Social media superstar Jake Paul is set for his boxing return on Dec. 15. But, who is “The Problem Child” fighting?
Days after his brother, Logan Paul, scored a win over his bitter rival, Dillon Danis, in October, the 26-year-old announced that he and his Most Valuable Promotions were partnering with DAZN to broadcast his upcoming match. The former Disney actor has a professional boxing record of 7-1, and his last contest took place in August when he bested former UFC combatant Nate Diaz in a 10-round affair via unanimous decision.
Most of The Problem Child’s boxing bouts have been against mixed martial artists trying their hands at the sweet science. But, this time around, Paul has drawn another experienced boxer.
A few weeks after his announcement, Paul finally revealed who was sharing the ring with him next month. And that’s 10-1-1 Andre August.
“Ask and I shall deliver,” Paul wrote in his Instagram post’s caption. “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 and August’s cruiserweight tilt is scheduled for eight rounds at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
Like Paul, August has only lost once as a pro
August is 35 years old, and he made his professional boxing debut in 2013 when he scored a TKO over Steven Medrano. After he dueled to a majority draw a year later against Rudy Lozano, August earned four more victories in a row — including three by KO/TKO — before suffering his first and only defeat as a pro.
Eric Abraham (7-16) TKO’d August in 2018.
However, August has rebounded in a big. He’s had his hand raised in all five of his fights since. He last competed in August, a few days after Paul and Diaz squared up, and he was awarded a unanimous decision over Brandon Martin. All in all, August has five knockouts on his record compared to Paul’s four.
“I don’t talk very much,” August said in a press release from Most Valuable Promotions. “I’m all about that action! Jake Paul has the money, the fame, the team, and the resources, but he doesn’t have my hunger. When that bell rings, I am going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring his bell and send him back to YouTube for good.”
On the other end, Paul will look to continue creating distance from his lone loss to Tommy Fury in February. Considering The Problem Child has beaten former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, as well as stand-out MMA stars like Diaz and Ben Askren, August’s lower profile is not what fans have come to expect with Paul’s fights.
But, he’s been adamant about earning a victory against another bonafide boxer — something he has yet to do. So, by adding August to his mantle, he may earn more respect from the boxing community.