Celebrity boxer Jake Paul has long been accused of hand-picking opponents he knows he could beat. Mostly retired and inactive MMA fighters like Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva. He performed well in his last bout against Nate Diaz but was not given any credit as it was the latter’s first professional boxing match.
However, it seems he is keen to change the narrative and transition to becoming a real boxer. Jake is planning to move up the ranks to eventually contend for the title. ‘The Problem Child’ has just announced his next opponent, and it has surprised many.
Jake Paul to fight up-and-coming cruiserweight in first serious fight
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Paul announced on Twitter that his next opponent would be Andre August, a boxing cruiserweight who has a professional record of 10-1, with seven of those wins coming via knockout. He hails from South Africa and is known for his power, speed, and charismatic personality. August will fight Paul on December 15 in Orlando, Florida.
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Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble. The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing. pic.twitter.com/5AoXxPmAPj
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 8, 2023
The former Disney star shared the fight poster on X and made his intentions of becoming a world champion clear. “Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble. The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing,” Paul wrote. The fight will be aired on the sports streaming platform DAZN.
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The South African will be Paul’s most serious and dangerous opponent so far as he is a three-time Golden Gloves champion and also has several regional titles under his belt. However, if Paul defeats him, it would be hard not to consider him a bona fide boxer.