Marc RaimondiESPN Staff Writer6 Minute Read
Logan Paul and fellow wrestler Ricochet were on either side of a ladder, which was standing in the ring at WWE's Money in the Bank on July 1 at The O2 in London. Another wrestler in the match, LA Knight, pushed the ladder over with both men still on it.
Paul and Ricochet awkwardly landed on the ring ropes, messing up a planned spot. They were supposed to come off the ladder, settle on the top rope and then Ricochet would grab Paul and do a flip with him -- a move called Spanish Fly -- onto tables set up outside the ring.
The original idea was dangerous enough. What ended up happening was worse.
Neither Paul nor Ricochet had their balance, but Ricochet latched on to Paul and flipped off the second rope anyway. Paul nearly landed on a table on his head but luckily managed to tuck his chin at the last second. Paul had no structural damage to his body, but the landing cut up his shoulder badly, and now he has a scar there.
"We did not time it correctly and this maniac Ricochet decided to still send the move," Paul told ESPN. "It almost became a really dangerous moment. But, at the end of the day, that's what I'm here to do, man.
"I'm here to put on those big moments."
It was just another day in the life of the Paul brothers, the Generation Zers who started making viral videos on Vine in 2014, became massive stars on YouTube and have now transitioned into lucrative, polarizing careers in combat sports.
Logan, 28, has gone from boxing Floyd Mayweather to now becoming a highlight-creating machine in the scripted world of WWE, including two major matches at WrestleMania.
Jake Paul, 26, has knocked out former UFC champions in boxing and is one of the biggest financial draws in that medium, filling arenas and selling hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view units. Moreover, the younger Paul has become a savvy businessman, serving as a part-time promoter and marketer within combat sports, partnering with his advisor Nakisa Bidarian to found Most Valuable Promotions in 2021.
On Saturday, the 20-something siblings will own the landscape of fighting and simulated fighting for the first time. Logan will wrestle the aforementioned Ricochet at WWE SummerSlam in front of nearly 50,000 people at Ford Field in Detroit. Jake will fight former UFC box-office star Nate Diaz at American Airlines Center in Dallas, in what will be one of the best-selling boxing shows of the year.
"Without sounding too arrogant, history is unfolding in real time before your eyes," Logan said. "Are you going to choose to tune in and watch? Or hear about it after the fact? This has never happened before."
Logan and Ricochet will attempt to pull off even more athletic feats. And if that wasn't enough, Logan will then attempt to fly from Detroit to Dallas on a private jet -- still in his wrestling gear -- to walk out Jake for the fight with Diaz. Logan said he'll get a police escort on his way to American Airlines Center and, after doing some planning, he believes he can make it to the arena with about 10 to 15 minutes to spare. SummerSlam is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CT, the same as the Jake vs. Diaz main card. Logan has requested that his match goes on first.
"I'm not changing, I'm not getting a medical check, I'm going right to the f---ing jet," Logan said. "No shower, no nothing. Immediate from A to B to C. ... I've never missed a Jake Paul fight, and I don't plan on missing a Jake Paul fight. He's my little brother, and I want to support him in the biggest moments of his life."
Many people roll their eyes when the subject of the Paul brothers comes up. They've had their fair share of controversies. Logan came under fire in 2017 for posting a video on YouTube of a corpse in a Japanese forest known for suicides, for which he has since apologized. Jake has run afoul of the law several times, including the FBI raiding his home as part of an investigation into his alleged involvement in a riot at an Arizona mall. Those charges were dismissed. Both Paul brothers have been accused of perpetrating cryptocurrency scams.
How polarizing they are has only worked in their favor. Controversy plays well on social media, and both brothers have grown in popularity despite the alleged sketchy dealings.
When it comes to combat sports, it's undeniable how talented they are. Both are exceptional athletes who had backgrounds as amateur wrestlers. Logan went all eight rounds with Mayweather and has drawn acclaim for his uncanny ability in WWE. Jake isn't a championship-level fighter, but he is 6-1 in just four years as a pro, facing competition vastly better and more high-profile than typical boxers of his experience level.
"I just keep on making the joke that we're the new Kardashians, which I kind of actually think we are in many ways," Jake said.
"We're the Kardashians, but with talent."
Logan and his business partner and fellow YouTuber KSI have a successful sports drink business in Prime, which is a main sponsor of the UFC. Jake's Betr is a growing sports betting app and a pseudo-media outlet with podcasts and other content. Jake is also a partner in MMA promotion PFL and plans on making his MMA debut in the future. Jake said his goal is to be a billionaire before age 30, and that it's within reach.
"I think we're now just starting to realize, 'Damn, this is crazy,'" Jake said of him and his brother.
The brothers have their hands in many different things, but their greatest ability seems to be understanding the ins and outs of marketing in this social media age.
"I think me and Jake are just really good marketers," Logan said. "We just also happen to be the product that we're marketing."
It makes sense that both have ventured into combat sports, where promotion is equally as important as skill in the ring or cage to put on a successful event. Jake isn't the best boxer in the world, but he's arguably one of the most watched and bestselling.
Logan will make sure he has a front-row seat to his brother's fight Saturday, catching a flight after his own aerial acrobatics in WWE. He acknowledged that the trip to Dallas isn't only about supporting his brother. It's another chance to create content, another way for the brothers to corner the market on virality during a weekend when they will be the center of attention.
"I think it's an amazing story and a challenge," Logan said. "Like, can I get there in time?
"If we push it, we absolutely can."
0 Comments