For better or worse, Jake and Logan Paul have made a big impact on boxing, with the YouTubers-turned-fighters figuring out how to make a splash in the sport.
Logan Paul hadn’t fought anyone of note before somehow landing an exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather last June, with the bigger, younger man taking the 12-time champion the distance — or perhaps the champ allowed it to go the distance.
Logan’s brother Jake hasn’t faced anyone with a Mayweather-esque pedigree, but he’s arguably put together a more impressive résumé to date, earning knockouts against an interesting cast of non-boxers that includes former NBA player Nate Robinson and former MMA fighter Ben Askren.
Then, in December, he created a buzz when he faced ex-MMA fighter Tyron Woodley and did this:
Recently, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson told Shannon Sharpe on Sharpe’s podcast, “Club Shay Shay,” that the Pauls are good for boxing.
Mike Tyson: Logan & Jake Paul are good for boxing
Mike Tyson tells Shannon Sharpe why he thinks Logan & Jake Paul are good for boxing. “I think they’re a big shot in the arm for boxing. No boxer has ever brought that many people to the network like Logan and Jake did. They’re bringing money to boxing.”
Not everyone is sold on the Pauls, however, including current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Like Tyson, Usman appeared on “Club Shay Shay.” Also like Tyson, Usman said it was good that the Paul brothers were introducing a new batch of fans to boxing.
Unlike Tyson, however, Usman doesn’t believe there is any long-term substance behind their rise in the sport. When Sharpe asked Usman if he would fight one of the brothers, he said yes — sort of.
“Absolutely,” Usman said. “But these guys are making a lot of noise. That’s good. They got the YouTubers and they got the new generation, these new kids, involved and watching them. That’s fine, but they don’t equate to dollars.”
Kamaru Usman says money isn’t there to fight Jake Paul
Kamaru Usman tells Shannon Sharpe that he would fight Jake and Logan Paul, but the money would have to be big. “Write me a check for $100 million, Jake Paul, and I’ll be there to kick your a– next week,” he said.
Bringing eyeballs to the sport is one thing, but driving pay-per-view revenues is another, and the 34-year-old Usman is skeptical that the Paul brothers are really doing the latter.
“It’s not them,” he said. “Logan Paul fought Floyd [Mayweather], but that’s Floyd. Floyd’s been making $100 million per pay-per-view. So that money came because of Floyd. But Jake Paul, he says, ‘Oh we’re doing these numbers.’ You could add up every fight Jake Paul has had, and their pay-per-view numbers weren’t more than what I did in my last fight.”
According to reports, the Logan Paul-Floyd Mayweather bout brought in about $50 million, with Mayweather coming away with about $35 million, Paul with at least $5 million.
Meanwhile, Forbes predicted that Jake Paul made about $40 million from his three fights last year, though some, including Usman, are skeptical of that number. Usman, for what it’s worth, is estimated to be worth about $3 million, according to The Sporting News.
Regardless of where the numbers truly lie, Usman told Sharpe that it would take a heavy paycheck to lure him into a bout with Jake Paul.
“So they can say whatever they want to say.” he said. “He can say this or I can say that. Write me a check for $100 million, Jake Paul, and I’ll be there to kick your a– next week.”
Check out the full episode of “Club Shay Shay” below:
You can watch the “Club Shay Shay” on YouTube or subscribe on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts.
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