Should Jake Paul be taken seriously as a professional boxer?
After brushing past any bias or resentment toward “Jake Paul” the character, the question is a valid one – especially on the occasion of Sunday’s press conference at New York City’s Javis Center to promote Paul’s fight with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Initially best known as a YouTube star, Paul gained fame on the now-defunct Vine platform, where his grating behavior and flaunting of his wealth annoyed many. His first steps into boxing – which came with levels of bluster light years beyond Paul’s level of competition – were similarly eye-rolling. If you had suggested only five years ago that Paul would soon headline pay-per-view events and eventually fight Mike Tyson – at Cowboys Stadium and on Netflix, of all places – you would have been ridiculed or locked up.
Yet here we are.
Paul, fighting at cruiserweight, continues his rise in the boxing world as he targets the 58-year-old Tyson for Netflix’s first professional boxing event on Nov. 15 at AT&T Park in Arlington, Texas.
At the presser, emcee and former NFL player Ryan Clark said of Paul (10-1, 7 KOs): “Love him or hate him, you’re here to see him.” So true. Paul has built a boxing career as much on a foundation of entertainment and star power as on his boxing skill. Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), one of the most famous boxers in history, remains an iconic figure known for his strength, power and toughness. Despite his age, the question lingers: could Tyson, even now, silence the 27-year-old Paul, who has transitioned into full-time boxing but still faces criticism from hardcore fans for his path to arrive there?
“They will never give me credit – that’s just the way it is,” Paul said after receiving a hail of boos from the Javis Center crowd. “If I was walking on water, they’d say it was because I couldn’t swim.”
Paul’s boxing career has been unconventional, to be sure. He has taken a Machiavellian approach, carefully selecting opponents with high-profile names and who present manageable challenges. The intrigue of his fight with Tyson has more to do with the age gap – Paul is 30 years younger – than any comparison in skill. Paul’s motivation is unapologetically financial, which seemed to anger the crowd even more when he announced as much.
“I’m here to make $40 million and knock out a legend,” Paul said.
Despite criticism for not being a boxing lifer, Paul’s career trajectory mirrors that of young prospects groomed for stardom. After his loss to Tommy Fury in February 2023, Paul returned to the gym, defeating MMA legend Nate Diaz and quickly dispatching two lifelong boxers, Andre August and Ryan Bourland, in one round each. Despite his role in providing opportunities to other fighters, including Amanda Serrano, Paul’s larger-than-life persona and untraditional entry into the sport still attract a backlash.
Boxing’s barrier to entry is often just money. Yes, Paul’s rise is complicated. But he has shown serious dedication to the craft and the sport, including starting his own promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions. He has done plenty of good for the sport. He has objectively improved in the ring. But the question remains: Should he be taken seriously as a world-class fighter?
“Every time these fighters sit across from me, it’s ‘YouTuber, Disney Channel,’ all that shit,” Paul said. “Then they end up on the fucking canvas.
“I am the anti-hero. People will love me soon enough once they realize what I’ve done for the sport, and who I truly am as a person.”
More antagonistic than he was in the first press conference back in May, Paul predicted he would knock out the Brooklyn-born Tyson, something the New York fans didn’t take kindly to.
“Making history, that’s what this is all about,” Paul said, responding to the jeers. “Boo yourself, New York! New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson – you were good 20 years ago!”
Whether Paul is ready to prove his mettle in the ring – or even whether an aged Tyson is the man to help him demonstrate it – is an open question. But while Tyson looked mostly uninterested seated opposite him across the dais, Paul exuded confidence and at least nailed the role of a brash fighter ready for war.
“I’m not scared of shit,” Paul said. “I was born for this.”
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