On Sunday, when the former YouTube star-turned-prize fighter Jake Paul competes against Tommy Fury, the half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, he will be facing a seasoned professional boxer for the first time.
Who Is Jake Paul?
Paul has battled a fellow influencer, a former NBA basketball player, and three MMA fighters since he started boxing in 2018. Each time, he has prevailed, enhancing his already solid reputation.
Fighting Fury is viewed as a step up and is acknowledged by the WBC, which is approving the fight. In fact, if the 26-year-old Paul—a blond, bearded social media sensation—wins, he will be given a spot in the WBC cruiserweight world standings.
Paul, however, is not precisely a part of those circles or aiming to appeal to that group. Given that the fight against Fury has earned pay-per-view status and is considered significant enough to be hosted for significant financial reward outside in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, he has carved out a very different route into the world of boxing and is succeeding at it.
Love Is Boxing
A decade ago, Paul became well-known for his Vine videos and later for his role as Bizaardvark on the Disney Channel. His rise to fame as an influencer was not without controversy, however, as evidenced by allegations of sexual assault made against him by two women in 2021 (for which he was not charged) and his alleged use of racial slurs while rapping in some videos in 2018.
His most recent love is boxing. He declared he is “as serious as it comes” about the sport when he entered the pro ranks in 2019. The majority of the Cleveland native’s training, which is carried out at his base in Puerto Rico, is reportedly supported by a 30-person crew.
His ultimate objective is to win a world championship in boxing, even though it seemed even farther away after it was revealed in January that Paul had signed a contract to compete in mixed martial arts with the Professional Fighters League.
Fury Undoubtedly Doesn’t Regard His Opponent As A Tough Fighter
In addition to being the half-brother of one of the most well-known boxers in the world and hailing from a line of bare-knuckle combatants, Fury also has an intriguing past.
The 23-year-old British man really rose to fame in 2019 after participating in the relationship reality TV series Love Island. Due to having only fought twice at the time, this forced him to put his boxing career on hold for nine months. As a result, he is now married to Molly-Mae Hague, a British social media influencer with whom Fury placed second on Love Island.