How taking 6x pay cut in 2020 led to potential $40 million payday for Jake Paul
Jake Paul is undeniably among the biggest disruptors in the boxing world and is considered one of the biggest names in the sport today. Known for being a risk-taker, it's no surprise that he took a massive pay cut in his sophomore fight to better his chances at future success.
Paul made his professional boxing debut against AnEnsonGib in January 2020 and won the bout via first-round knockout. While he took home a hefty paycheck for his efforts, Paul's advisor and former UFC CFO Nakisa Bidarian convinced him to take a massive pay cut for his second fight against NBA icon Nate Robinson later that year.
He was paid only $1 million, a sixth of what he made in his professional debut. Paul fought Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition bout in November 2020 and beat the former NBA player via second-round knockout.
The pay cut gamble appeared to have paid off, with Paul now in the spotlight among the younger fans. During a recent interview with Hollywood Reporter, Bidarian explained the thought process behind Paul taking a pay cut:
"I saw a unique opportunity to create a direct-to-consumer relationship within fight sports... I said, ‘Listen, this is what makes sense for this event, but I promise you, if you perform well, your next payday will be at least eight figures.' We turned that into an over $10 million guarantee for his next fight [vs. Ben Askren]."
He continued:
"Jake’s and my focus has been generating interest in Gen Z and Gen Alpha in the sport of boxing... If you ask a lot of kids, age 6 to 16, who’s the best boxer in the world, their answer is Jake Paul."
Paul will now face 'Iron Mike' on Nov.15 in a fight that will be broadcast on Netflix, and the former Disney star could take home $40 million for his efforts thanks to his gamble.
Joe Rogan talks about the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match
Joe Rogan recently shared his thoughts on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and it's safe to say he's not very keen to watch it go down. Considering that 'Iron Mike' turned 58 earlier this year, the UFC commentator expressed his dismay at potentially having to watch the boxing legend get knocked out.
During an episode of the JRE MMA Show (#163), he questioned why the fight was even taking place and said:
"I really hope he [Paul] doesn't knock Mike Tyson out. I'll just be really bummed out to see Mike get KO'd at 58 years old... What other sport where we let a 58-year-old man compete other than golf? Why are we letting this happen?"
Catch Joe Rogan's comments below (1:04):