By Tyler Norris
Former YouTube stars, Logan and Jake Paul, have taken the boxing world by storm. What started off as a joke and publicity stunt, is quickly turning into one of the hottest stories in boxing. When the brothers announced they would be making the transition into the ring, the question quickly became who will they fight? Both Jake and Logan’s first professional bout came against fellow YouTubers, with Logan taking on KSI in a rematch from their amateur bout, and Jake taking on AnEsonGib.
With Logan taking a layoff preparing for his exhibition bout with one of the greatest of all time, Floyd Mayweather, it was Jake who stole the spotlight securing a brutal knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson. There was no doubt Jake showed prowess in his bout against Robinson, but his respect in the sport was not rising. Logan on the other hand, after going nine rounds with Mayweather, was starting to gain some popularity in the sport, despite being rocked numerous times in the fight. With Logan once again in the spotlight, Jake took aim at former ONE Championship and UFC Welterweight Ben Askren, in which he knocked out in 1:59 in the very first round. Following both knockouts, Jake was heavily criticized for taking easy fights against fighters with no boxing experience. This claim stood true with Robinson’s fame coming from basketball, and Askren was a widely regarded wrestler during his time in ONE and the UFC with little to no striking in his game.
To prove himself as a contender, Jake once again took aim at former UFC Welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. Woodley’s striking while in the UFC was highly renowned, despite a four-fight skid inside the UFC prior to this bout. With the odds stacked against him, Jake Paul stunned not only the boxing community but the MMA community as well, going the distance with Woodley and getting the decision victory.
Jake was finally starting to gain some respect as a boxer from both combat sport communities, and with his Conor McGregor-esque media presence, his popularity quickly rose as well. Both brothers are scheduled for fights before the end of 2021. Logan appears to be taking the road of bouts with older fighters as his next fight will be against Heavyweight great Mike Tyson. While Jake on the other hand is looking to climb the ranks and continue to raise his stock as he will take on boxing prodigy, and brother of current Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Tommy Fury. “I could not stand these guys as boxers when they first started, but as their careers have progressed and they’re taking bigger fights, I am definitely more interested in following them” said Zak Larson, when asked his opinion on the Paul’s brothers. Needless to say that these once YouTubers are making names for themselves in boxing, and it appears that their likeness, and skills in the ring, are continuing to grow.
