$250 million—that’s how much Jake Paul has collected after putting up PPV fights for almost 3 years. But after earning the PPV king crown, he is ready to relinquish it. The American boxer wants a life away from money and solely focuses on his dream of becoming a world champion one day. However, his decision to take the non-PPV route against Andre August this Saturday, December 15, indicates business as usual.

‘The Problem Child’ took the fans by surprise when he announced his fight with August. More surprising is the decision to stream it free for DAZN subscribers when they clash at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando. Fighting an unknown boxer with an impressive record of 10-1-1 poses a greater risk. Not only can the YouTuber lose his commercial repute, but a loss can also dash his title hopes. Calling it his “biggest challenge,” he announced, “Most risk. Little immediate gain. Lots of long-term progress.”

Jake Paul: chasing legacy, not money

“I generated $250 million in pay-per-view revenue. So, that’s cool. But money doesn’t create a legacy,” Jake Paul declared recently. After amassing a professional record of 7-1, he wants to bolster his boxing resume and fight more experienced boxers. More importantly, he wants to shed his influencer boxer tag.

The buzz of influencer boxing revolves around putting on an entertaining event instead of climbing up the boxing world ladder. The outside ring shenanigans overshadow the punches thrown in the square circle. Therefore, fans and purists alike are skeptical of influencers crossing over. Headlining a non-PPV event is the first step towards influencing the purists and ironing Jake Paul’s image as a boxer.

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Moreover, the 26-year-old is still young in his professional career, and collecting a win against August might help him set up better PPV fights next. He is more focused and calculated and doesn’t fear being “break- even”. But how does fighting in a venue that can only hold around 3,000 people fit his vision?

A well-calculated, smart business move

Jake Paul has sold out venues such as the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia and the American Airlines Center in the United States. But given that his opponent is relatively obscure in the boxing community, his PPV pull might have taken a hit. The event most probably would have failed to garner the numbers Paul’s previous fights have done.

Notably, the Cleveland native sold 800,000 PPVs when he went blow-for-blow against Tommy Fury. In his last fight with Nate Diaz, he sold almost 500,000 PPVs. But this time around, he is struggling to sell even the 3000-seater Caribe Royale Resort.

Hence, Paul and his team dodged a bullet by not putting the fight on the PPV. The fight has simply failed to generate buzz. Aaron Bronsteter had reported that almost half of the arena was unsold. If this fight were put on PPV, the takers would have been fewer. But enough to dismantle Paul’s image and caliber to pull the crowd. That’s precisely what his rival, KSI, is throwing a shade at.

A KSI sabotage

KSI tried derailing the Jake Paul hype train as he announced a sparring session with iShowSpeed around the same time Paul would box August. When he realized Paul was yet to sell out the arena, the British YouTuber mocked him and wrote, “Yeah, he ain’t got any hype anymore.”

Read More: Devin Haney Puts Jake Paul Above Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson, and Others Including Himself but Had One Condition to Do So

However, that’s not exactly the case. Paul and his team perceive it as a fight to bridge the gap between traditional and influencer boxing. A win is sure to skyrocket Paul’s stock as a boxer and propel his ambitious boxing career. This fight, PPV or not, will ensure Paul has a better negotiating position when he signs fights with star boxers next.

What do you make of Jake Paul moving away from the PPV model for his fights? Do you believe it will work out in his favor? Let us know in the comments below.

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