What’s Next for Jake Paul Inside the Boxing Ring?

Jake Paul is a divisive subject, of which there can be no doubt. But it has also become evident that the younger of the Paul brothers is most certainly dedicated to his craft. In recent weeks he has earned glowing praise from the likes of WBC World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury, as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

Jake’s older brother Logan stepped inside Lesnar’s world when he wrestled WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The pair faced off in a championship match in Saudi Arabia, and although it was the Tribal Chief who got his hand raised, Logan received plenty of plaudits for his performance. And the same can be said for his younger brother, who made his own WWE debut on that warm Jeddah evening.

Jake Paul is coming off perhaps, the finest performance of his career. The ufc betting odds have spoken: the 25-year-old YouTube Star turned professional boxer is heavily favored for his most recent bout. But his eight-round decision victory over Anderson Silva has silenced some doubters.

Many will point to the fact that the former UFC Middleweight Champion is 47 years of age, which is correct. But let’s not forget the Brazilian is also just one year removed from earning a shock victory over former WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. So, what’s next for The Problem Child?

Frustration finding an opponent

The Cleveland, Ohio native recently took to Twitter to voice his frustrations at being unable to find a suitable opponent. That could perhaps be due to the fact that he did look impressive in his previous victory, and many may be backtracking on their callouts.

Tommy Fury - the younger brother of heavyweight king Tyson - has twice pulled out of bouts against Paul. Firstly, he was unable to enter the United States and secondly he had a mysterious injury. He claims that The Gypsy King now wants him to fight his father, John Fury… now that would be a sight to behold.

Paul also claims that UFC icon Nate Diaz is also ducking him. The 37-year-old is now a free agent after finishing the final fight on his contract with the promotion back in September, which he won via submission against fellow veteran Tony Ferguson. It was thought that Stockton's finest wanted to leave the organization to pursue big-money fights against the likes of Jake Paul, but it appears that isn’t the case, for now at least. Another name that The Problem Child mentioned was British mixed martial arts sensation Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett. The 27-year-old Liverpudlian is slated in to face Jared Gordon at UFC 282 on December 10th. Paul claims that he is pursuing a sparring session with the UFC lightweight contender in the new year, however, that also doesn’t seem to be materializing.

Megamoney celebrity fights

Should Paul go down the route of fighting names rather than boxers, then there are two obvious candidates that could fight him next. The first of which is KSI.

Full name Olajide Olayinka Williams "JJ" Olatunji, KSI recently stepped back into the boxing ring, winning two fights on the same night. The second of which was a supposed professional boxer by the name of Luis Alcaraz Pineda. And although Olatunji did beat his opponent, the fight turned into a farce, with Pineda hitting the mat repeatedly, and focusing more on the referee than his opponent.

The London native is unbeaten as a professional and holds a razor-thin split decision victory over Jake’s brother Logan. That fight, which took place in Los Angeles back in November 2019, did two million pay-per-view buys, and no matter what you think of the potential matchup, there’s no denying that it would be a money spinner.

The other obvious choice would be the divisive Andrew Tate. The internet personality is a fighter in his own right. The 36-year-old is a former kickboxing world champion and has a record of 76-9 in the discipline. He and Paul squared off at the recent Floyd Mayweather vs Deji exhibition, and that matchup may be in the works

Finally fighting a recognized professional boxer

The one thing that hardcore fight fans want to see is Jake Paul vs a recognized professional boxer. So far, the Problem Child holds victories over a fellow YouTuber, a retired basketball player, and a washed-up MMA fighter that was never known for his striking ability. Since those bouts, he does hold back-to-back wins over former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley, and now a victory over Anderson Silva.

And while those wins were impressive, neither of the opponents are or ever have been recognized as professional boxers.

At this point, Paul taking on a boxer could shatter his reputation. He could lose and be badly exposed as somewhat of a novice, and the PPV buys could dry up immediately. On the other hand, a victory over a professional boxer could send his reputation into another stratosphere.

In the wake of his fight falling through once again with Tommy Fury, former British world champion Chris Eubank Jr., threw his name into the hat to fight the Problem Child. The 33-year-old has been nothing but complimentary to the influx of influencers into boxing, even presenting some shows on DAZN.

Regardless of whether one approves of Paul’s foray into the squared circle or not matters little. We would all tune in to see him face off with Chris Eubank Jr, or someone of a similar ilk. Whether the Problem Child is willing to put it all on the line, however, remains to be seen.