The Thriller pay-per-view took place on April 17, 2021, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It included six fights, with the main event featuring social media influencer/boxer Jake Paul vs former UFC fighter and olympic wrestler, Ben Askren. Paul came into this fight with a professional record of 2-0, while Askren had no prior experience in the boxing ring.

The exclusive event was a huge success and included live musical performances from artists like Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo, Major Lazer and the first appearance of hip-hop group Mt. Westmore, which includes legendary rappers Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40. Paul shared on his instagram that the event sold 1.5 million pay-per-view buys and made close to $75 million overall. 

Although the event was long and a huge success, the main event was the exact opposite. Paul defeated Askren by TKO in the first round. According to dazn.com, Paul earned around $690,000 while Askren took home a minimum of $500,000. 

Following his one-sided victory over Askren, many fighters have taken to social media to call out Paul to a boxing match. 

“We’ll take the fight. If he sent the contract over tonight, it’d be signed and delivered straight back to him. All I see for that fight is easy money against an idiot,” said professional boxer Tommy Fury in an interview with talkSport. “He makes YouTube videos for a living, he hasn’t been hit in his face in his entire life, he doesn’t know what it’s like to take a shot. I’d put my mother in with Ben Askren and my mother would chin him because he’s no good; he’s useless, he’s a wrestler. UFC is not boxing. If you’re gonna fight an MMA fighter you may as well fight a chef out of a kitchen because they can’t fight, they can’t stand up.” 

According to Sportsbible.com, Paul has turned down the idea of fighting Fury and has shifted his focus to boxing MMA fighters. Tyron Woodley, Conor Mcregor and Nate Diaz are the three fighters he has expressed interest in fighting.

“I believe I’m a better striker than 99.9 percent of these MMA guys, so when we’re matching up from a skill and experience level, it’s even and it’s who wants it more in the fight,” said Paul via ESPN.

As Paul continues to gain attention in the boxing world, it will be interesting to see who he decides to fight next.