Social media sensation turned boxer Jake Paul has secured the date for his next fight. Paul will return to the boxing ring on August 6 inside Madison Square Garden in New York on Showtime PPV. It is his first time in the ring since his sensational knockout of Tyron Woodley back in December.
But what Paul hasn’t announced is who his next opponent will be. There has been much speculation regarding who will hit the “Jake Paul Sweepstakes” and land the opportunity to hand the YouTuber the first loss of his boxing career.
While we await the announcement, The Sporting News ranks the five most likely opponents for Paul.
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5) Andre Ward
If Jake Paul thinks he’ll be good enough to beat Canelo in a couple of years, why not face a retired great like Andre Ward first?
The 38-year-old Ward hasn’t fought since defeating Sergey Kovalev for a second time back in 2017, but there seems to be interest from the undefeated former champion to compete in an exhibition bout. According to Floyd Mayweather, Ward mentioned that he’d face Jake Paul if the opportunity presented itself. But does Paul want to fight in an exhibition? Either way, beating a retired Ward would certainly prove that he is showing immense improvement.
The likelihood he’d beat Ward? Well, that’s another story entirely.
4) KSI
This may be seen as a step backward for those who want Paul to increase the level of competition. But if he’s in it for the money, a fight with KSI could be a huge boon for Jake Paul considering their long-standing feud.
KSI hasn’t fought since beating Logan Paul in 2019 and has been angling for a showdown with Logan’s younger brother. However, KSI has announced that he will be fighting in August against an opponent to be determined for his return to the boxing ring. Surely, he’ll look to land a fight with Paul, but it doesn’t appear to be next.
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3) Conor McGregor
The Irishman hasn’t done much of anything but talk trash on social media since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier last July. He has yet to secure a date to return to the octagon and repeatedly professes his love for boxing. But do you know what McGregor likes more than fighting? Money. And a boxing match with Jake Paul would certainly pull in a massive purse for the former two-division UFC champion.
There are two hurdles, however. One is whether or not Dana White will allow McGregor back into a boxing ring and risk his return to action in the UFC. The other is the huge size differential between McGregor and Paul. Paul weighed in at 191.4 pounds for his fight with Tyron Woodley. McGregor was 153 pounds for his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. Granted, McGregor is looking a lot bigger these days but he would still give up five inches in height.
2) Anderson Silva
This would be a massive test for Paul and seemingly an easy fight to make. The 47-year-old Silva’s transition from MMA to boxing has been almost too easy for one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. He’s already stunned an actual former champion in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and annihilated fellow MMA fighter Tito Ortiz. He last fought against Bruno Machado in an exhibition and looked exceptional once again. Of all of the realistic fights for Paul, this is the one that would be the most challenging. Silva may be closing in on 50 but his skills suggest otherwise.
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1) Tommy Fury
Considering that these two were already supposed to fight last December, Fury is the most likely opponent for Paul. A broken rib and bacterial chest infection forced Fury out of the fight and Paul went on to score a knockout in a rematch with Tyron Woodley. Fury was back in action not long after with an underwhelming decision victory over Daniel Bocianski.
This is a very winnable fight for Paul against an actual boxer. It feels like the next logical step in Paul’s career. Not to mention that these two have been verbally ripping each other apart in the media. Oh, and then there's the looming presence of Tommy's heavyweight champion half-brother, Tyson.