It’s easy to hate Jake Paul, whether it be for his early days posting cringeworthy troll vines, his questionable YouTube content, his sexual assault allegations from two different women, his toxic fanbase, his general “I’m better than you because I have lots of money,” attitude, or…. All Of The Above.
Above all else, Paul is someone who thrives on negative press. He doesn’t care what you or I think of him. He just wants his name in our brains and mouths, and, yes, I know I’m doing exactly what he wants by writing this. However, despite all the hate, public criticism, and well-deserved middle fingers from the world of boxing thrown his way, Paul is able to flip it on its head and make it work for him. That’s something everyone can learn from.
Life if full of missed opportunities. I should’ve invested in BitCoin back in 2010. I should’ve asked out my cute neighbor before she moved out. Paul laughs in the face of failures like those, screaming “Carpe Diem,” “YOLO,” or that Wayne Gretzky quote about missing 100 percent of the shots you never take. With every action Paul takes, and because of them, he’s been able to reach heights most people wouldn’t dream of. Paul also doesn’t linger on his failures. Remember when he threw everything and the kitchen sink at Conor McGregor to try to stir up some beef, going as far as calling McGregor’s wife ugly and mocking his choice of opponents? McGregor basically responded with two middle fingers and a cloud of dust, not ever giving Paul oxygen. So, what did Paul do right after? He moved on to other big names, earning a fight with former UFC welterweight champion Ben Askren.
Paul is a master at making the most of every opportunity. In terms of marketability, Paul is always two steps ahead of everyone else. He’s like Garry Kasparov, just douchey, wearing shirts two sizes too small and picking fights with people a decade past their primes. Most recently, Paul had an up-close and personal encounter with Floyd Mayweather at a press conference for his brother Logan Paul’s fight against the undefeated, now-retired, champion. At an event that wasn’t about him, Jake Paul had a plan to get some coverage of his own. Paul posted a TikTok where, prior to the encounter, he promised his fans that he would take Mayweather’s hat. Moments later, Jake shouted “Gotcha hat!” and snatched it right off Mayweather’s head. Jake promptly ran away like a little punk, earning a black eye courtesy of one of Mayweather’s bodyguards in the process, and in a separate video showing Mayweather trying to confront Jake Paul after the fact, you can see Jake’s shirt nearly rip in half as he tries to run away a second time. This is the definition of “Making everything about you.” Jake Paul can’t even let his own brother have the limelight at his own event.
Yet, while everyone else was playing Chutes and Ladders, Jake Paul was out here playing 4D Chess. Less than 45 minutes after the video went public, Jake Paul’s website was filled with T-shirts and other merchandise reading “Gotcha hat!” Paul has this planned out for who knows how long. He was ready with his finger on the trigger, ready to pull it as soon as what he wanted to happen went down. Paul made his own future. He didn’t let the fickle mistress of fate decide it for him.
Jake Paul is someone that everyone loves to hate. I, just like everyone else, would love nothing more than to see his ass whooped on national TV after he talks himself up for 5 months leading up to the fight. That hasn’t happened yet though, and until it does, Paul will continue to push buttons, make snide remarks, draw more criticism, and make tons of money doing so. I can’t stand this guy, but he plays “the fame game” better than anyone in recent memory. Hopefully, Mayweather beats his brother’s ass, then turns around and beats Jake’s ass twice as bad. That way we never have to hear about the Paul family again, or at the very least, they’ll gain the slightest ounce of humility.