LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jake Paul has entered the World Boxing Association’s cruiserweight rankings, making the YouTuber-turned-boxer eligible to fight for a world title.
The WBA slotted Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) at No. 14 in the latest edition of its rankings late Monday night, two days after Paul beat 39-year-old Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California.
The WBA’s decision to rank Paul likely means the sanctioning body would allow him to fight WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez, who won his latest title defense in the penultimate bout in Anaheim. The fighters have not agreed to a deal, but Paul and Ramírez stared each other down during the post-fight news conference.
“I want tougher fighters. I want to be a world champion,” Paul said after outpointing Chávez, who had fought once in the previous four years. “Zurdo looked slow … tonight. That’d be easy work, too.”
While Paul’s ranking is a remarkable milestone for a social media behemoth and former Disney Channel star who only decided to become a boxer about six years ago, the WBA’s decision reflects Paul’s incredible financial potential more than his fighting resume.
Sanctioning body rankings are determined internally, so they can be changed on a whim, or to meet an opportunity to collect a big fee by sanctioning a fight — and Paul has uniquely become the most financially potent boxer to emerge in many years.
Paul’s previous opponents include fellow YouTubers, an NBA player, several mixed martial artists and 58-year-old Mike Tyson — not a path that would lead to world rankings and title shots for any fighter without Paul’s fame and fortune.
He took his only loss in 2023 against Tommy Fury — a relatively serious professional boxer, but nowhere near a title contender. Paul has called for a rematch, telling Fury to “stop running from me.”
Chávez was by far the most accomplished actual boxer to share the ring with Paul, but the former WBC middleweight champion fought listlessly and tepidly for all but the final two rounds in front of a Southern California crowd desperately rooting on its Mexican hero.
Paul reiterated Saturday night that he has been ordered by God to become a world champion, and he spoke of several accomplished veteran boxers as his potential next opponent.
Ramírez (48-1, 30 KOs) would be Paul’s first step up to world-class opposition. Zurdo is a former super middleweight champion and current cruiserweight powerhouse who beat Yuniel Dorticos by decision in Anaheim.
Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s business partner, suggested Saturday night that Paul might be more likely to take a title shot against Badou Jack, the 41-year-old Swede who holds the WBC cruiserweight belt.
“The biggest issue with that (Paul vs. Ramírez) fight is Zurdo didn’t show himself to be at all a promoter in this process,” Bidarian said. “Why aren’t we seeing more out of Zurdo? Why isn’t he more engaged with the fans? Someone like Badou Jack is someone that we want to have a conversation with.”
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AP boxing: apnews.com/boxing
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