Jake Paul knocks out Andre August in 1st with devastating uppercut

Jake Paul wanted to beat a professional boxer, and now he’s done it.

On Friday night at the Caribe Royal Hotel in Orlando, Fla., Paul faced off with professional boxer Andre August and turned in possibly the best performance of his entire career, knocking out August with a devastating uppercut at 2:32 of the very first round.

Unlike most of Paul’s opponents during his nine-fight professional boxing career, August was an actual professional boxer, sporting a 10-1 record heading into Friday night. And yet, August ended up faring worse than all of Paul’s previous opponents, looking tepid and unsure from the very start.

Perhaps that was because Paul looked better than ever, showing improved movement, a commitment to body punching, and improved volume. As the round progressed, Paul fired a clean uppercut that split the guard of August and sent him crashing to the canvas, with no chance of beating the count.

After the fight, Paul said this bout was to silence his critics – and a Christmas gift for all his friends. Then on the topic of what comes next, Paul was a little cagier, saying he has an announcement next week but refused to “give anyone the limelight who doesn’t want to fight me.”

Instead, Paul said he’s simply planning on an active 2024 as he continues to grow in his career.

“More boxing prospects, more experience, more time in the ring, under the bright lights, staying active, and if the money fights want to come, I’ve got smoke for them too,” he told Ariel Helwani afterward. “But right now, I’m focused on being the best in the world and creating one of the greatest sports stories in the history of sports.”

The win moves Paul to 8-1 in his professional record with five knockout victories. It is also his first knockout since stopping Tyron Woodley in their rematch in 2021.