Jake Paul has made it clear that one of his goals in the sport if to become a legitimate world champion.
The 27-year-old has certainly not taken the traditional route to achieving that. Entering the sport with an enormous following but zero amateur experience, the controversial American made his name fighting ageing former UFC stars before breaking records with his underwhelming eight-rounder against Mike Tyson last year.
He returned to the ring in June, defeating the inactive Julio Cesar Chavez Jr via unanimous decision. Post-fight, he reiterated the idea that world title shot is not far away.
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, The Fight, trainer turned analyst Teddy Atlas advised Paul to go the WBC route and face Badou Jack.
“I think the best spot that he would probably look to pick if he wants a real title fight would probably be Badou Jack who’s 42-years-old, he’s a world champion he’s got a real belt. That might be his best spot to navigate, to manoeuvre enough with young legs, to have a shot there unless he wants to go to another event.
Jack – previously a champion at both super middleweight and light heavyweight – has held the belt since a win over Ilunga Makabu in Saudi Arabia back in 2023. The fight was on the undercard of Paul vs Tommy Fury – Paul’s sole loss so far. The champion is set to rematch Norair Mikaeljan next.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has stated that Paul must face a ranked contender to earn a shot at Jack – a stepping stone that won’t be high on the American’s list given the fact that it would naturally be a less lucrative event than he is used to.
