He has pro boxing victories against a fellow YouTuber, a former NBA player, and two aging MMA fighters. Let’s talk about his next fight.
Only hours after besting former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley via split decision in a highly anticipated boxing pay-per-view on Showtime, Jake Paul retired from boxing. Well, at least he announced on Twitter that he was most definitely doing so.
A day later, the 24-year-old announced he was coming out retirement.
If Paul does in fact follow through and get back in the gym to train for another bout, there’s no shortage of possibilities for his next opponent.
And judging by how much he made from each of his four previous fights, there will be an absolute ton of money on the table.
For him and the man in the other corner.
Jake Paul’s Boxing Purses
In four professional fights, Jake Paul has made more than $13.7 million. This number is likely much higher when factoring in pay-per-view totals and undisclosed sponsorship deals.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about his payouts from his four previous professional fights:
- According to The Boxing Planet, Paul made around $1 million in his first professional fight against British YouTuber AnEsonGib.
- He reportedly made more than $10 million against former NBA star Nate Robinson, notes Mark Raimondi of ESPN. While the fight included a purse of only $600, the millions reportedly came as part of a scaled backend deal Paul made based on the popularity of the bout.
- In his third professional bout against former UFC fighter Ben Askren, Paul reportedly made a base salary of $690,000, however he likely made much more when factoring in PPV sales and sponsorships.
- So, how much did Jake Paul make in his last fight? The latest figures suggest that he and Woodley both made a reported $2 million guaranteed.
That’s some hefty pocket change for a social media influencer.
So much so that it’s only natural to think that his next fight purse — should he stay unretired — will net him no less than millions more.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
Gaming Out Jake Paul’s Next Fight
Judging by his post-fight chirping — not to mention the $2 million fight purse — it’s only natural to assume that Paul won’t immediately rule out pulling the trigger on a Woodley a rematch.
For starters, Paul tweeted out the stipulations of what would be at stake should he and Woodley go at it again. We’re talking “I LOVE JAKE PAUL” tattoos and potentially even more money than Sunday night’s showdown in Cleveland.
But of course, this could all be for show. After all, Woodley losing merely by split decision feels charitable; despite not getting dominated, he still very clearly lost.
Paul has been known to throw shade on social media. He’s also no stranger to shenanigans. But there’s too much buzz surrounding a few other future opponents, even if they feel (for the moment) like absolute pipe dreams, to assume a Woodley rematch is in the cards.
For example: Conor McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
The payday would be absolutely massive, but it probably won’t happen.
Paul said himself that McGregor has much more to focus on — particularly recovering from the broken leg he sustained against Dustin Poirer in the main event of UFC 264.
“We’re on the path to a lot bigger fights, I’m salivating, too because I’m just getting warmed up,” Paul told reporters at Sunday’s post-fight press conference. “Conor McGregor has a lot more to focus on besides me right now.”
So, what about Tommy Fury?
The 22-year-old Love Island contestant and half-brother of heavyweight king Tyson Fury remained undefeated (7-0) after winning by unanimous decision against Anthony Taylor in the undercard of the Paul-Woodley PPV. He may look the part, but the win was unanimously considered underwhelming.
And notably, Paul and his manager are reportedly not convinced that a fight with Fury, despite being an “actual” pro boxer, would net the same returns as other potential names on the board.
That’s not the only key consideration, either.
“He’s an easier fight than Tyron Woodley,” Paul said.
The Jake Paul Fight Formula
The uniting force of any matchmaking up to this point for Jake Paul, who is young, tall, and reasonably athletic, has involved bouts against opponents who are either much smaller, much older, new to boxing, or all of the above.
Each one has also ended up being marketing gold with an ability to attract fans, especially young ones, that wouldn’t otherwise pay a lick of attention to the Sweet Science.
That’s clearly a recipe for financial success even if the boxing itself isn’t high-level. So, should this formula stay true, it’s only logical to expect Paul’s next opponent to be someone who will draw at least as much interest as Woodley.
That opponent could be none other than Anderson Silva.
Think about it: He may be 46 years old, but the former UFC middleweight champion checks all the boxes for a future Jake Paul fight.
He’s 22 years his senior and not known primarily as a boxer, but he looked terrific in a surprise win against former WBC world champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in August, just the third boxing match of his career and the first since 2005.
He’s definitely no longer at the top of his game. But he’s a legend. And most importantly for Paul, he’s plausibly beatable.
Regardless of whom he ends up fighting next, it’s safe to assume that a significant audience will tune in to watch Jake Paul punch his way to securing another bag — and a chance to go 5-0.
It’s also safe to assume that this as-yet-unnamed opponent has a chance to earn the single biggest payday of their career.
