Jake Paul’s quest to become a world-ranked boxer and, eventually, a world champion received a boost following comments from WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.
Sulaiman revealed that he’s been impressed with Paul’s development and progression during his 11-fight boxing career to date, and suggested that the former YouTuber might not be too far away from breaking into WBC’s cruiserweight rankings.
Speaking to OLBG, Sulaiman explained, “He’s getting there. I believe he is 10-1, and in his last fight he looked dominant, but he needs to increase the level of competition and stay active.
“I believe he is ready to be entered in the rankings of the cruiserweight division. He is a real fighter, but there is one more test to take place and it’s a ratings committee that determines the rankings.
“It is not me or a small group, it is a big group from all over the world and they have a ratings criteria. What I see is Jake Paul is on the way to entering the big leagues in boxing.”
So far, Paul’s boxing career has seen him face a YouTuber, an NBA player, four MMA fighters, a bare-knuckle star and three pro boxers. His lone career loss came against arguably the highest-rated pro boxer he’s faced so far, Tommy Fury, who edged him via split decision back in 2023. Most recently, Paul stopped bare-knuckle star and former UFC welterweight Mike Perry in Tampa, Florida in June.
Now Paul is set to face a different test, in the form of 58-year-old former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson. It’s a fight that has intrigued some and turned off others, but their matchup, set for AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday night, could represent the next step in Paul’s development as a boxer.
Sulaiman admitted that he was unsure what to expect from the bout, but said he hoped the event as a whole proved to be a positive one to help attract more young fans to the sport.
“I don’t know. Mike is a legend and an unbelievable legend that has so many great things and is outstanding,” he said.
“He had a very ugly ending to his career in boxing, but he was out of shape and in a completely problematic stage of his life.
“When the world needed entertainment in the pandemic, he stood up and fought Roy Jones Jr. He looked sensational and he did precisely what we all expected – to be an exhibition. He didn’t try to hurt Roy, it was just a nice display of abilities.
“This time with Jake Paul is different. He is a young, strong upcoming fighter with great social media followers and if it is an exhibition then we have to support it, it is good for boxing. So, let’s support it and make it a great event for kids to look up to Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.”
