Meet the secret weapon behind Jake Paul’s plan to shock the world: How Olympic speed skater helped YouTuber bounce back after Tommy Fury defeat and put him on a collision course with Anthony Joshua
Jake Paul arrived in Miami this week carrying the usual noise that follows him everywhere – the bravado, the headlines, the questions about whether he truly belongs on boxing’s biggest stages. But standing quietly alongside the build-up to his fight with Anthony Joshua is a constant presence that has steadied him through the chaos: his partner, Dutch Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam.
Paul and Leerdam have become one of sport’s more unusual power couples, not because of carefully curated glamour, but because both operate at the sharp end of elite competition. One lives in the chaos of prizefighting; the other in the precision of speed skating. Together, they offer a study in how modern sport now blends performance, personality and global reach.
Paul’s rise is well documented. Once a social media star on Vine and YouTube, he has transformed himself into one of boxing’s most bankable attractions. He claims career boxing earnings in excess of $160 million, with individual fight purses routinely landing in the $20–30 million bracket.
His bout with Mike Tyson alone reportedly earned him around $40 million. The fight with Joshua, staged in Miami, is expected to push his earnings even higher and further test his credibility inside the ring.
Leerdam’s career has followed a far more conventional sporting arc, though no less demanding. Born in ’s-Gravenzande in the Netherlands, she emerged through the country’s unforgiving speed skating system, where medals are expected rather than hoped for.
She won silver in the women’s 1,000 metres at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, her first Games, and has since collected world titles, including regaining the 1,000-metre crown on home ice in Heerenveen.
Paul and Leerdam have become one of sport’s more unusual power couples, not because of carefully curated glamour, but because both operate at the sharp end of elite competition
The engagement, announced after a proposal in St Lucia, added another chapter. Paul later admitted the moment made him more nervous than any fight
Paul is set to face former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua this evening
Her sport is one of brutal margins. Races are decided by fractions of a second, careers by consistency over seasons rather than moments.
Last year, Leerdam lowered her personal best over 500 metres to just over 37 seconds, a reminder that she remains in her prime. In the Netherlands, where speed skating is followed with football-like intensity, such numbers carry real weight.
When Paul confirmed their relationship in 2023, it inevitably drew attention. The pairing of a polarising American boxer and a Dutch Olympic medallist felt incongruous, and the reaction online was instant.
Yet the relationship has endured, strengthened by a shared understanding of what it means to perform under scrutiny.
Paul has spoken openly about how Leerdam entered his life during a difficult period, following his defeat to Tommy Fury in 2023. That loss, though financially lucrative, dented his momentum and confidence.
Leerdam, having experienced both Olympic success and disappointment herself, offered a perspective rooted in sport rather than celebrity.
Their lives, however, are rarely shared in the same place. Leerdam trains primarily in the Netherlands, while Paul has based his boxing career in Puerto Rico, where he owns a beachfront mansion.
They have spent long periods more than 4,000 miles apart, navigating time zones and training blocks rather than red carpets. It is a reality familiar to many elite athletes, even if few live it under such public observation.
Leerdam, Paul and his brother Logan and wife Nina pictured on holiday on a boat together
The pair have spent long periods more than 4,000 miles apart, navigating time zones and training blocks rather than red carpets
Paul beat Mike Tyson last year and has only lost one since turning to boxing (pictured above)
The engagement, announced after a proposal in St Lucia, added another chapter. Paul later admitted the moment made him more nervous than any fight.
The scene – all white clothing, candles and a ring reportedly worth close to $1m – was undeniably extravagant, but it also marked a turning point. Since then, both have spoken about balancing personal commitment with professional ambition.
Leerdam’s growing profile has brought her a global audience. She now counts more than four million followers on Instagram and over 1.5m on TikTok, an unusually large platform for a winter sports athlete.
Paul’s world, by contrast, is defined by scale. His estimated net worth sits around $200m, built through boxing, endorsements with brands such as DraftKings and Meta Quest, and a portfolio of business ventures including his own promotion company MVP.
Leerdam may not be in the ring on fight night, but her influence is felt. Paul has described her as a grounding presence, someone who understands preparation, discipline and the loneliness that comes with chasing the top. For a fighter whose career has often thrived on noise, that quiet influence may matter more than any pre-fight bravado.
