Influencer-turned-contender Jake Paul can talk about Anthony Joshua exhibitions or Gervonta Davis fantasy bouts all he likes, but if he truly wants a WBC belt around his waist, the path is now explicit. Speaking to BoxingScene in Las Vegas, WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán applauded Paul’s box-office spark - highlighted by victories over Julio César Chávez Jr. in June and a 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November - yet drew a clear line: before any title shot, Paul must defeat one of the sanctioning body’s top-15 ranked cruiserweights.
That list is hardly full of soft touches. It includes Canada’s big-punching Ryan Rozicki (20-1-1, 19 KOs), former WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs), ex-titlist Ilunga Makabu (29-4, 25 KOs), Cuban bomber Yuniel Dorticos (27-3, 25 KOs), and Nigerian veteran Olanrewaju Durodola (42-10, 39 KOs). Reigning WBC champion Badou Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) is already tied to a rematch with top contender Norair Mikaeljan (27-3, 12 KOs), meaning Paul could, in theory, grab the mandatory slot by toppling any of those names while Jack and Mikaeljan settle their business.
Watch Paul vs. Chavez Jr. highlights: Watch
Whether Paul bites is another matter. His promotional partner, Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian, offered “no comment” on the WBC requirement. Bidarian did, however, flatly deny promoter Don King’s recent claim that Paul had tried to pay Mikaeljan to step aside for a shortcut to Jack’s title.
Paul has long insisted he wants to win a legitimate world championship, but he also leverages his pay-per-view appeal to shape his own lane - opponents ranging from former MMA stars to faded boxing legends attest to that. Sulaimán’s edict leaves the 27-year-old Ohioan with a decision: accept a genuine, sanctioned cruiserweight threat or continue mining novelty match-ups that keep the cash flowing without edging him closer to championship glory.
For now the ball, or rather, the belt, remains out of reach, waiting for Paul to prove he can conquer a ranked, in-prime opponent rather than another relic or crossover name. The next move will reveal whether “The Problem Child” truly intends to solve the puzzle of becoming a bona fide world champion, or if the title talk was always just another viral headline.
Image credit: Sky Sports