- Jake Paul and 35-year-old professional boxer Andre August have agreed to fight on December 15.
- Paul is heavily favored to defeat August in the boxing match.
- Paul’s next opponent was expected to be a rematch against Tommy Fury.
Jake Paul (7-1-0) and Andre August (10-1-0) have officially come to terms for a boxing match to take place next month. On December 15, Paul and August will converge at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando. According to Bovada, Paul is a -300 betting favorite to defeat August in the fight.
Paul’s next opponent will be only the second professional boxer that he has faced in his boxing career. In February, Tommy Fury defeated Paul by split decision in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. It was a closely contested fight, with Paul stating that Fury didn’t win and that he beat himself.
Paul suffered his first loss in a boxing ring versus Fury. Paul’s other opponents include Ali Eson Gib, Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. While Paul has primarily shied away from fighting pro boxers, he needs wins against them to gain more respect.
In his most recent fight, Paul handled Diaz by unanimous decision in August. Diaz was completely outmatched and didn’t seem to take the fight too seriously. Paul pummeled Diaz for a comfortable 97-92, 98-91, 98-91 win at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Paul Wants Title Match
Paul seems adamant about wanting to be taken seriously in the world of professional boxing. Three years ago, the social media influencer entered the boxing sphere as a guy with no experience looking to make a quick buck.
Paul’s motivation certainly includes bundles of money, but he is increasingly becoming more serious about his boxing career. In fact, Paul has stated that his boxing goals include being a world champion in boxing.
“With how I’m progressing and the work that I am putting in, the experience I am getting under my belt going 10 rounds now, slowly making my way deeper and deeper into the sport and getting more experience. I have all of the tools. The punching power, strength, cardio, speed. So really it’s about the thousands of repetitions I need to become world champion. I’m already sparring world champions in the gym, and that’s why I know I can do it,” Paul told BoxingScene.com.
Those are motivational words from Paul, but he will have to improve his boxing ability tremendously if he wants a shot at a world title match. Despite battling hard against Fury, Paul’s effort against the boxer-turned-reality TV star won’t attract a championship boxing match.
After defeating Paul, Fury earned a No. 39 WBC cruiserweight ranking. Despite the cruiserweight rating, he would be hard-pressed to beat higher-ranked opponents. Fury has shown no indication that he plans to climb the ranks in the cruiserweight division.
Alvarez Laughs Off Paul Challenge
In August, Canelo Alvarez was asked about fighting Paul after his name was brought up in the Paul vs. Diaz post-fight conference. He is open to the idea, but not until he retires. Alvarez has stressed that Paul should “stay at his level” rather than chase around fighters of his caliber.
Nevertheless, Paul has set out a three-year goal of climbing the ranks to earn a championship fight. Defeating August would be a very small step in that direction. Like Fury, August isn’t highly regarded in boxing circles, but this is a massive opportunity for him in the spotlight.
Currently, August is the No. 45 ranked cruiserweight in the world, according to BoxRec. He is on a five-match winning streak heading into the Paul bout, primarily against unknown regional fighters.
Most recently, following a four-year hiatus, the 35-year-old defeated Brandon Martin by unanimous decision on August 11.
No Rematch Scheduled Versus Fury
After Paul defeated August, oddsmakers released betting odds on who his next opponent would be. At +110 odds, Fury was favored to be Paul’s next boxing opponent. However, ‘The Problem Child’ went searching for another pro boxer instead.
A rematch against Diaz was the likeliest opponent to face Paul, but he was passed over for August, as well. August was not on the radar of online betting sites, as his odds were not offered. Conor McGregor (+950), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (+1800), and Alvarez (+2500) were among the bets available.
At -300, Paul has an implied probability of 75 percent to oust August. The pay-per-view event can be purchased globally on the streaming service DAZN.
