Jake Paul could face a legitimate test in his next fight.
The YouTuber, who stopped retired basketball player Nate Robinson in November, will fight a professional boxer April 17 on pay-per-view, it was announced in a news release. The opponent and site haven’t been determined.
Paul (2-0 as a pro) has been embraced by some and criticized by others who believe celebrities in boxing makes a mockery of the sport.
“Hate me or love me, you can’t stop me,” Paul said in the release. “April 17, I headline a global PPV event and I am getting my third knockout in a row. I look to prove to the world that I am and I will remain one of the biggest names in this sport.”
Paul recently signed with Fight Club, the promotional company formed by the social networking app Triller and rapper Snoop Dogg.
That team staged the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles. Paul knocked out Robinson in the second round on the undercard.
“Our efforts for the Tyson vs. Jones event proved that Triller is capable of hosting high-quality, culture changing sporting events,” Triller founder Ryan Kavanaugh said.
“Jake Paul was the breakout athlete of the night, and we listened to the more than 30 million fans that have expressed interest in watching him fight again.”
[lawrence-related id=16839,16403,16158,16066,15906,15857]