Drake bets on Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Could the ‘Drake Curse’ affect the outcome of the boxing match? Originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
Drake has made a major bet on Jake Paul to defeat former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, injecting a significant financial component into an already high-profile boxing match.
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The stakes were reported to be as high as six figures, immediately attracting the attention of fans and the media. However, this support comes with the heavy shadow of the “Drake Curse,” a popular, recurring joke that any athlete or team the rapper publicly supports, especially a big bet, is destined to fail.
Drake’s past betting history, which includes losses to fighters like Conor McGregor and even a previous loss to Jake Paul against Tommy Fury, has fans wondering whether his bets will be a blessing or inevitable doom for the underdog fighter before he faces his biggest test yet.
Here’s more on Drake’s reported bet.
More: Jake Paul VS Anthony Joshua live updates
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Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua betting odds
Joshua is the overwhelming favorite in this fight.
According to DraftKings, Joshua is -1,600 to win the fight outright, while the heavyweight is -400 to win via KO, TKO or DQ.
More: Why is Paul vs. Joshua on Netflix?
How much money would Drake bet on Jake Paul to beat Anthony Joshua?
The rapper bet $200,000 on Paul beating Joshua on Friday night.
Given that Joshua is a huge betting favorite (current odds are around -900, or $900 to win $100), Drake’s bet on underdog Paul is risky but lucrative, reflecting his status as a notorious high roller.
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More: How to watch Paul vs. Joshua
What is the “Drake Curse”?
The “Drake Curse” is a popular and recurring internet joke and superstition that states that any sports team or athlete the rapper publicly supports, associates with, or makes a large bet on is destined to lose the next important game or competition.
The theory gained traction after a series of incidents in which a team or athlete – often the most popular team – suffered an improbable or crushing loss shortly after Drake showed them public support. This could include him wearing their jersey, watching their games from the sidelines, or taking photos with star players.
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This curse was dramatically amplified by Drake’s massive six-figure bets on major sporting events, particularly the UFC, boxing, and major playoff contests. When he has a public defeat, it tends to be widely reported, cementing the “curse” narrative.
The list of alleged victims is long and includes teams and athletes such as Conor McGregor, Serena Williams, the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, as well as several top European soccer clubs and UFC fighters for whom he provided significant amounts of money:
Some of the effects of the “Drake Curse” include:
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August-September 2015: The “Drake Curse” begins after the rapper kisses tennis superstar Serena Williams. He attended the U.S. Open to see her pursue a Grand Slam, but Williams lost in the semifinals.
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October 2018: UFC star Conor McGregor takes Drake out ahead of his UFC 229 fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov then destroyed McGregor in a one-sided contest.
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April 2019: [external-article-link original_href=”https://%3Cblockquote%20class=”twitter-tweet”%3E%3Cp%20lang=”en”%20dir=”ltr”%3Eall%20roma%20players%20banned%20from%20taking%20photos%20with%20drake%20until%20the%20end%20of%20the%20season%3C/p%3E%E2%80%94%20AS%20Roma%20English%20(@ASRomaEN)%20%3Ca%20href=%22https://twitter.com/ASRomaEN/status/1117853209538650112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22%3EApril%2015,%202019%3C/a%3E%3C/blockquote%3E%20%3Cscript%20async%20src=%22https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js%22%20charset=%22utf-8%22%3E%3C/script%3E”]Drake wears Maple Leafs jersey[/external-article-link] In the playoffs, Toronto quickly lost to the Bruins in seven games.
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June 2019: Drake bets on Joshua to beat Jarrell Miller’s backup opponent Andy Ruiz Jr. Ruiz’s victory over Joshua is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history.
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August 2022: [external-article-link original_href=”https://www.mmanews.com/news/edwards-sends-drake-advice-following-failed-usman-bet”]Drake bet $200,000 on Kamaru Usman to defeat Leon Edwards at UFC 278 for the UFC welterweight title. Edwards defeated Usman after kicking Usman in the head in a dramatic comeback.
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November 2022: Drake holds Team Canada jersey Play alongside the players. Canada became the first team since 1978 to attempt at least 20 shots and one penalty without scoring at a World Cup.
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April 2023: Drake placed a $1 million Bitcoin bet on Gervonta Davis beating Ryan Garcia outright. “Tank” defeated Garcia with a seventh-round knockout.
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September 2023: Drake bet $500,000 on Israel Adesanya to successfully defend his UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland via knockout at UFC 293. Strickland dominated the fight and won the belt via unanimous decision.
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October 2023: Drake invested $850,000 to have Logan Paul beat Dillon Danis. Paul defeated Dennis via DQ.
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February 2024: Drake bet $1.15 million on the Kansas City Chiefs to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs won 25-22.
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March 2024: Drake bet $615,000 on Francis Ngannou to soundly defeat Anthony Joshua. Joshua was knocked out in the second round.
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September 2025: Drake is betting $250,277 on the Baltimore Ravens to defeat the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the NFL season. Buffalo won the game 41-40.
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September 2025: Drake bet $300,000 on Jannik Sinner to win the U.S. Open. Carlos Alcaraz won the match.
More: When will Jake Paul actually fight Anthony Joshua?
