It’s time for Jake Paul to finally prove his previous boxing success is more than just a glitch. The YouTube star is 5-0 in his pro boxing career, as well as 1-0 in amateur boxing. Still, none of his opponents so far were boxers by trade – he’s fought against fellow YouTubers (Deji Olatunji, AnEsonGib), an ex-basketball player (Nate Robinson), and two former UFC fighters (Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley).
Saturday, August 6, 2022, is going to be the day when Jake Paul goes toe-to-toe with a professional boxer for the first time in his career. The pugilist he’s taking on is Hasim Rahman Jr., the son of legendary two-time world heavyweight champ.
Even though Hasim Rahman Jr. has a more impressive record than his opponent with 12 wins and just one loss (which happened in a WBC-USNBC title bout), oddsmakers think it’s Paul who’s going to triumph at Madison Square Garden. Are they right to think so? To find out what we think, just keep on reading our Jake Paul vs Hasim Rahman Jr. preview!
Jake Paul vs Hasim Rahman Jr. Odds
All odds are per FanDuel as of July 29.
Moneyline
| Jake Paul | -250 |
| Hasim Rahman Jr. | +188 |
Where and When to Watch
- Date: Saturday, August 6
- Time: ~9:00 PM EDT
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City
- Watch: PPV
Jake Paul is Actually Very Good at Boxing
Together with his brother Logan, Jake Paul is the man most responsible for the rise of YouTube boxing. It all started in 2018 with an event dubbed the Biggest Amateur Boxing Match in History, which was headlined by the KSI vs Logan Paul fight. Jake’s fight with KSI’s brother Deji served as the co-main event.
Jake won the fight by TKO in Round 5, thus winning the WBC YouTube Championship. After the white-collar bout, he decided to turn pro. His professional boxing debut happened in January 2020 when he beat another YouTuber-turned-boxer AnEsonGib by TKO in the first round. Next came the fight against ex-NBA star Nate Robinson. Paul won again, this time by KO.
In 2021, Paul defeated former mixed martial artist Ben Askren, who used to hold titles in Bellator MMA and One Championship, while also fighting three bouts in the UFC. Once again, Paul won by KO. This came as a surprise to many who thought that an ex-MMA pro should be able to deal with a YouTuber. However, the Youtuber showed the world that he actually knows how to fight.
Of course, there were those who weren’t impressed with the win, citing the fact that Askren isn’t famous for striking. Instead, throughout his MMA career, he relied on grappling and wrestling. However, Paul then proved his detractors wrong in the two fights against former UFC champ Tyron Woodley who won his championship belt in 2016 after knocking out Robbie Lawler.
Woodley knocked out seven opponents in his MMA career but was unable to do the same to Jake Paul. Instead, their first fight finished in a split decision win for Paul, while in the rematch, Paul beat him by KO.
Hasim Rahman Jr. Has Experience on His Side
Born and raised in a boxing-loving household, Hasim Rahman Jr. lives and breathes this sport. He started his professional career in 2017 with a TKO win, from where he went on to win another 11 straight fights before finally losing.
His only loss so far happened in April when Kenzie Morrison beat him by TKO in the fight for the vacant WBC-USNBC heavyweight title. In that fight, the scales showed 224 lbs., but for the clash with Paul, he needs to be under 211 lbs. That was one of the conditions Paul had for Hasim Rahman Jr. while negotiating the bout. Rahman Jr. agreed but revealed that he thought it was a shady trick by his opponent.
Judging by the recent training footage, Rahman Jr. looks huge. The good news is that even if he misses the weight, the fight will still go on. The bad news for him is that he’s going to be deducted 25% of the purse for every pound he’s over.
Jake Paul vs Hasim Rahman Jr. Prediction
Our prediction is that Hasim Rahman Jr. is going to miss weight. However, he won’t care. For the former title challenger, this fight isn’t about the money but about getting into the spotlight. Beating Jake Paul would make him an attractive prospect to promoters like Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren.
Knowing this, one can only assume that he’s going to destroy Paul in Madison Square Garden. By “destroy” we mean beat him by KO/TKO early in the bout.
Pick:
Hasim Rahman Jr. by KO/TKO; under 3.5 rounds