Jake Paul reflects on his boxing career in emotional reaction to winning Breakout Boxer of the Year

Jake Paul has given his thoughts on being named Sports Illustrated's Breakout Boxer of the Year.

It's been a pretty wild ride for Jake Paul up to this point in his career, from the Disney Channel to YouTube to boxing on the world stage. 'The Problem Child' has had to face more than a few critics along the way. Despite that, he's managed to maintain a strong level of interest in just about everything he does.

The sport of boxing continues to be fairly split in regards to the pros and cons of Jake Paul being part of their universe. However, after SI named him their Breakout Boxer of the Year, Paul decided to drop the act for a moment and let everyone know how he feels about the journey he's on:

“Today I’m overwhelmed with many emotions and a deep feeling of gratitude. Less than 2 years ago I made my professional debut after having 1 amateur fight that lasted 5 rounds and now today, I won Sports Illustrated Breakout Boxer of the Year. Wow. I got into boxing because I needed a new calling in life and in the process I fell in love with this amazing sport and decided to dedicate my entire life to it. I saw a ton of room for innovation and had a vision of being able to change this sport forever. People laughed in my face and talked s*** in every gym I went to. They told me I couldn’t become a real boxer because I was a “YouTuber” and that nobody would take me seriously. I laughed right back."

Paul went on to talk about how important it is for him to swing the door open for other boxers to receive the same kind of mainstream attention.

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Who has Jake Paul beaten so far?

It's been a successful 5-0 start to pro boxing for Jake Paul. However, all of his wins have come against individuals who aren't necessarily known for their boxing prowess.

After defeating KSI's younger brother in an amateur bout to kickstart proceedings, Paul went on to beat fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib in an exciting fight down in Miami. Ten months later, he took his frustration out on former NBA star Nate Robinson with a vicious knockout - before doing the same to Ben Askren in April 2021.

A split decision win over Tyron Woodley left a slightly sour taste in fans' mouths, but he soon put that right in a short notice rematch that ended in arguably his most impressive knockout win yet.