Jake Paul says he’d be “in jail” right now without boxing career

Jake Paul says he owes his life to boxing and improving the sport as he believes it has kept him from going down a dark path that would ultimately have led to him ending up behind bars or even dead. 

When Jake Paul first got involved with boxing, as a part of the YouTube event with his brother Logan and KSI, many expected that he’d take part in one fight and quickly move on.

Instead, the social media star has made waves in the boxing world and has cemented himself as a key part – not only because of his own fights, but because he’s also gotten involved with the promotion side of things as well.

Jake will return to the ring himself in August, and he’s suggested that fighting Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather is an option, as he continues to be serious about his participation in the sport that he claims has saved him from a life behind bars.

The YouTuber appeared on the April 14 episode of THE FIGHT podcast with Teddy Atlas, as he discussed his future inside the squared circle and his ongoing beef with the UFC.

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Touching on the topic of him bringing new eyes to the sport and where he sees himself on the boxing food chain, Jake claimed that he owes the sport a lot because of how it’s helped him stay on the right path. “Boxing saved my life, so I owe a ton to it,” the 25-year-old told long-time boxing analyst.

“I would be in jail or probably dead somewhere if it weren’t for boxing, because I was going down a really weird path in my early 20s that wasn’t sustainable. And because of that, I owe everything to this sport.”

Timestamp of 13:28

The YouTuber didn’t expand on his point but he’s had plenty of trouble with the police in the past – as his home was even raided by the FBI as fallout for his appearance at a looting in Scottsdale, Arizona in May of 2020.

Jake also believes he will “slowly” earn the respect of his peers because of the effort he is putting into helping the sport grow and improve.

As noted, he returns to the ring in August and has lofty goals of being a title contender at some point. While he has the backing of some boxing greats, there are still plenty of doubters he has to convince.