Boxing

Jake Paul was given a scare and bloodied by KSI’s brother Deji in first ever fight on white collar boxing undercard

Admin 5 hours ago

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Jake Paul has become one of the most infamous figures in boxing, but things almost got off to a disastrous start when he struggled through his debut.

The social media sensation has defeated the likes of Tyron Woodley and Mike Perry and shared the ring with Anderson Silva and Mike Tyson. But he started his career in Manchester on the undercard of his brother Logan Paul's fight with KSI in 2018.

The Paul brothers headed to Britain to take on their coastal rivals, Deji and JJ Olatunji, with the older siblings battling each other while the youngsters took part in the co-main event. And it was Jake who provided the excitement as he secured a victory after coming from surprising early adversity.

Jake Paul faced YouTuber Deji in his boxing debut

It was August 25, 2018 when YouTube boxing made its biggest move yet as Logan and Jake Paul faced off against KSI and Deji in Manchester. The pair of brothers shared a lengthy build-up, including press conferences in the UK and US, culminating in a massive pay-per-view event.

The Manchester Arena was the venue, with fans packing the venue and more than 1.2 million people buying the event via pay-per-view. Both Americans entered as strong favorites for their fights, but it was Jake who emerged victorious, although it wasn't easy.

Deji didn't seem to be in great shape for the fight, but flew out of the traps with almost no nerves prior to the event. And he managed to capitalize on an injury early in his career that became apparent when he bled his rival's nose in the first round, sparking memes on the internet.

Early in Paul's career it became apparent that he had a problem with his nose that needed to be repaired. He was also bloodied during quick knockout wins over Nate Robinson and AnEsonGib, but the issue has since been resolved.

He managed to overcome that problem and ultimately defeated his rival comfortably, showing perhaps the best skills of the four headliners that night. He knocked his rival into the corner in the fifth round of their scheduled six, eventually forcing him to throw in the towel.

Jake Paul turned professional while Deji lost future fights

After the fight, Deji and Jake Paul continued their boxing journey and will both have competed on Thursday evening. However, they have gone in completely opposite directions, with Paul becoming a big name in the sport while Deji has remained in the YouTube scene.

Jake Paul's fighting career speaks for itself, but that of his British rival was far more fascinating. The Watford native returned to action three years after the Paul fight to take on model Vinny Hacker at Social Gloves in Miami, and was stopped in a fight thought to be convenient for him.

He then fought Alex Wassabi at home on Showstar's debut, this time tasting defeat again via split decision. But he looked much better in that one and returned to the ring a few months later against Fousey in Misfits Boxing's debut.

Deji pulled off a stunning stoppage that night as his brother fought in the main event, eventually moving on to an exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather. He has since competed twice and will return on Thursday under the Misfits Boxing banner.

Jake Paul and Deji clashed at the same location after a fight

Things seemed positive between the two when they met after Paul's fight with Tommy Fury in 2023. But it wasn't the same when they faced off at the Manchester Arena a few months later.

Deji was in town to support his brother against Fury during October's Prime Card, while Jake was there for his brother Logan's showdown with Dillon Danis. The pair met on the kick-off show and it was not amicable as Deji insisted he would win in a rematch.

“I already beat you and you don't know anything about boxing,” Paul said to Deji, who replied: “I was your toughest fight so far, I bloodied your face. I would absolutely destroy him if we fought again, I would beat him and I know I would.

Paul dismissed the idea of the pair ever fighting again, stating that they would 'absolutely not' ever step into the ring together for a rematch. “This is why I didn't want to come here tonight,” he stated. “Because all these little people I've already beaten and dusted are taking their names to me.”