If Jake Paul has to leave boxing because of an injury-enforced retirement then he can do so having made the sport “relevant.”
That’s according to the former heavyweight world champion, Andy Ruiz, who spoke to Casino, about the way in which he could bow out, by having his face broken by Anthony Joshua, while raising the profile of the industry thanks to his polarizing charm.
Few figures are as prominent as Paul across multiple verticals as he was once a Disney actor, a social media star, a content creator, an entrepreneur, and, of course, a fledgling fighter who ripped up the traditions to do things his way, like competing against MMA fighters and journeymen boxers before scoring his most notable win — decision over the former middleweight champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Paul has not fought since suffering a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in Miami, before Christmas. He left the ring with lasting damage because of a twice-fractured jaw. The 29-year-old told Ariel Helwani on Monday that it’s unclear when he will return to the ring — if he ever will.
“He was just surviving,” said Ruiz, looking back at the Joshua fight. “I think Jake Paul went in there thinking he could take him out in the first, second, or third round.
“But like Mike Tyson says, everybody has a plan until they get hit.
“With his fight against Anthony Joshua, Jake was thinking about AJ’s loss against me, that the one against [Oleksandr] Usyk, so he was like, ‘maybe I have a chance’.”
Ruiz praised Paul’s “courage” and “faith” and “balls” to step up against Joshua. “Not a lot of people could do that.”
Ruiz then spoke on the legacy Paul will leave. Perhaps not as a champion, but as someone who increased the visibility of his fights, as well as others.
“Jake is doing a good job. If influencers and YouTubers are all fighting, they are making boxing more relevant.”
— Andy Ruiz on Jake Paul
“I think Jake Paul is helping, and that mother-f*****, he’s a real athlete. There’s no YouTuber that I’ve seen that has changed his profession and became a real professional fighter like him, and gave all the dedication, hard work, and sacrificed so many things.”
