Jake Paul knows a thing or two about trolling. But he also knows how to take a joke, spin it around, and use it for his gains. That’s what he has been doing since Mike Tyson triggered a chain of events that resulted in the American influencer donning a body suit, poking fun at the former heavyweight champion himself. The visuals of him doing a bench press, hitting his friend, and most recently, dancing to the beats of Usher’s ‘Yeah’ has swept the internet. But it also begs the question: is he overdoing it?

It all started when Tyson, 58, called out Paul, 27, for not being in shape in a presser. The latter was bulking to meet the demands of the heavyweight division, but ‘Iron Mike’ saw it differently. He had declared, “I don’t know if he is in his prime. He is fat, he should be lean and mean, he is fat and funky“. But no one expected these comments to give a push to such a unique promotion tactic.

Jake Paul’s body suit theatrics: Fat belly to get back at Tyson

Why is Paul, at 10-1, doing it? Most likely it’s to get back at Tyson, at 50-6, then to create traction for the fight. The fight has already seized enough eyeballs to make it the most streamed sports event. But the American boxer wants to frustrate and irritate Tyson. The ‘Kid Dynamite’ is also well equipped in trash-talking and knows how to pull strings outside the fight.

So, the idea is clear for Paul: not to let Tyson have a laugh at him. What’s more? The Most Valuable Promotions lynchpin wants to gain the upper psychological ground. And he is not the first one to do it.

More of a psychological ploy than a marketing ploy

What’s one mantra to success even before entering the ring? To confuse your opponent and keep him guessing. Ryan Garcia most famously did it recently against Devin Haney, as he suggested he had other things on the plate than boxing. The result? We all know. Not only did it keep ‘The Dream’ guessing but also never allowed him to gauge the preparations of ‘King Ry.’ Chaos and confusion clouded distracted Haney, 25, and it cost him, well, at least a couple of things.

Paul is also keeping Tyson in the dark with his shenanigans. Neither the Brooklyn native knows the fitness level of Paul nor his opponent’s training regime. It will be a well-shrouded mystery, and making a game plan for it would be difficult. That’s not it.

Remember what Dillon Danis did against Logan Paul? The MMA fighter ensured the fans were hooked on something else than the fight’s result. And it helped the event. They racked up PPV sales of 1.3 million and a revenue of $32 million. Paul is walking the same path but a less intense one, as the Cleveland native wants to keep the casual fans and hardcover fans engaged. It’s not something that Tyson hadn’t done in the past.

‘Iron Mike’ has done it worse in his heydays

Do you remember how Tyson used to promote his fight and seize headlines? The visuals of the former heavyweight champion calling shots at his rivals and then entering the squared circle with a towel cut evoked fears and chilling sensation among fans. It also helped in the building up of hype. In addition, you can also recall how Muhammad Ali stalked his foes.

When you factor in Paul’s influencer background and his audience, it could be a colossal fight. Boxing is in dire need of restructuring and could use some new fans flocking in, which the YouTuber-turned-boxer would bring. It boosts the viewership numbers, along with the influx of a new fan base, which prefers knockouts and exciting fights. If anything, the former Disney star’s marketing strategies are already finding their mark, and it could help all the stakeholders involved.

What do you make of this promotion strategy by Jake Paul? Let us know in the comments below.