Jake Paul was a high school bully. That’s probably not a shock for you to hear. The reality star turned boxer, at least at times, can give off a serious bully energy, but what’s far more interesting is that Paul recognizes that quality in himself. The twenty-four-year-old recently launched a charity called ‘Boxing Bullies’ to help kids channel that aggression into something more productive than picking on others. He also spoke candidly about his own personal regrets and why he changed.
Speaking to Showtime ahead of his fight with Tyron Woodley, the YouTuber revealed his own past picking on other kids and also how much he regrets it. He said he’s learned a lot since getting famous and seeing so many people he thought were friends talking about him. You can check out a portion of Jake Paul’s quote below...
When I was a kid, I was a bully. You think you’re funny or you think that things you say to other people demeaning them makes you feel better. In hindsight, it’s like, ‘Dang, that probably stuck with them for the rest of their lives.’ For that, I’m sorry first and foremost. When I started to get famous, I was getting cyber-bullied across the whole internet. All my ‘friends’ from high school attacking me, calling me names. I was like, ‘Damn, this is hurtful. This is weird. I don’t like this.’ That has stuck with me. It’s always in the back of your head, even if you don’t want it to be.
You don’t need to look hard to find people with negative opinions about Jake Paul, especially around the sport of boxing. The unconventional fighter has rapidly evolved into one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in the entire sport. He knocked out former NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard of the Mike Tyson/ Roy Jones Jr fight. Then he headlined his own event with Ben Askren and reportedly put up huge numbers. Now he’s fighting Tyron Woodley, and if he wins, there are rumors of a possible superfight with Conor McGregor. If that happens, it could break all kinds of records.
You would think this new success would turn Jake Paul into even more of a bully. Certainly it hasn’t stopped him from running his trademark mouth, but there’s something very humbling about boxing. It takes so much work, so much dedication and so much pain. It really seems to have made Paul reflect on his own life and the impact he’s having on the world, especially when it comes to his younger fans.
There’s a responsibility on me to give maybe the kid watching at home through the TV screen the idea or the inspiration to become world champion. Boxing helped and saved my life. The sport can do the same for other kids out there.
It’s never too late to change for the better. When Paul first started fighting, there was a lot of talk about how this was a sideshow and he wasn’t really in it in the same way other boxers are. That has proven to be incorrect. He’s very committed, and it’s nice to see all that commitment has shifted his worldview. You can next catch the social media star in action on August 29th in Cleveland and on Showtime PPV. Expect former MMA champion Tyron Woodley to be his toughest opponent yet.
