On March 2, we will all witness the return of Jake Paul (8-1, 5 KOs) as he continues with his boxing career. His opponent is 35-year-old Ryan ‘Rhino’ Bourland (17-2, 6 KOs). Almost reminiscent of Rocky, Bourland is a virtual unknown who is being afforded the opportunity of a lifetime to face someone widely famous in the world of boxing.
Who he is has been the question circulating throughout the media ever since the fight was announced. If you ask Bourland, he’ll give you an answer that may make you laugh a bit. Bourland told FightsATW, “It’s funny you should say that (ask who he is) as I was going to get some shirts made that said, ‘Who the f%ck is Ryan Bourland?”
Bourland is a native of Vallejo, CA, and is what he likes to call “a regular, hardworking guy.” Rhino didn’t endure many hardships as a child, growing up with a brother and sister and both parents. As a young kid, Bourland got into many fights, and it may just have been that he enjoyed it. When he was in the 6th grade, his parents took him to a local gym, and that’s where it all began for him.
He toured the amateur scene and eventually turned pro in 2013. Although none of the names on his BoxRec will jump out at you, he was pretty active until 2018. He didn’t pick it back up until 2022, followed by another long period (18 months) of inactivity leading up to this Jake Paul fight on March 2.
Seeing that Bourland is an unknown, inactive fighter, the question on everyone’s mind is how he landed this huge opportunity against Paul.
“Believe it or not, I always knew I would be fighting Jake Paul, especially with my record and me taking some time off,” said Bourland. “After Jake Paul fought Andre August, he announced he was fighting again in March. I went on BoxRec and saw he didn’t have an opponent, so I found the account of someone on his team who was on social media, and I messaged him with my info. I told him this is who I am and would like the opportunity to fight Jake Paul. They got back to me four days later, and that’s how it all started.”
Although this is a big opportunity for Bourland, inactivity is real in boxing and almost always plays into the fight’s result. Although Bourland hasn’t fought in a year and a half, he stated that he has kept active in the gym and with his physical fitness. Bourland also works on an oil rig, which he described as “mentally and physically demanding,” so the last thing he has been doing is sitting on a couch.
He currently lives and trains out of North Dakota, and once the fight was signed, he flew in his trainer Mario L’Esperance to prepare him for Paul. Even though he has this fight coming up, Bourland still works at the oil rig, which emphasizes the type of guy he is. Bourland is a blue-collar guy living in a digital world run by guys like his opponent. It’s the perfect storyline leading into fight night.
When Bourland steps into the ring with Paul, he feels that he will be the only person not shocked by the outcome as his hand is raised in victory. “We are going to shock the world. I don’t even like saying that because everyone looks at me as the underdog, but I don’t see how they can see me that way. We are going to go in there and do what we do. I’m in great shape and ready to go.”
Bourland had some comments before he got off the call, as he had just finished putting in a long day’s work at the oil rig. “I appreciate Jake Paul & Mike Leanardi for giving me the opportunity. I respect Jake Paul as a fighter, and he’s stepped up each fight. This time, he bit off a little more than he can chew.”
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