Jake Paul wore an Islamic gown and head covering during a recent trip to the United Arab Emirates. Mind you, this is the same guy who wore a rooster hat during open workouts the week of his fight against Mike Tyson. And who climbed into the ring on fight night in a diamond-studded outfit he said cost $1 million.
So how much harder is it to imagine the YouTuber-turned-boxer wearing a world championship belt?
“I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” Paul, 27, said of winning a world title after beating Tyson by unanimous decision last month. “I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power.’’
Almost five years into his pro career, Paul boasts a record of 11-1 with seven knockouts. The skilled self-promoter also can generate big paydays. Of course he still faces a legion of skeptics, many who probably think there’s no chance Paul can win a world title between now and the end of time, much less within the next 24 months.
But credible people in boxing told USA TODAY Sports they think Paul will get a shot at a world championship. And maybe even win it.
“If he keeps improving, yes,’’ said Andy Foster, a former boxer and mixed martial arts fighter who now serves as executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, which regulates boxing. “He has good boxing skills and he takes it seriously.’’
Jake Paul’s possible path to a boxing world title
World titles are awarded by the four major sanctioning bodies – the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Council (WBC) – in each of the sport’s 17 weight divisions. When it comes to Paul’s world title quest, he said he’ll fight as a cruiserweight, which is one step down from the heavyweight division and has a 200-pound limit at weigh-in.
The cruiserweight division has had less “transcendent” talent than some of the other divisions, potentially creating a more favorable path for Paul, according to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri.
World titles can be won in two ways: a mandatory defense, when a sanctioning body’s reigning champion must fight a designated top contender; or a voluntary defense, when the reigning champion can pick a challenger.
“I can’t imagine a cruiserweight champion not wanting to voluntarily defend against Jake and make potentially an enormous amount of money,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said.
Noel Mikaelian, who in November 2023 won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title, said, “Every cruiserweight champion would look forward to that because of the payday. But I don’t think (Paul) would step up to that kind of competition.”
Generally speaking, a challenger must be ranked among a sanctioning body’s top 15 contenders, which does not include the reigning champion. Rankings are updated monthly. Generally speaking, that is, because the boxing world is populated by the likes of Gilberto Mendoza Jr., president of the WBA.
Mendoza has said he would like to see Paul fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for a WBA world title. Never mind that neither Paul nor Cesar are ranked in anyone’s top 15.
Last week, Paul nixed the idea.
“I want someone tougher and I want a real belt, not just like something that gets put up for entertainment value,’’ he said.
But Paul has not ruled out what would amount to a free ride into the top 15 so he could qualify to fight a legitimate champion.
“We’ve seen fighters that suddenly catapulted out of obscurity into top 10 or top 15’’ to qualify for a title fight, said Mike Silver, a boxing historian and author of “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science.”
Teddy Atlas, a boxing analyst and former trainer, said powerful promoters have used their clout with sanctioning bodies to get fighters rated. He cited Peter McNeeley, who was Tyson’s first opponent after Tyson’s four-year hiatus from boxing while serving prison time for his rape conviction.
McNeeley, then promoted by Don King, was ranked as the WBC’s No. 10 heavyweight contender – a ranking Atlas said McNeely did not deserve. Tyson won by disqualification in the first round when McNeeley’s manager entered the ring after Tyson knocked down McNeeley twice.
Tyson followed that up with a third-round knockout of Buster Mathis Jr. — then ranked No. 4 by the IBF — and vaulted past Lennox Lewis and to the top of WBC’s list of contenders. That, in turn, set up a lucrative fight between Tyson and against Frank Bruno. Bruno was making his first WBC title defense when he lost to Tyson by third-round TKO.
Jake Paul and the business of boxing
Olivieri, the newly elected WBO president, was talking about Paul qualifying for a world title when he volunteered he might be willing to change some of the WBO’s qualifying rules. Of course the rule of thumb is boxing is a business, and Paul is big business.
“We have great boxers, tremendous athletes, but they can’t sell a ticket,’’ Olivieri said. “And that’s a huge problem. So I think Jake Paul has brought a new perspective to the sport from an entertainment standpoint. At the same time, he’s putting the work in.’’
The WBO has partnered with Paul and his non-profit, Boxing Bullies, that has helped refurbish boxing gyms and provide equipment to underserved youth. The WBO and Paul are based in Puerto Rico. But when it comes to winning a world title, Paul’s non-profit is no more important than the for-profit world of boxing’s four major sanctioning bodies.
For title fights, the sanctioning bodies take between 2 percent and 3 percent of each fighter’s earnings – but no more than $250,000. The sanctioning bodies also get upwards of $25,000 from the promoter for title fights. And that’s but a fraction of what the fighters and promoters would make from a title fight involving Paul.
Paul said he would make $40 million from his fight against Tyson, who was expected to make $20 million for the bout livestreamed by Netflix. The fight, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, generated more than $18 million at the live gate, a record for any U.S. boxing event held outside of Nevada, according to Most Valuable Promotions, co-founded by Paul.
“I think (Paul) will most certainly get a title fight because so much money is involved,’’ said Kathy Duva, a longtime boxing promoter.
Added promoter Joe DeGuardia, “The business and financial implications will assure that he will get a title shot if he wants it.’’
Who might Jake Paul fight to get ranked?
Paul likely would need a victory or two against boxers ranked in the top 15. For possible candidates, look no further than Paul Bamba, ranked No. 12 by the WBA.
Bamba, 35, has won 13 consecutive fights by knockout. But the past six of those came against opponents who had lost a combined 87 fights before losing to Bamba.
There’s also Blake Caparello, ranked No. 13 by the WBA, who looks potentially vulnerable at 38. He won the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight belt in February with a knockout of Simone Federici. But Caparello has fought just twice since March 2021.
“There are guys in any weight class that can kind of sneak their way into the rankings and they may not be really that talented,’’ said Grey Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer for BoxRec, the official registry of boxing. “And Jake’s going to improve a lot.
“If you watch the Tyson fight, in my opinion, he looked very slow and lethargic (as a heavyweight). But if he went back to 200 pounds and he kept training and improving, it’s not crazy that he could beat somebody in the rankings. I don’t think that’s insane at all.’’
But breaking into the rankings is one thing. Actually beating a champion would be a far bigger test.
But Johnathon Banks, a notable trainer, said he thinks Paul is in good hands with a duo of trainers, Theo (Third) Chambers and J’Leon Love, products of the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. They have worked together with Paul since his loss to Tommy Fury in February 2023, a stretch of five consecutive victories.
“He has some legit boxing people in his corner,’’ Banks said. “That’s one of the first steps you want to be at before you challenge for anything like a title or top contender spot.’’
Follow reporter Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11