Jake
Paul promised to deliver a memorable performance going into his
ninth professional boxing match with Andre August on Saturday at
the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando.
In the end, “The Problem Child” (8-1), lived up to his claim by
knocking out the three-time Golden Gloves winner at the 2:32 mark
of the very first round.
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Interestingly, Paul walked out with Team USA Boxing stars Morelle
McCane and Joshua Edwards, dancing to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas
Tree.” However, once in the ring, he was all business. Paul
displayed good movement at the onset and eventually sent August
crashing to the canvas with a vicious right uppercut to end the
contest on the spot.
Aspiring to become a world champion down the line, Paul, 26, has
recently directed his attention towards seasoned boxers. The
Professional Fighters League-signed star is expected to compete
for mixed martial arts organization in 2024 in either an MMA or
hybrid-rules contest.
Notably, Paul set a record by achieving the highest recorded gate
for a boxing event in Orlando’s history. Puerto Rican fighter
Miguel Cotto’s bout vs. Delvin Rodriguez at the Amway Center, which
has a capacity of 20,000, in October 2013 previously held the
record.
“I said first-round knockout all week… I manifested this,” Paul
said. “This is the power of manifestation. I said I needed to bring
back the old ‘Problem Child,’ I’ve been too nice to these guys
letting them go to the later rounds. … I don’t know what I proved
tonight, you know. I’m just going to do me. This is part of the
process, the next step to becoming world champion. … All I wanted
to do was give y’all a knockout for Christmas.”