Jake Paul has issued the ambitious prediction that he could become the next Muhammad Ali in the boxing world.
The YouTuber is preparing for his next fight against UFC star Tyron Woodley on December 18. Should Paul win the bout, he will extend his professional boxing record to 5-0.
The 24-year-old’s other victims include former MMA champion Ben Askren and basketball player Nate Robinson.
Paul also defeated Woodley by split decision in their first match back in August. The 39-year-old has stepped in at short notice to fight the YouTuber again after Tommy Fury was forced to withdraw from a planned bout.
Unsurprisingly, Paul has stepped up the trash talking ahead of the fight, which takes place in Tampa, Florida.
Paul compares himself to boxing great
Speaking to Boxing Social, the 24-year-old contemplated how much a win would mean to him compared to Woodley, given that he is 15 years his opponent’s junior.
He also believes that the way his career is going, a victory could set him on the path towards becoming one of boxing’s greatest ever fighters – specifically, Muhammad Ali.
Paul said: “He [Woodley] already lost. When you do something, it starts to become a habit. That’s been the case so far for Tyron.
“What does he have here? What career does he have ahead of him? I’m 24 years old. I could take over the world.
“I could become the next Muhammad Ali at the rate this is going. What does [Woodley] have? He has nothing.
“I have a much bigger story here, I’m a much greater presence, and I’m doing something that no one’s ever done before. For him to win, it doesn’t help the sport, it doesn’t help the world, and no-one will really care.”
How many fights did Muhammad Ali win?
Muhammad Ali participated in 61 fights, winning 56 of them, and is the only fighter ever to be crowned as a three-time lineal heavyweight champion. He is also a one-time Olympic champion, having secured the gold medal at Rome 1960.
He had plenty of memorable bouts. His trilogy against Joe Frazier is still talked about to this day. ‘Smokin’ Joe’ was the first professional ever to beat ‘The People’s Champion’ in a battle dubbed as the ‘Fight of the Century’ in 1971. Ali would secure wins in both of their next two fights.
In 1974, he faced off against heavyweight champion George Foreman in what was named ‘Rumble in the Jungle’. With a worldwide audience of around one billion people watching, Ali secured the famous victory with an eighth-round knockout.
Jake Paul definitely has, to put it lightly, a long path ahead to reach anything like that legacy. He has five professional wins in comparison to Ali’s 56, isn’t a world champion and hasn’t faced off against a current boxing champion. But, to his credit, he’s nothing if not ambitious and confident.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
