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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

Jake Paul aims new dig at arch-rival KSI with blockbuster future fight in doubt

Jake Paul could not resist aiming a new dig at arch-rival KSI after his emphatic victory over Andre August.

'The Problem Child' made a statement with his first win over a professional boxer on Friday night, delivering on his promise of a first-round knockout as he produced a crunching right uppercut to end the main event after just two-and-a-half minutes in Orlando.

Just after Paul's stoppage of August, fellow YouTuber-turned-pugilist KSI embarked upon a charity sparring session in London with another internet personality in IShowSpeed - dominating the boxing novice in an event which was streamed live on YouTube with the proceeds going to the Anthony Walker Foundation.

Paul and KSI previously appeared to be on a collision course for a blockbuster fight in 2024, with both men carrying one defeat each at the hands of Tommy Fury.

However, Paul appeared to suggest that he has now moved on from that phase of his fighting career into a new era, where he is only focused on rising up the pro ranks as he even hopes to compete for a world title one day.

"I don't know, I don't care. It's just two different things, man," Paul told reporters after the August knockout when asked if a potential future clash with KSI was now out of the question.

"He's chasing views as a 30-year-old man and I'm chasing legacy and belts."

KSI and Jake Paul both have defeats on their record by Tommy Fury (PA)

A sarcastic-sounding Paul - who said he was open to a possible bout with Viddal Riley - then added on KSI: "All kudos to him, I hope he makes his wildest dreams come true."

Paul also offered a candid assessment of the changes he had made since losing to Fury via a painful split decision in Saudi Arabia back in February, praising his new coaching team for helping engineer a vast improvement in terms of quality and attitude.

"I spent thousands of hours in the gym, but more so just believing in myself and my ability, having fun out there and surrounding myself with the right team," he said.

"When they came in, the whole attitude changed. They pushed me so much harder than I'd ever been pushed before.

"That was really the difference maker. Really my boxing career didn't start until after I lost, because they came in and corrected my basic fundamentals that I had skipped by due to other coaches skipping by.

"They pushed me, did thousands of drills on my footwork every single day. Getting my mind right, surrounding myself with amazing people.

"That really is what elevated everything. I owe it to everyone else and the people around me pushing me and wanting the best for me."

Paul's punishing early stoppage of August was his first knockout success since December 2021, when he stopped former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in similarly brutal fashion in the sixth round of their rematch in Tampa.

He also stopped another ex-MMA star Ben Askren inside the first round back in 2021 after previous stoppage wins over former basketball player Nate Robinson and fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib.

But the 26-year-old rates his dismantling of August as his greatest knockout yet, having insisted it was coming all week.

"I think it is the best one," he said. "Just because of the first round, calling it the whole entire week, not getting hit one time in the fight and just setting him up for that.

"He kept on ducking low. I assessed him, set him up for it and finished it. Threw that thing hard."

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