Jake Paul`s professional boxing career kicked off with a stunning first-round knockout win, despite the fact that he admitted to having difficulty executing his planned strategy during the fight.
Paul, who transitioned from being a YouTube personality to a boxer in 2018, first fought fellow YouTuber Deji in an amateur bout, winning in the fifth round. Since that amateur start, the controversial figure has faced several opponents, building his record.
His Pro Debut Against AnEsonGib
His professional debut came against another YouTuber, AnEsonGib, on January 30, 2020, as part of the undercard for a WBO middleweight title fight. It was clear from the start that neither Paul nor Gib had extensive boxing experience. They both displayed unconventional stances, with Gib struggling particularly with balance, leading to him falling multiple times in the opening round.
Paul demonstrated a significant power advantage. His jab repeatedly pushed Gib back. The fight concluded in a somewhat anticlimactic manner, highlighting Gib`s limitations more than Paul`s refined skill at that moment. After connecting with a right hook that sent Gib stumbling for the third time from relatively light shots, the referee stopped the bout, awarding Paul a TKO victory in the first round.
Paul`s Post-Fight Admission
Despite the quick win and not appearing to be in danger, Paul revealed after the fight that he hadn`t managed to stick to the game plan devised by his trainer, “Sugar” Shane Mosley. In a post-fight interview, Paul confessed he hadn`t effectively landed his harder punches as intended, with most connections being glancing blows.
“I didn’t even really get to show my skill,” Paul stated. “I didn’t land any of my really hard punches—most were just grazing shots off the top of the head or barely connected.” He added that while his trainer had told him about his power, he didn`t truly believe it until securing the first-round knockout.
The strategy was meant to involve power punches, but ultimately, Paul`s jabs and basic shots were sufficient to score three knockdowns and secure the TKO win in his pro debut.
