Al Bello/Getty ImagesJake Paul picked up yet another win in the boxing ring with a first-round knockout win over Ryan Bourland at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in Suan Juan, Puerto Rico.
It was clear from the outset that the social media influencer was the much more skilled and talented fighter. He was aggressive with body shots early in the opening round and didn't hesitate to finish the fight when he got the opportunity to end the bout.
DAZN Boxing @DAZNBoxingROUND 1 KO FOR <a href="https://twitter.com/jakepaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jakepaul</a> 🥊💥<br><br>Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerranoMeinke?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerranoMeinke</a> LIVE on DAZN <a href="https://t.co/dotlHSVf6t">pic.twitter.com/dotlHSVf6t</a>
Paul took the opportunity to take aim at Canelo Alvarez in his post-fight interview:
Michael Benson @MichaelBensonnJake Paul calls out Canelo Alvarez after knocking out Ryan Bourland: "Canelo, stop ducking, I know you want it. I'm repping Puerto Rico, you're repping Mexico, so it's Mexico vs Puerto Rico. I want Canelo. I'm the face of this sport. Who's doing more for boxing than me?"
Afterward, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated had an interesting suggestion for Paul's next bout: Former champion Sergio Mora, who seemed to be down with the idea:
Sergio Mora 🐍 @TheLatinSnake_<a href="https://t.co/N0eAevMC8p">https://t.co/N0eAevMC8p</a> <a href="https://t.co/DVyLOGH7mi">pic.twitter.com/DVyLOGH7mi</a>
Paul continues to work toward building himself into a legitimate boxer. The social media titan might have started off as a sideshow but has shifted to fighting lesser-known fighters with actual boxing backgrounds lately.
The 27-year-old defeated boxer Andre August with a first-round knockout in December. Now he's won three fights in a row since Tommy Fury handed him his first loss in boxing.
Since that loss, Paul has not backed away from a consistent message that he wants to become a world champion one day. In his mind, taking on experienced boxers is a step toward that goal.
"I want to put on tough fights and I need to get experience on my path to world champion and he's got 19 fights," Paul said before the fight, per Josh Peter of USA Today. "He's a very accomplished and experienced veteran in the sport, so I need to challenge myself."
Bourland did have a lot more rounds under his belt than the average Paul opponent. He came into the bout with a 17-2 record that included just six knockouts. Several of those wins came against fighters with losing records on the regional scene.
In fairness, those are the kind of opponents that you would typically see for a fighter who is coming up through a more traditional path in the world of boxing. But Paul's journey to get to this point is anything but traditional.
The YouTube star has wins over former UFC fighters, an NBA Dunk Contest Champion and a fellow YouTuber.
As he continues to show skill it will be interesting to see if he sticks with the long game or goes back to fighting more well-known celebrity opponents.
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