Are the Paul Brothers Secretly Best For Business?
When you think of legends in the sport, you think of the likes of Ali, Tyson and Mayweather Jr. There is a long list of legends that have impacted the sport and their influence continues to be noticed during the current era of professional boxing.
The aforementioned men were huge draws in the sport at their peak and continue to be names that can rack in the dough. Mayweather Jr. and Tyson are still popular among the boxing crowd and can easily help sell pay-per-views when they are slated to fight.
What made legends like Ali, Mayweather and Tyson such draws was their raw power, incredible agility and overall boxing IQ. You knew that when purchasing a pay-per-view, you were going to witness something special. This begs the question about one of boxing’s newest stars: The Paul Brothers.
Are they controversial? Yes. Do they generate revenue? Also, yes.
Now, I think it’s asinine to even include Jake and Logan Paul in the conversation about being one of the greatest boxers of all time. But with that being said, the social media stars are two of the biggest draws in the sport currently, despite what purists believe.
When watching Logan or Jake fight, you’re not necessarily watching to see expertise in the ring. However, the brothers are entertainers and draw large crowds in for their fights. Some consider the Paul brothers black sheep in the industry – but dare I say that they are good for the sport?
Whether you want to see either Paul brother upset their opponent or see them get clocked, the point is that you’re (hopefully) paying for the event. Boxing is in the entertainment business and what’s best for business is PPV purchases and fans glued to their screen. Ticket sales and generated revenue is the king of the sport (and the key to its success), so if either Jake or Logan are selling tickets, is that really a bad thing?
Jake Paul may be seen as a fraud because of his previous fight history, but the point remains that there is money to be made with him fighting. Jake has fought the likes of Ali Eson Gib (YouTuber), Nate Robinson (NBA) and Ben Askren (MMA). All three are hardly considered boxers which is why he doesn’t receive much respect in the boxing world. His next fight will once again be against an MMA fighter, as he plans to take on Tyron Woodley. Woodley is known for his wrestling capabilities, so it should be quite the difference in preparation for the former UFC Welterweight Champion.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jake Paul is the current favorite to win this bout, according to Betway Sports. Paul is listed at -125, while Woodley is the underdog at +100. Woodley has picked up some impressive wins (and title defenses) in his career but has lost his last four bouts inside the octagon.
Circling back to the Paul brothers, despite what personal biases you may have, they are good for the sport. They are social media giants and can invoke emotions from even the most-die-hard boxing fans. No matter where you fall on the love/hate spectrum, eyes on the product is what’s best for business. The sport will see a lucrative return whenever the Paul brothers step in the ring, which helps grow the sport even further. Now, it isn’t necessarily fair to the athletes that have dedicated their entire lives to be in the main event of a boxing pay-per-view, but I also don’t think it’s fair to compare an event headlined by Jake or Logan Paul, compared to an event headlined by Canelo Alvarez.
The Paul Brothers may be the black sheep of the industry, but secretly, their presence is good for business. Purists may think differently, but for a sport that is highly involved in the entertainment business, you cannot deny that these guys sell tickets. They have also received love from respected members in the boxing community, such as Tyson Fury.
According to reports, Logan vs. Mayweather generated 1-million pay-per-view buys. Jake vs. Askren secured 1.5-million buys and the YouTuber beef between Logan Paul and KSI generated over 2.5-million pay-per-view buys in their two bouts.
Are the Paul brothers good for the sport? That’s debatable. Some think they make a mockery of the sport and others believe they are good for business.
Either way, more fans buying tickets or posting about fights on social media is what’s best for business. And if the Paul brothers are best for business, is that a bad thing?
