Jake Paul, a prominent figure in crossover boxing, gained recognition through his controversial and outspoken lifestyle. After gaining fame as a Disney star, Paul successfully transitioned into an influencer on the now-defunct Vine platform, ultimately achieving worldwide fame as a YouTuber.
Despite initially being disliked in the combat sports world, Paul has managed to shift public opinion in his favor, particularly with his stance on matters related to combat sports and boxing. However, he has also encountered legal troubles in the past.
FBI once retrieves guns from Jake Paul’s residence
Jake Paul participated in a protest in Arizona concerning the murder of George Floyd, a victim of racial profiling by law enforcement. Paul, 23 at the time, had to face legal repercussions as the protests in Arizona turned into looting. The FBI raided Paul’s residence in Los Angeles and retrieved guns; BBC broke the news after they obtained aerial footage of the incident.
Paul was not in his residence at the time of the raid and the officials were unable to comment about the case as the judge presiding the case has sealed it. Paul was arrested by law enforcement in Arizona for the protest for criminal trespass and unlawful assembly. Nonetheless, Paul publicly announced his innocence as he stated that he was in Arizona only to meet the protestors.
FBI swat team seizes guns at home of YouTube star Jake Paul https://t.co/ejvLzCle0D pic.twitter.com/SHMxbzYhGr
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 5, 2020
Even before the FBI raid, Paul had other troubles with the law as he hosted a day-long party in his home in Calabasas. It was during the COVID-19 mandate era and the revelers in Paul’s party were seen to be not following social distancing protocols or mask mandates.
The Problem Child has changed his ways since those incidents and is now fully focused on becoming a champion in boxing. As part of his plan, he has signed a deal with USA Boxing and has already defeated Andre August, an accomplished amateur boxer.
When Jake Paul urged youth to replace guns with boxing gloves
The United States of America is a free country and citizens have the right to hold and use firearms for self-defense. However, there have been instances of gun violence in the country which even includes mass shootings even at school compounds. On one such violent incident, Jake Paul had his take on the matter.
“To all the youth…put down the guns and pick up some boxing gloves to settle your differences. Violence is not the answer,” tweeted Jake Paul in 2022, possibly concerning the shooting in East St. Louis when 2 people were dead and 3 injured in a shooting that happened when a fight broke out.
To all the youth…put down the guns and pick up some boxing gloves to settle your differences. Violence is not the answer.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 1, 2022
Paul’s comments about solving disputes with boxing gloves were met with both negative and positive remarks. On one hand, netizens on social media found it to be a good solution but others found boxing to be something equivalent to violence.
Paul’s upcoming bout is against Ryan Bourland, a professional boxer who once quit the sport to work in the mines. The fight is scheduled to be the co-main of the PPV headlined by Amanda Serrano and Nina Meinke on March 2nd, 2024.
Do you think Jake Paul’s past comments deserve scrutiny in the present? Leave your thoughts below.
