Jake Paul is fighting Ryan Bourland on March 2 in Puerto Rico.
“The Problem Child” started his professional boxing career by knocking around retired NBA stars and washed-up UFC fighters on pay-per-view (PPV), before transitioning to the DAZN network for a slow and steady climb up the cruiserweight ranks.
Paul (8-1, 5 KOs) hopes to earn himself a title shot by following a more traditional route, which means starting from the bottom and working his way up. The journey began with a knockout win over Andre August late last year and will continue with Bourland in March.
“I’ve always said my goal is to become a world champion,” Paul, 27, said in today’s release. “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.”
So who is Ryan Bourland?
The Californian is a former Golden Gloves champion and previously fought in the National Junior Olympics before transitioning to the pro circuit at the age of 25. “The Rhino” has since compiled a record of 17-2 with six knockouts, capturing the regional light heavyweight GBO title along the way. Despite showing early promise, a battered and broke Bourland retired from boxing in 2018.
To answer the call of North Dakota oil rigs.
“Boxing is not easy,” Bourland told Daily Democrat back in Oct. 2018. “Taking punches isn’t the most fun thing to do and I’ve been doing it for a long time, but I’m not making that much money. I haven’t had health insurance for a while. I’ve done a lot in this sport and it’s just time to get a job and get some benefits. I’ve had cuts in training and there’s actually a doctor that I train and he’d help me out with things. It was always scary because if something serious happened, I might have been in trouble.”
“It’s dangerous and hard work, but boxing is dangerous and is really hard work,” Bourland continued. “After they saw my resume, I got a couple of calls and they told me ‘You are exactly what we are looking for.’ My dad told me, ‘You’re crazy. You know how cold it is up there?’ So I went out and bought a bunch of thermals and stuff like that so hopefully I will be prepared. I got a call about fighting for a belt in Las Vegas, but it’s only for about $10,000. By the time I pay my team and train for two months, it’s not that much.”
Bourland returned to the “sweet science” in Sept. 2022 to score a fifth-round stoppage over Santario Martin, an aging club fighter who’s been knocked out in five of seven losses. At the time of his Paul announcement, the 35 year-old “Rhino” was listed as “inactive” in the official database. No question a Paul payday will return far greater profits than $10,000.
“Jake Paul steps into the ring with his social media clout, but let’s not mistake followers for experience or skill,” Bourland said in today’s release. “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.”
And perhaps an end to Bourland’s oil rig career.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
