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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Workers Author
Logan Paul and fellow wrestler Ricochet had been on both aspect of a ladder, which was standing within the ring at WWE’s Cash within the Financial institution on July 1 at The O2 in London. One other wrestler within the match, LA Knight, pushed the ladder over with each males nonetheless on it.
Paul and Ricochet awkwardly landed on the ring ropes, messing up a deliberate spot. They had been supposed to come back off the ladder, choose the highest rope after which Ricochet would seize Paul and do a flip with him — a transfer referred to as Spanish Fly — onto tables arrange outdoors the ring.
The unique concept was harmful sufficient. What ended up occurring was worse.
Neither Paul nor Ricochet had their stability, however Ricochet latched on to Paul and flipped off the second rope anyway. Paul almost landed on a desk on his head however fortunately managed to tuck his chin on the final second. Paul had no structural injury to his physique, however the touchdown reduce up his shoulder badly, and now he has a scar there.
“We didn’t time it appropriately and this maniac Ricochet determined to nonetheless ship the transfer,” Paul advised ESPN. “It virtually turned a extremely harmful second. However, on the finish of the day, that is what I am right here to do, man.
“I am right here to placed on these huge moments.”
It was simply one other day within the lifetime of the Paul brothers, the Technology Zers who began making viral movies on Vine in 2014, turned huge stars on YouTube and have now transitioned into profitable, polarizing careers in fight sports activities.
Logan, 28, has gone from boxing Floyd Mayweather to now turning into a highlight-creating machine within the scripted world of WWE, together with two main matches at WrestleMania.
Jake Paul, 26, has knocked out former UFC champions in boxing and is without doubt one of the greatest monetary attracts in that medium, filling arenas and promoting a whole lot of 1000’s of pay-per-view items. Furthermore, the youthful Paul has turn into a savvy businessman, serving as a part-time promoter and marketer inside fight sports activities, partnering along with his advisor Nakisa Bidarian to discovered Most Worthwhile Promotions in 2021.
On Saturday, the 20-something siblings will personal the panorama of combating and simulated combating for the primary time. Logan will wrestle the aforementioned Ricochet at WWE SummerSlam in entrance of almost 50,000 individuals at Ford Discipline in Detroit. Jake will battle former UFC box-office star Nate Diaz at American Airways Middle in Dallas, in what might be one of many best-selling boxing reveals of the 12 months.
“With out sounding too conceited, historical past is unfolding in actual time earlier than your eyes,” Logan mentioned. “Are you going to decide on to tune in and watch? Or hear about it after the very fact? This has by no means occurred earlier than.”
Logan and Ricochet will try to drag off much more athletic feats. And if that wasn’t sufficient, Logan will then try and fly from Detroit to Dallas on a personal jet — nonetheless in his wrestling gear — to stroll out Jake for the battle with Diaz. Logan mentioned he’ll get a police escort on his technique to American Airways Middle and, after performing some planning, he believes he could make it to the sector with about 10 to fifteen minutes to spare. SummerSlam is scheduled to start out at 7 p.m. CT, the identical because the Jake vs. Diaz primary card. Logan has requested that his match goes on first.
“I am not altering, I am not getting a medical verify, I am going proper to the f—ing jet,” Logan mentioned. “No bathe, no nothing. Quick from A to B to C. … I’ve by no means missed a Jake Paul battle, and I do not plan on lacking a Jake Paul battle. He is my little brother, and I wish to help him within the greatest moments of his life.”
Many individuals roll their eyes when the topic of the Paul brothers comes up. They’ve had their justifiable share of controversies. Logan got here beneath hearth in 2017 for posting a video on YouTube of a corpse in a Japanese forest recognized for suicides, for which he has since apologized. Jake has run afoul of the legislation a number of instances, together with the FBI raiding his dwelling as a part of an investigation into his alleged involvement in a riot at an Arizona mall. These prices had been dismissed. Each Paul brothers have been accused of perpetrating cryptocurrency scams.
How polarizing they’re has solely labored of their favor. Controversy performs effectively on social media, and each brothers have grown in recognition regardless of the alleged sketchy dealings.
With regards to fight sports activities, it is simple how gifted they’re. Each are distinctive athletes who had backgrounds as beginner wrestlers. Logan went all eight rounds with Mayweather and has drawn popularity of his uncanny skill in WWE. Jake is not a championship-level fighter, however he’s 6-1 in simply 4 years as a professional, dealing with competitors vastly higher and extra high-profile than typical boxers of his expertise degree.
“I simply carry on making the joke that we’re the brand new Kardashians, which I sort of truly assume we’re in some ways,” Jake mentioned.
“We are the Kardashians, however with expertise.”
Logan and his enterprise accomplice and fellow YouTuber KSI have a profitable sports activities drink enterprise in Prime, which is a primary sponsor of the UFC. Jake’s Betr is a rising sports activities betting app and a pseudo-media outlet with podcasts and different content material. Jake can also be a accomplice in MMA promotion PFL and plans on making his MMA debut sooner or later. Jake mentioned his purpose is to be a billionaire earlier than age 30, and that it is inside attain.
“I feel we’re now simply beginning to understand, ‘Rattling, that is loopy,'” Jake mentioned of him and his brother.
The brothers have their palms in many alternative issues, however their best skill appears to be understanding the ins and outs of selling on this social media age.
“I feel me and Jake are simply actually good entrepreneurs,” Logan mentioned. “We simply additionally occur to be the product that we’re advertising and marketing.”
It is sensible that each have ventured into fight sports activities, the place promotion is equally as essential as talent within the ring or cage to placed on a profitable occasion. Jake is not one of the best boxer on this planet, however he is arguably one of the vital watched and bestselling.
Logan will be sure that he has a front-row seat to his brother’s battle Saturday, catching a flight after his personal aerial acrobatics in WWE. He acknowledged that the journey to Dallas is not solely about supporting his brother. It is one other probability to create content material, one other approach for the brothers to nook the market on virality throughout a weekend once they would be the focus.
“I feel it is an incredible story and a problem,” Logan mentioned. “Like, can I get there in time?
“If we push it, we completely can.”
