With over 23 million YouTube subscribers and arguably the biggest podcast in the world today, Logan Paul is a bona fide global superstar and a huge acquisition for WWE.
Alongside his brother Jake Paul, the 27-year-old Ohio native has shaken up the promotional world of boxing and has even gone the distance with one of the greatest of all time, Floyd Mayweather, making him a perfect addition to WWE’s entertainment focused product.
Logan Paul has even gained the praise of some of pro wrestling’s harshest critics, including Jim Cornette, who was quick to put over Paul’s natural
athleticism and aesthetic physique.
To fully understand why some feel he has the potential to be a major player for the brand, a quick glance through his history is required.
Who Is Logan Paul?
His entertainment journey began at the age of 10, honing his skills by uploading to his ‘Zoosh’ YouTube channel. Alongside building his online content, the youngster also showed promise as a star athlete, with local media dubbing him the ‘All-Star Linebacker’ for his Westlake High School team in 2012, before qualifying for the Ohio High School Athletic Association 2013 Division I Wrestling Individual Championships.
With a solid foundation in both sports and entertainment, Logan Paul got his first taste of critical mass in 2013, building a sizable online following on the now defunct Vine platform around his popular comedy shorts.
Over the next few years, Paul was able to migrate his following over to the more sustainable platforms of Youtube, Instagram, Twitter and more as well as securing appearances in several mainstream television shows including Law and Order.
Paul furthered his comedy and improvisation specialties at the Legendary Los Angeles based club, ‘The Groundlings’, which is also credited by Chris Jericho as being one of the major contributing factors in his long-standing success.
After attaining many millions of subscribers and ascending to new heights with his YouTube channel, Logan Paul decided to step into the world of prize fighting, but not yet as a WWE Superstar.
In 2018 Paul was challenged to a boxing match by fellow YouTuber KSI. Two bouts with the British-based YouTuber left Paul with one majority draw and one loss. A far cry from the success that Logan is used to. Also, to confuse matters further, his younger brother Jake was experiencing quite the different journey on the undercards, quietly picking up victories and gaining momentum.
With Jake Paul steadily picking up victories and being praised for his power and competence despite his lack of experience, Logan knew that a grand action would be required to keep up with his younger brother.
In December of 2020 it was announced that Logan Paul would be squaring off in an exhibition boxing match against arguably the greatest of all time and now fellow WrestleMania alumni, Floyd Mayweather.
Impressively, Logan Paul was able to weather the storm and go the distance with Mayweather. Despite this impressive feat, on paper, Logan had yet been able to secure a win. Conversely, the alternative, slow build approach adopted by younger brother Jake, was gaining win after win against bigger and better names from the MMA community and has now become a respectable undefeated streak.
Rather than potentially reside in the shadow of his younger brother’s boxing success, this is where the true marketing genius of the Paul family shines through. Logan made the decision to turn his attentions to his true passion of professionally wrestling. With this action, the Paul brothers now have massive presence in both the boxing and professional wrestling worlds.
In 2021, Logan dipped his toe in the water, appearing in segments with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. But it wasn’t until 2022 that Paul made the leap and decided to enter the ring as an in-ring competitor, teaming with the Miz on WWE Raw and going on to face the team of Rey and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38.
Logan’s performance received significant praise both from pro wrestling and mainstream media alike, with everyone from Jim Cornette to Joe Rogan, commenting on Paul’s commitment to the ring.
Paul himself commented on his ImPaulsive podcast about his increased respect for the pro wrestling business, citing the toughness of the training, the realities of injuries and the electricity of the fans.
When you fully analyse Logan Paul’s rise to the top, it’s clear to see why professional wrestling is a perfect fit for the global superstar. The only question that remains is will Paul’s passion for the squared circle and physical endurance for the toughness of the matches allow him to grow into the player that WWE perhaps hopes he can one day become? Or will the next venture come calling?
Time will tell, but there is no doubt that on paper, Logan Paul has all the tools for what WWE wants in its franchise players.