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Jake and Logan Paul have officially taken over combat sports

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Logan Paul and fellow wrestler Ricochet were standing on either side of a ladder that was in the ring at WWE Money in the Bank on July 1 at The O2 in London. Another wrestler in the match, LA Knight, knocked the ladder over while both men were still on it.

Paul and Ricochet landed awkwardly on the ring ropes, messing up the planned spot. They were supposed to come down the ladder, sit on the top rope, and then Ricochet was supposed to grab Paul and do a flip with him – a move called the Spanish Fly – on tables set up outside the ring.

The original idea was unsafe enough. What happened was worse.

Neither Paul nor Ricochet were off balance, but Ricochet caught Paul and still managed to spin off the second rope. Paul almost landed headfirst on the table, but luckily managed to tuck his chin in at the last second. Paul had no structural damage to his body, but the landing severely cut his arm and now he has a scar.

“The timing wasn’t right, and that crazy Ricochet decided to make a move anyway,” Paul told ESPN. “It almost became a really unsafe moment. But at the end of the day, that’s what I’m here for, man.

“I’m here to create these great moments.”

It was just another day in the life of the Paul brothers, who went from making viral videos on Vine in 2014 to huge YouTube stars and now pursue lucrative, controversial careers in combat sports.

Logan, 28, went from boxing Floyd Mayweather to creating some of the biggest moments in WWE’s scripted world, including two key matches at WrestleMania.

Jake Paul, 26, has knocked out former UFC boxing champions and is one of the biggest financial attractions in the medium, packing arenas and selling hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view units. What’s more, the younger Paul has become a seasoned businessman, working part-time as a combat sports promoter and marketer. He partnered with advisor Nakisa Bidarian to launch Most Valuable Promotions in 2021.

The 20-year-old siblings first dominated the fighting and mock-fighting landscape on Aug. 5. Logan fought the aforementioned Ricochet at WWE SummerSlam in front of nearly 50,000 fans at Ford Field in Detroit. Jake fought former UFC box office star Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas in one of the best-selling boxing shows of the year.

“Without sounding too arrogant, the story unfolds in real time before your eyes,” Logan said. “Will you choose to tune in and watch? Or hear about it after the fact? It’s never happened before.”

Logan and Ricochet showed off even more athleticism during their match at SummerSlam, and if that wasn’t enough, Logan flew from Detroit to Dallas on a private jet – still in his wrestling gear – to escort Jake to his match with Diaz.

“I’m not changing, I’m not getting a physical, I’m just flying straight to the fucking jet,” Logan said of his SummerSlam plans. “No shower, no nothing. Instant A to B to C. … I’ve never missed a Jake Paul fight and I’m not going to miss a Jake Paul fight. He’s my little brother and I want to support him in the most essential moments of his life.”

On October 14, Logan will be back in action, facing Dillon Danis in a boxing ring (2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV). After that, he says, he’ll be back in WWE, preparing for his next large story.

Many people roll their eyes when the Paul brothers come up. They’ve had their share of controversies. Logan came under fire in 2017 for posting a video of a dead body in a Japanese forest known for suicides on YouTube, for which he later apologized. Jake has had several run-ins with the law, including the FBI, which searched his home as part of an investigation into his alleged involvement in the Arizona mall riots. Those charges were dropped. Both Paul brothers have been charged with cryptocurrency fraud.

The fact that they are polarizing only works to their advantage. Controversy plays well on social media, and both brothers have gained popularity despite alleged shady dealings.

When it comes to combat sports, there’s no denying how talented they are. Both are exceptional athletes who had a history as amateur wrestlers. Logan fought all eight rounds with Mayweather and gained recognition for his incredible skills in WWE. Jake isn’t a championship-level fighter, but he’s 7-1 in just four years as a pro, facing competition that’s much better and more well-known than the typical boxers at his level of experience.

“I keep joking that we’re the fresh Kardashians, but in a lot of ways I really do,” Jake said.

“We’re the Kardashians, but with talent.”

Logan and his business partner and fellow YouTuber KSI (who is in the main event this weekend in a fight with Tommy Fury) have a successful sports drink business in Prime, a major UFC sponsor. Jake’s Betr is a growing sports betting app and pseudo-media outlet with podcasts and other content. Jake is also a partner in MMA promotion PFL and plans to make his MMA debut in the future. Jake has said that his goal is to become a billionaire by the time he turns 30, and that it’s within reach.

“I think we’re just now starting to realize how crazy this is,” Jake said of himself and his brother.

The brothers do a lot of different things, but their greatest talent seems to be understanding the secrets of marketing in the age of social media.

“I think Jake and I are just really good marketers,” Logan said. “We are the product we sell.”

It makes sense that both would venture into combat sports, where promotion is just as essential as skill in the ring or cage to put on a successful event. Jake isn’t the best boxer in the world, but it’s fair to say he’s one of the most watched and best-selling.

Logan made sure to have a front row seat to his brother’s fight with Diaz, catching a flight after his own aerial stunts at SummerSlam. He admitted that the trip to Dallas wasn’t just to support his brother. It’s another chance to create content, another way for the brothers to dominate the viral market during a weekend in the spotlight.

“I think it’s an incredible story and a challenge,” Logan said. “Can I get there in time?

“If we push ourselves, we’ll definitely make it.”

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Boxing

Manny Pacquiao ‘is full of it and is wasting his time,’ says Amir Khan

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Manny Pacquiao vs Amir Khan fight

Amir Khan told World Boxing News he was disappointed with Manny Pacquiao’s performance following their brief meeting in London this weekend.

Speaking to WBN after walking the streets of the English capital ahead of Anthony Joshua’s fight with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, the Bolton man no longer buys what Pacquiao is selling.

In a previous article for WBN, Khan admitted that he believes the Filipino superstar is sincerely interested in fighting him. However, Khan is not cheerful about the lack of action. Pacquiao has yet to make an offer, despite MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons telling WBN that he wants to start talks with Khan about a fight in the UK in December.

With time running out for both former world champions, Khan, 37, wants the 45-year-old boxing legend to take it seriously and make their relationship official.

“You know what, we’ve been in this situation many times and I think Manny talks too much,” Khan told World Boxing News in an exclusive interview. “He talks but he doesn’t do anything.

“Now, whatever I’ve said in my life, I’ve always kept my word. Whether it was Manny Pacquiao and he said, ‘I’m ready to fight you,’ or whether it was [Floyd] The Mayweather fight that I signed a contract for and he didn’t sign his part of the contract and pulled out. He fought [Marcos] Instead, Maidana, the guy I beat. Then, of course, I went and fought Canelo. [in 2016]. I mean I was never afraid and I always fought the biggest names. I was never afraid of anything or anyone.

“But with Manny, you never know if he’s going to be earnest one day, because we’ve been talking about it for so long. Look, if he wants to, it could be in London, it could be in Manchester. Wherever it is, it could be anywhere in the world, really, because we’re both substantial names. We could have a fight, but I just feel like Manny’s wasting everybody’s time. That’s how I see it. He’s wasting his time. He’s getting older too. It’s not like he’s getting any younger. I heard he looked terrible in his last fight.

“So respect where it’s due and respect to the guy. He’s a friend too, and this whole name-dropping thing, I think he’s just talking nonsense, really. I just don’t believe it anymore, so it is what it is,” he added.

Amir Khan Meets Manny Pacquiao In UK – ‘There Was No Offer’

Khan met with Gibbons after a meeting with Pacquiao that WBN said was a business deal. Now the two men must discuss the details of getting the fight done in the UK. Pacquiao must also assure Khan of his intentions.

According to Gibbons, Pacquiao wants to have “one or two more fights” and is open to fighting Khan, Conor Benn and even Kell Brook if the terms are right.

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Nelson Oliva defeated Alfonso Olvera by unanimous decision in Long Beach

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by Francisco Salazar |

Nelson Oliva’s first fight at 154 pounds was a success.

Oliva defeated Alfonso Olvera on Saturday night at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, Calif. The scores were 79-73, 79-73 and 78-74 for Oliva, who improved to 12-0 with 8 knockouts.

Olvera was in form and won the first round, but Oliva was the more effective and right fighter for the rest of the fight. The left-handed Oliva outboxed Olvera from range or from the interior, landing left hooks or counters to the head many times.

Every time the taller Olvera tried to launch an attack, Oliva reversed the momentum back toward him, putting him on the defensive with a two-punch combination. Oliva clearly won the fight, but trainer Henry Ramirez felt Oliva could have fought a more fluid and complete fight.

“(Nelson) was very torpid today, but (he gained) a lot of experience,” Ramirez said after the fight.

In his previous fight on March 30, Oliva, who grew up in Los Angeles, defeated Franyerson Puerta by unanimous decision. On November 4, Oliva scored a one-sided victory over Dario Guerrero-Meneses.

All three of Oliva’s fights over the past year have taken place at Thunder Studios. Oliva has fought under the Thompson Boxing Promotions and CBN Promotions banners since making his professional debut in February 2021.

The 28-year-old is trained by Henry Ramirez.

Olvera, who is from Nogales, Mexico, and currently resides in Tucson, Arizona, is coming off a 13-9-3, 5 KO loss. In his previous fight on May 13 of last year, Olvera knocked out Ousmane Sylla.

Prior to his win over Sylla, the 34-year-old had lost two consecutive fights in an 11-month span to Quinton Randall and Delonte Johnson.

In a clash of undefeated junior featherweights, Hector Lopez defeated Noah Contreras via majority decision. One judge scored the fight 57-57, while the other two judges scored it 60-54 and 58-56 for Lopez, who improved to 6-0, 4 KOs.

After two solid exchanges in the first two rounds, Lopez began to take control of the ring, outboxing Contreras in the middle rounds. Contreras switched to a left-handed style, which played to Lopez’s advantage, stunning Contreras on several occasions.

Even from a distance, Lopez landed the more effective combinations as Contreras landed the punches in the final two rounds.

Contreras, who lives in Fort Mohave, Arizona, is coming off a 9-1, 4 KO loss.

In the junior flyweight bout, amateur standout Terry Washington of San Bernardino made his pro debut by knocking out Ezequiel Robles (1-2) of Tepic, Mexico in the first round.

Halfway through the first round, Robles attempted a two-punch combination that missed. Washington responded with a left-right combination followed by a left hook that knocked Robles down. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. counted Robles out at 1:55.

Washington was recently named the “Most Outstanding Boxer” at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

In lightweight action, Eric Mondragon improved to 11-1, 4 KOs by defeating veteran Jose Valenzuela (3-16-1, 2 KOs) of Puebla, Mexico, by unanimous decision. The scores were 59-55, 59-55, and 58-56 for Mondragon, who lives in nearby Maywood.

Middleweight contender Blazen Rocili won by second-round knockout after Selim Martinez (6-8, 2 KOs) of Matamoros, Mexico, opted not to continue. Rocili, who hails from Waipahu, Hawaii, and currently trains in Las Vegas, improved to 7-0, 6 KOs.

In the first fight of the CBN Promotions card, featherweight Kenario Davidson stopped Gurjant Singh (2-1, 1 KO) of India in the third round to earn a decision victory. The scores were 38-37, 38-37, and 39-36 for Davidson, who was making his pro debut.

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Anthony Joshua is expected to exercise his rematch clause in his fight with Daniel Dubois

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Anthony Joshua suffered the fourth defeat of his 11-year career on Saturday night in a British showdown at Wembley Stadium in London, with Joshua knocked down four times and knocked out in the fifth round.

However, if history is any indication, Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) will be looking to rematch IBF heavyweight titleholder Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) in hopes of getting revenge. especially since he has already put an end to any talk of retirement.

After suffering his first career loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019, Joshua exacted revenge on Ruiz in December 2019 with a crushing unanimous decision victory. After a unanimous decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua was given another chance against the Ukrainian in 2022 but lost via split decision.

Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, the 35-year-old Joshua’s promoter, suggested AJ would be keen to fight Dubois again despite the one-sided defeat.

“I think so [Joshua] “He’s going to need some rest, and it’s a risky fight. This guy is gaining confidence all the time.

“He’ll believe he can hurt Dubois. He’ll believe he can beat him. But full credit to Daniel Dubois. He deserves all the credit. It was a great performance.

“We have another fight with Riyadh in the season and Alalshikh Türkiye, [chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia], Daniel Dubois is part of that plan, but it could just as easily be Tyson Fury or another heavyweight.

“I think 2025 is going to be an captivating year for Anthony Joshua, either way, but he’s definitely going to come back and whether he’s fighting Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury or whoever, you’re going to have a good time.”

Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua was knocked down in rounds one, three, four and five and never recovered from his first-round assault.

“That was the first round. Then he fought with heart and desire,” Hearn said. “I’m so proud because he never gave up. His legs were cheating him, but he kept trying.

“When you’re in there with a huge puncher, that’s what can happen. He never stopped trying to get up, even when he couldn’t get up at the end.

“Daniel deserves recognition, he is a true world champion. Congratulations to him.”

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