94. Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child

On this episode, we talk about the rise of Jake Paul in the ring. From a YouTube hellion and obnoxious Influencer to a boxing star, Jake Paul has become one of the truly improbable sports transformations of the 21st century. He may be polarizing and milage varies greatly on his likability. But as a celebrity committed to a sudden calling after a quarter life crises and cultural cancellation, Jake Paul is a pretty remarkable figure, who has only proved himself time and time again as a formidable contender against a ragtag albeit talented group of ex-MMA fighters and seasoned athletes. Is this a puff piece? If the ubiquity of Prime drinks is any indication, the Paul brothers’ trademark self-mythology and promotional acuity is all over this thing. And there’s no doubt the Jake Paul has some warranted behind-the-scenes stains on his past — along with some overblown controversies. He’s played the heel, the villain, the antihero, and the problem child for years, making a killing out of marketing himself as the person people want to see being pummeled in the ring. What’s crazy is that the opposite happens, repeatedly, putting the likes of Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, the Fury family, and Dana White on blast as they’re forced to chew their words, eat crow, and watch in awe. Whether you’re frothing at the bit to see where Paul’s boxing career goes next or prefer to hate watch one of Influencer culture’s prime public enemies, there’s no denying that the entertainment factor is off-the-charts. He may be a douchebag, a shameless self-marketer, a chauvinist, or whatever, but he’s also chosen a wise venue to pursue: a space of pugilistic primality where one’s moral shortcomings and social pretenses are stripped away by the savage ferocity of sparring and spectacle. Carrying the dying sport of boxing on his bulky tattooed back, Jake Paul is a bleach-haired pug with a rabid will to power. He’s as American, for better and worse, as an acidic apple pie smashed straight to the jugular.