Shakur Stevenson is the latest to weigh in on Jake Paul’s world title chances.
The YouTuber-turned-fighter recently beat inactive former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, reiterating post-fight that his ultimate goal is to be a legitimate champion in the sport.
Most find it unrealistic given his late entry and the pedigree of the men he has faced, a group largely made up of former UFC fighters.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, three-weight world champion Stevenson commended Paul’s improvements in the ring and said that he could see him winning a belt but, crucially, in ‘the right situation.’
“I think, actually, Jake got tremendously better from the timeframe he started until now. And, in the right situation, I could also see him become a world champion. Yeah.”
That could mean a number of things, including waiting for a title to become vacant and out of the hands of the current three champions: the WBC’s Badou Jack, IBF king Jai Opetaia or WBA and WBO titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. All three men represent a significant, in some cases unimaginable, jump for Paul.
Having said that, Stevenson believes his best current chance to be against Ramirez.
“I’m not the biggest Zurdo fan… but yeah [that’s a big jump.] Zurdo’s been boxing for a long time … I think Zurdo is a better fight for him than Badou Jack. I wasn’t impressed with his last fight. I just know Badou Jack, even though he’s old, he’s got a lot of experience and he knows how to win.”
Though Paul’s ideal fight is Jack, he is currently only eligible for a shot at Ramirez given he has been ranked number 14 with the WBA. Stevenson said he can see why that controversial decision was made.
“Technically it is about who you’ve fought. You know how it goes. It’s about who’s got the most power and who controls the sport. At the end of the day, I see why he’s there.”
Due to significant backlash from fighters, analysts and fans, the WBA may review and alter the rankings. Paul is set to fight again this year in either November or December.
