Jake Paul has no opponent for his next boxing match, and former world champion Andy Lee has suggested that he could have one in Sonny Bill Williams.
The former New Zealand All Blacks rugby star, who played in both the league and union disciplines of the sport, returned to the ring last week with a vicious knockout of Australian Rules football player Barry Hall. And his trainer Lee took to social media after the result to propose a bout between Williams, 9-0 as a professional, and Paul who is 5-0.
Williams is one of the greatest athletes in the world, and has won the rugby union world cup on two occasions as well as defeating former heavyweight world champion Frans Botha to win the WBA international title in his boxing career.
Meanwhile, Paul is still very much a raw novice, although he clearly has power behind his punches as he has put away the four opponents he has faced. Responding to a DAZN boxing tweet that was reposting Paul's intention to move to 6-0 this summer, Lee said "Future fight Sonny Bill Williams vs Jake Paul ".
Here, we've taken a look at the profiles of the two fighters ahead of a prospective clash...
Jake Paul
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul began his career in 2018 when he took up a challenge from British social media star Deji for a white collar bout in Manchester. He handily defeated the Watford native, and fell in love with the sport in the process.
His brother Logan fought in the main event of that card against Deji's brother KSI, landing a draw on the night and forcing a rematch the following year. For that fight, the pair had to get professional licences, which inspired Jake to do the same months later.
After the success of KSI vs Logan Paul 2 on DAZN, the broadcaster were clamouring to get YouTubers back in the ring, and Jake Paul obliged with a Miami showdown against AnEsonGib. He took care of 'Gib' within a round, and moved on to basketball star Nate Robinson, who he demolished within two in one of the most vicious knockouts of 2020.
He then began taking on MMA fighters in the boxing ring, calling out fighters all the way from Bellator's Dillon Danis to former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Ultimately, he ended up facing ex-ONE FC and Bellator champion Ben Askren, knocking him out within a round before moving to ex-UFC titleist Tyron Woodley.
He fought Woodley twice, winning a split decision before a hastily arranged rematch when Tommy Fury pulled out of a planned fight. The second time, Paul viciously knocked the former champion out in the seventh round.
Paul is 6'1" with a 76" reach, and his career-highest weigh-in was just under 192lb for his debut against AnEsonGib in January of 2020. His record is 5-0 with 4KOs, and he is coached by former world cruiserweight title contender BJ Flores.
Sonny Bill Williams
Rugby star Williams was a champion at the highest level in both codes, and juggled that with an impressive professional boxing career. He made his debut in 2009, two years before his first World Cup win in rugby union.
He has had a stop-start career in the ring, often having to forgo his gloves for the various rugby teams that he decides to dedicate his time to for the majority of his endeavours. He made his debut in 2009, but has had to take breaks for as long as six years on his way to less than a double-digit amount of fights.
Williams first defeated debutant Gary Gurr on May 27, 2009 with a second round TKO, before returning the following summer to beat Ryan Hogan in his second fight by a first round TKO.
He fought twice the following year, and took on sterner competition in solid journeymen Scott Lewis and Alipate Liava'a, both of whom took him the six round distance where he won an unanimous decision. Next up was Clarence Tillman for the New Zeland heavyweight title, which he won with a first round knockout.
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Within five fights, Williams had beaten a veteran with double-digit wins and a positive record, but he faced his toughest career test next in former heavyweight world champion Frans Botha. The South African was stripped of his IBF belt in 1995, but had been in the ring with the likes of Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer and Evander Holyfield.
Williams was dragged into deep waters and almost stopped by the former world champion, but managed to hold on and win the WBA international heavyweight title. He was stripped of that belt due to his commitments to rugby, but fought once more before the world cup against the monstrous 302lb Chauncy Welliver, taking another decision.
He returned to the ring last year after six years out to beat journeyman Waikato Falefehi before his brutal stoppage of Hall last week.
The main problem for this fight would be Williams' size. He last weighed in over 240lb, or almost 50lb heavier than Paul's last fight, and has at his leanest only ever weighed in the region of 229lb.
He is only two inches taller than Paul at 6'3", but that size difference is substantial. His record is 9-0 with 4KOs
