Jake Paul will fight veteran Ryan Bourland on March 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the co-main event headlined by an undisputed title fight between featherweight champion Amanda Serrano against Nina Meinke. The bout will steam as part of the subscription package on DAZN.
The match against the 35-year-old Bourland, who is 17-2 with six KOs, will be Paul's second consecutive bout against a professional boxer. Paul knocked Andre August out in the first round of a Dec. 15 bout in Orlando, Fla. The Paul-Bourland bout will be an eight-round cruiserweight bout.
While it likely won't get the media attention that Paul's bouts against ex-MMA fighters do, it's an important step in his development. Paul's stated goal is to win a professional boxing world title and the best way to prepare to do that is to fight boxers.
While Bourland is certainly no title contender -- His opponent had one win or less in six of his 19 pro bouts and had a losing record in 12 of them -- he's a boxer who has experience and who was successful in the amateurs. He is a former Golden Gloves champion.
"Jake Paul steps into the ring with his social media clout, but let's not mistake followers for experience or skill,” Bourland said. “While he's been busy chasing likes, I've been honing my craft for years, stepping into the ring and beating real boxers. On Saturday, March 2 I will shock the world and put an end to Jake Paul's boxing career."
It's unlikely Bourland is going to be able to live up to those big words. He's not a big puncher and given his level of opposition, he's not all that much advanced on Paul.
But Paul, who is 8-1 with 5 KOs, has shown signs of having the talent to compete at the higher levels of pro boxing. He's certainly nowhere near where he needs to be, but he's fighting regularly and by now taking on boxers instead of YouTubers, NBA players or MMA fighters, he's giving himself a chance to develop his skills more fully.
“I’ve always said my goal is to become a world champion," Paul said. "I beat a pro boxer in December in the first round, someone who’s been boxing their entire life, and what did I do next? I went straight back to camp to get ready to face my next opponent, a professional boxer who has twice as many professional fights under his belt than I do. It’s a new year, it’s an even better me, and I’m facing an even more experienced, seasoned boxer ... I’m fighting for experience, not for the money. To show my love for this beautiful island, I’ll be donating my entire fight purse from this event to my nonprofit Boxing Bullies to help renovate gyms across Puerto Rico.”