Jake Paul revolutionized the world of boxing. Since his beginnings in the so-called “influencer boxing,” Paul has been climbing the ladder in the sport, facing increasingly difficult opponents. While many still doubt his talent, others, like the legendary Ken Shamrock, have come over to the controversial fighter’s side.
Paul, the younger brother of wrestler Logan Paul, rose to fame in a Disney Channel children’s show and later began uploading stunt videos on YouTube. It was in 2018 when he decided to try his luck in boxing in a fight against fellow YouTuber Deji Olatunji.
Since then, the influencer-turned-boxer has participated in 11 fights with a record of ten wins and one loss, each time with larger purses. Logan’s next fight will be against the legendary Mike Tyson, and although nobody knows how much each contender will take home, it is certain it will be millions.
His constant rise in the “sweet science” has been gaining Paul more and more followers, and even those who were once his detractors are starting to support him. Such is the case of Shamrock, who recently assured that Paul is for real.
Shamrock changed sides
In a recent chat with Chris Van Vliet, Shamrock, a UFC legend, accepted he used to be one of Paul’s critics. “It is hilarious for me to watch this actually happen. Because I hear so many people-and I was one of them in the beginning-saying, ‘What are you doing, man? You can’t do that!’”
However, Paul’s progress and the way he knows how to sell a fight to maximize his earnings ended up earning him Shamrock’s respect. “And then I’m watching how he’s playing out, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s brilliant.’ It’s like he’s never fought a contender, and he’s making more money than world-champion boxers,” he explained.
When the host asked him if he thought Paul knew how to fight, the former fighter said, “No question he can fight… That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
He recalled that Paul had already stopped fighting other influencers and started fighting veteran boxers with legitimate skills. “He’s beating guys that have skill sets-they’re just older-but they still have the skill set and can beat probably 75% of the guys out there.”
The rise of Jake Paul
It is worth remembering that the “Problem Child” is coming off a win over former mixed martial arts fighter Mike Perry and previously beat Nate Diaz. In between these two fights, he beat veteran boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland.
Considering this, it is not strange that Shamrock has assured that Paul "Is a legit fighter, he’s just not a ranked fighter in the world-ranked boxing." That is precisely Paul’s next goal.
Once his fight against Mike Tyson at the end of November is over, the “Problem Child” will focus on becoming a world champion endorsed by one of the major boxing organizations. If he maintains his focus and his business vision, it is very likely that he will achieve his goal.
You got to give it to Jake for two things.
- If you look at his videos when he first started boxing he came a long long way very fast.
- He sidestepped the usual suspects and the gauntlet of becoming a pro-boxer to get huge paydays and big fights.
Not saying he is a top 10 in his weight class, but not many people could progress like he has.
Remember when Ken had to pull out of a fight because he got injured in the shower?
I believe Ken Shamrock, his integrity is beyond reproach