Jake Paul proved he is a genuine PPV boxing star despite defeat to Tommy Fury
Love him or hate him, in just seven professional fights, Jake Paul has become one of the biggest names in boxing – and that doesn’t change after losing to Tommy Fury at the weekend.
At just 26 and just three years in professional boxing, the American has amassed a level of fame and success that few in the sport could even dream of — though he initially made his name as a Disney, Vine and YouTube star.
During his three-year career, Paul was followed by a barrage of insults and insults from people inside and outside the industry: gimmick, joke, bad for boxing, cheating – he’s heard it all. But the numbers don’t lie and despite suffering his first defeat when his Saudi showdown against Paul ended in disappointment, he still walked away with £25m – or so he claims.
Needless to say, that’s an amazing amount of cash. To put it in perspective, it took Floyd Mayweather 38 fights to earn a similar amount. Tyson Fury tops it only slightly – and after his two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua will fall below that when he fights Jermaine Franklin on April 1.
And don’t let it twist, while Paul’s momentum has been halted by a loss, the money train remains in full swing. A rematch against Fury, a YouTubers fight against KSI, a two-fight deal with Nate Diaz, even a future showdown against Conor McGregor — Paul has options, and each one will bring in huge amounts of money.
Even before last weekend’s Saudi extravaganza, Paul was valued at an estimated £31million, according to Forbes. He was reportedly making £33m from boxing in 2021 alone after twice beating Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, although The Problem Child insisted at the time he was actually making more.
Paul would hit the jackpot again when he bagged another multimillion paycheck after beating Anderson Silva in 2022. Even though he was up against a 47-year-old MMA veteran, the interest was there, just as it was when his rematch against Woodley sold over 500,000 pay-per-view buys.
The numbers put many frontrunners to shame, and he’s not the only one benefiting. Fury made a career-high at least £3.7million by beating Paul and will also be making a move into the official WBC cruiserweight rankings. Meanwhile, the current cruiserweight champions – Arsen Goulamirian, Jai Opetaia, Lawrence Okolie and Badou Jack – may not hit the same total this year.
Of course there are some out there who earn more, but not many. Mayweather cashed a staggering £65m against Canelo in 2013, £223.5m against McGregor in 2017 and £223.5m against Manny Pacquiao’s money in 2015, with £20m.
Fury, meanwhile, earned just under £30m for wins over Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte in 2022 and also raked in around £20m for his trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder. However, he only received £5million from his 2015 win over Wladimir Klitschko.
Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk both earned around £33m for their rematch in Saudi Arabia last year, according to The Mirror, although the Brit earned £46m for his rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr.
It’s important to note that even the sport’s biggest earners received a fraction of what Paul earned after only seven fights. Mayweather defeated Tony Duran (12-15-1) in an undercard fight at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in his seventh game.
Fury defeated Aleksandrs Selezens (3-6) on Danny McIntosh’s undercard against Nathan Cleverly at York Hall. Joshua beat Matt Skelton (28-8) on an undercard from Tony Bellew at Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Canelo beat Cristian Hernandez – then 0-1 and now 0-5 – in Guadalajara.
In fact, the level Paul fought is not significantly better – arguably not better at all – but the profile and magnitude of events are in a different stratosphere. And the impact the American has had on boxing – and all martial arts – is undeniable.
After signing Amanda Serrano for Most Valuable Promotions, Paul will once again go from fighter to promoter when the Puerto Rican takes on Katie Taylor in another historic fight later this year, this time in Ireland.
He has also signed a multi-fight contract with the Professional Fighters League and is expected to feature in the Octagon next year.
Even former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou is clearly influenced by Paul’s call for fighters to be paid more, having left the organization for precisely this reason. He is now reportedly demanding £24million to switch to boxing.
And within boxing, Paul has made it very clear that talent doesn’t necessarily make you money or create opportunities. Tommy Fury is the perfect example. Before Paul, he was a low-level boxer with no real hope of climbing the ranks or making much money.
Now that he has entered Paul’s world he has made huge money, will do so again in the rematch and has the option to fight KSI – or indeed any social media star – in another profitable fight afterwards. Why should he go back to fighting little-known fellows for a fraction of the money? Why would anyone?
Of course, it’s not just Paul who’s benefiting from the social media model that’s taken the world by storm; KSI and its Misfits brand are making big strides on DAZN, while Mayweather regularly benefits from near-pointless shows despite the apparent lack of fan interest.
But it’s Paul who, prior to his loss to Fury, has grown beyond a social media boxer and become an almost-legitimate pro. That perception may have changed by now, but his status as a true pay-per-view star hasn’t.
He still has that dangerous right hand, he still has an intriguing array of dance partners available, and he still has an audience to win. Paul may have lost his first fight against a professional boxer, but his war against those who want him out of the game is far from over.