On March 2nd, Jake Paul enters the ring against another professional boxer, Ryan Bourland. The San Juan, Puerto Rico fight comes at a time when Paul is hoping to inch closer to a championship fight. However, while he does that, he’s also been accused of fighting a ‘nobody’ in Ryan ‘Rhino’ Bourland. However, in his favor, Bourland has an incredible story to tell, one filled with overcoming tribulations.

Having last fought in 2022 against Santario Martin, the North Dakota-based fighter remains in the shadows of the cruiserweight class. While his in-ring story might still be on the runway to take off, his life outside of it, and the means that brought him to the sport remain enthralling.

How did Ryan Bourland get started in boxing?

Born in Vallejo, California, Bourland grew up in a white, working-class neighborhood. He lived in a family of five, with his two other siblings. The fighter spent his formative years surrounded by a diverse neighborhood, with his elementary middle schools being heavily charged with racial politics. In an old interview with The Inside Ropes, he noted, ” “The white kids and the Black kids fought all the time over nothing.”

Was he a part of that crowd? Well, it’s a complicated answer. As Diane Ketelle puts it, he was a ‘lovable bully’ who fought against those who picked on vulnerable students on campus. He explained, “I don’t like to see people who are vulnerable being made fun of – it really gets to me.” When he got into these ruffles, he’d dominate them. That marked his belief in his strength. However, he also realized that he deeply suffered from anger issues.

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“Look, I also just got into a lot of fights.” These issues were also realized by his parents in his middle school. They doubled down on a special youth boxing program, that the fighter was fond of. However, that too, did not help him alleviate his anger. As middle school ended, his age to remain in the program also elapsed. His parents divorced, and he started getting into more fights. “The divorce got me all torn up,” he said.

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From the ashes

Things worsened. “I did a lot of stupid stuff,” he noted, transitioning into scuffles with the law. Having been in juvenile hall fifteen times before it, the young Bourland was locked up in the California Youth Authority from age seventeen to eighteen. The details of these offenses are unknown, but once he was released from the center, he was arrested yet again.

Twice, actually for DUIs, and the court sent him to a rehabilitation program for alcoholism. During that program, a counselor suggested he begin training at a nearby boxing gym, relieving him early in the evenings to facilitate the process. “I had gained a lot of weight – I was about 250 pounds…at the gym, I started losing weight, getting strong, and taking control of my life.” Boxing helped him phase out the unfavorable company he spent his days with.

He explained, “The gym got me away from people I knew I should not hang out with.” He started seeing the results of his work in the way his body began to look and he liked the changes. “I started feeling a lot better about myself,” he recalled. That was how Ryan Bourland made his way out and into boxing.

What do you think of his story? Let us know in the comments section below.

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