Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterNov 4, 2023, 05:00 PM ET
WWE fans are likely to be seeing even more of Logan Paul, at least in the short term.
Paul, the YouTuber, boxer and pro wrestler, beat Rey Mysterio to win the WWE United States championship on Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. It’s Paul’s first title victory in WWE. He only has eight career pro-wrestling matches but has been a fixture on big WWE shows for about a year and a half. Paul said winning a WWE title was a “bucket list” moment for him.
For the most part, Paul has been a part-timer in WWE. That might not completely change. But the social-media phenom told ESPN on Saturday, minutes after winning the belt, that he’s likely to be making more appearances with the promotion. He does have to defend the title, after all.
“I think I have to,” Paul said of spending more time on WWE programming. “You’re going to have to watch Raw. You’re going to have to watch SmackDown. I’m going to make some surprise appearances and show these wrestlers who’s the real king.”
Paul, 28, had a boxing match against Dillon Danis just three weeks ago, which he won via disqualification. After beating Mysterio, Paul said he was far more tired going nearly 18 minutes with Mysterio than he would be after a boxing fight.
“That was barely a performance,” Paul said of the Danis bout. “I wouldn’t even call that a fight. Tonight was a fight. Tonight was hard. I’m telling you, bro. I’m winded. I feel like I really earned this. So, I see these comments online. ‘Logan Paul, spoonfed, silver spoon in his mouth. Everything’s been given to him his whole life. He hasn’t earned it.’
“I would do more in 12 hours than most people do in 12 months. My blueprint cannot be duplicated, bro. My pace is unmatched. I’m not playing the same game as the other people. I’ve beaten the matrix and I’m the architect.”
Who could be Paul’s first title defense is unclear. But there is no shortage of possibilities. Paul, despite his lack of experience, has shown out in his matches with uncanny athleticism and a natural ability to work in the ring. His performances have drawn critical acclaim.
There is one score he could settle with another big star outside of WWE who wrestles from time to time: Bad Bunny. When asked about the Puerto Rican reggaeton star, Paul said he could be interested and the two of them have the same rating — 84 — in the WWE video game WWE 2k23. Paul also currently lives and trains in boxing in Puerto Rico.
“He is good, but he’s scrawny, man,” Paul said. “I’m pushing 250 [pounds]. … He has the same rating as me, so maybe I don’t know anything. Maybe we’re the same. Maybe we’ve gotta settle this in the ring.”
Whether or not the match happens or not, it’s clear Paul is going to be around WWE more often. He’s just not exactly sure what could be in the near or distant future, whether it’s wrestling, boxing or even MMA.
“I have a bit of occupational ADHD,” he said. “So, wherever my attention goes, wherever the people are the most entertained. And at the moment, that is the WWE, and [I’m] just focused on building my brands and protecting this belt, keeping it around my waist.”
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