Manny Pacquiao has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Jake Paul receiving a world ranking following his latest victory.
Rightly or wrongly, Paul has become one of the biggest names in boxing, and was back in action at the end of June when he went up against former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a cruiserweight bout.
It was a dominant victory for Paul, winning virtually every round on his way to a unanimous decision verdict. That win resulted in the WBA ranking Paul in their top 15, making him eligible to compete for a world title.
The decision from the WBA has created controversy within the boxing world, with many fans believing Paul is undeserving of his ranking, leading to the WBA to review their decision and potentially make a U-turn on their initial ruling.
Another fighter that received some recent criticism for being granted a world title shot is boxing legend Pacquiao, who will challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 19.
Despite the illustrious career that Pacquiao has had, some fans believe he shouldn’t be challenging for world honours due to now being 46-years-old and having not competed since losing to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021, with his last win coming nearly six years ago in July 2019 against Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao has now spoken about Paul’s world ranking, telling Covers that he sees no issue with the decision from the WBA.
“I respect Jake Paul’s passion to pursue his boxing career, he has a talent. He can fight, then, so why not [give him a world ranking]?”
Pacquiao’s main focus remains on this month’s battle with Barrios, as he looks to break his own record of being the oldest welterweight world champion in history.
