‘Sometimes in my speech, there’s like every 100th or 200th word I’ll mess up or like slur, which I didn’t do that before’
Youtuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul says that he’s already experiencing symptoms of boxing’s most notorious long-term after effects, including memory loss and slurred speech.
The boxer, who goes up against fellow fighter Tyron Woodley for a hotly-anticipated rematch later this evening, may have only been active in the sport for a short while and yet it’s already taking a toll on his body.
Before he started his boxing career in 2018, Paul says he had a brain scan to see what his head-health was like before embarking on this often-dangerous career path. However after four intense matches, the controversial star has said that the state of his brain has worsened.
“I got my brain scanned right before I started boxing and the doctor told me there’s lack of blood flow from the concussions I had playing football to certain areas on my brain,” the 24-year-old told American journalist Graham Bensinger during a recent interview.
“One of them I believe is the frontal lobe which is partial for memory and so on. After my first year of boxing I went back and it was worse,” he continued.
“[The doctors] advice is don’t do that sport. That’s all they can advise as a doctor, I think before it was affecting me at a rapid pace because I never took it easy.
While this news is undoubtedly concerning, Paul went on to reveal that he’s already noticing the impact it’s having on his day-to-day life.
“I was always thrown in there with people who were way better than me until I started to slowly get to their level,” he explained. “I notice it in conversations with my girlfriends or friends, not remembering something that I should be able to remember that happened a couple days ago.
“Sometimes in my speech, there’s like every 100th or 200th word I’ll mess up or like slur, which I didn’t do that before.”
Despite these warning signs, Paul is due to return to the ring later this evening to fight Tyron Woodley after his original opponent – Love Island UK star Tommy Fury – pulled out a few weeks back citing health issues.
To make matters worse for Paul’s banged up brain, he’s reportedly offered Woodley an incentive of $500,000 (£375,000) if he can knock him out.
Related links:
- Jake Paul says he wants to go down as a ‘legend’ of boxing
- Jake Paul plans to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov and launch MMA career
- Tyson Fury promises’ swift knockout’ in Dillian Whyte fight
