Jake Paul Provides Updated List Of Potential Next Opponents
YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul has provided an update on his return to the ring, dropping the names of a number of potential next opponents.
It’s been nearly four months since combat sports fans witnessed the polarizing younger Paul brother enter the squared circle. His last appearance came in December and saw him run it back with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Having earned a victory over “The Chosen One” on the scorecards last August, Paul was looking to go even better the second time around. With a brutal right hand, he did just that, sending Woodley to sleep in the sixth round.
Now boasting a 5-0 record that includes the names of two renowned former MMA titleholders, “The Problem Child” has proven many of his detractors wrong up to now. He’ll hope to continue that trend in his next appearance, which he’s now teased some potential rivals for.
Paul Drops The Names Of 2 Former UFC Champs & A Longtime Rival
During an appearance on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, Paul revealed that he and his team are in the process of searching for and securing an opponent for his next foray in the ring.
Out of the six names that he said are being considered, two are former MMA champions, two are former boxing titleholders, one is a rising professional pugilist, and one is a former pro-rugby player-turned-boxer.
“We’re still locking down opponents. There’s a lot of names… Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Anderson Silva, Michael Bisping, Tommy Fury, Sonny Williams out of Australia,” revealed Paul. ” So there’s a lot of people on the hit list and some other names that we’re talking to off the record. But (we) just want to see who makes the most sense.”
Two of those individuals, Mayweather and Silva, are set to compete on the same card next month. While “Money,” considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time, will be competing in an exhibition against Don Moore, “The Spider” will be heading to the Abu Dhabi-held event to challenge fellow MMA veteran Bruno Machado on May 14 in what will be his third boxing bout since departing the UFC in late 2020.
Tommy Fury, the younger half-brother of WBC and The Ring Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury, is certainly an interesting inclusion on the list. “TNT” was set to face Paul in December in what would have been the Ohio native’s first taste of throwing down with a pro-boxer.
When the Englishman withdrew through injury and Woodley stepped in, it appeared that any hope of that clash being re-arranged had dissipated, especially after Paul’s less-than-positive comments. Perhaps the online star has had a change of heart.
Paul also has history with Bisping, a UFC Hall of Famer and former middleweight champion. As well as going back and forth on social media, “The Count” claimed to have been contacted by Paul’s team about a potential fight prior to the 25-year-old’s victory over Ben Askren.
While Williams, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, is perhaps the least appealing of those names in terms of draw power, he could well be the most intriguing in terms of the physical matchup. The New Zealander stands at 6 ft 3 in tall and weighs over 230 pounds. The 36-year-old is also 9-0 in professional boxing, most recently recording a first-round knockout last month.
Whoever Paul finalizes as his next opponent, there’s one thing he’s looking for from that individual: star power.
“Just trying to pick the biggest opponent. Everyone I’ve fought—and I’m not trying to be arrogant—but everyone I’ve fought, I’ve carried the promotion. No one’s matched my star power. So (I’m) looking for that opponent that can match my star power. So that’s really what we’re trying to lock down.”
Who would you like to see Jake Paul face in his sixth professional boxing bout?
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