Joe Ward to Make the Most of Jake Paul Platform for Step Up Fight

Joe Ward [7(4)-1(1)] plans to use Jake Paul’s platform to progress his career.

The natural Irish talent has secured a slot on the Paul vs Hasim Rahman Jr undercard and will next go to work at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 6.

One of Ireland’s greatest ever amateurs is aware it’s a fight card that will draw the kind of attention that will allow him advertise his wares to a wider audience.

The Moate BC graduate has also been handed a fight that affords him the chance to level up – and he is excited by both.

“This is a good fight and a good stepping stone for me,” he told the Westmeath Independent. “Jake Paul has a massive platform on the media side of things, so it’s obviously a benefit to me to be on one of these shows, and to keep pushing forward.

“Training has gone well. Sparring has gone well. It’s another step forward for me towards my ultimate goal of becoming a world champion.”

The three-time European gold medal winner will fight Frederic Julan [12(10)-1] on a card that Amanda Serrano also populates.

The French light heavy suffered a surprise first-career defeat last time out but comes into this clash with a solid record. Indeed, his slate suggests he represents the Lou DiBella guided light heavyweight’s toughest test to date.

Before defeat to Khainell Wheeler last year the 34-year-old southpaw was unbeaten with 10 stoppage wins from his 11 fights.

“This is a step up compared to the previous opponents I’ve had. He is based in America, and he’s a good fighter. The only fight he lost was on a split decision, so it’s going to be an interesting fight.

“Since that defeat (Julan) has got a new coach, so he’s obviously looking to build some sort of momentum and he was confident in taking this fight. I’m looking forward to a good test and looking forward to delivering a good performance.”