logan held out all 8 rounds against possibly the best boxer in history — Floyd Mayweather. Obviously, these brothers are not only geniuses but are really capable of something in the ring.
