Jake Paul is surpassing expectations and is better than you think; Cruiserweight title shot could be next

When people tell you who they are, believe them.

This quote, attributed to Maya Angelou, contends that people's actions - especially when consistent or repeated - are more telling of their character than what they might say or intend.

Jake Paul has taken to referring to himself as the “King of Boxing”. He’s not by the way, but it might just be time for you to admit that he is better than you think.

He moved to 12-1 (7) at the weekend with a unanimous points win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a fight that was easy to score. 

Analysing the Chavez Jr fight you can say Paul’s jab was very sharp. He doesn’t paw with the jab, it’s a real weapon.

His boxing brain too is somewhat underrated, and it was impressive to see how he reacted to the fact that Chavez Jr was dropping his head every time the Mexican came under fire from straight shots, and Paul began setting up the uppercut off the back of this.

 

That low feint high uppercut combo was executed well time and time again. He also showed he can fight at a decent clip for 10 rounds, though admittedly Chavez Jr’s output in the early part of the fight was nowhere near what it could/should have been.

Chavez Jr’s reluctance to stand and trade early was not Paul’s fault however and love him or loathe him you cannot deny that Paul can box.

He is not a gimmick; he is a fighter. And more importantly he is now a fighter who has a ranking inside the top 15 with the WBA (he is now officially ranked at number 14 in the WBA's cruiserweight ratings).

Remove emotion when it comes to Paul

When it comes to Paul the boxer, it seems that people are making judgements based on emotion rather than fact. They can't look beyond the fact he is a YouTuber or is someone who once appeared on the Disney Channel.

Emotional reasoning is a cognitive distortion where people believe that their gut feelings are proof of what is true, even when objective evidence contradicts those feelings.

In essence, it means folk are relying on emotions rather than facts and logic to interpret situations and make judgments. And it’s pretty much par for the course in 2025.

And while I am certainly not Jake’s biggest fan and someone who in truth is still getting his head around how people can actually make millions by appearing on YouTube, I can think critically enough to remove myself from this type of emotional reasoning and see a fighter who is better than a lot of people think he is.

Let’s look at the facts. One cannot deny that Mike Tyson was 58 and washed when he fought Paul last year. Let’s have it right, he fought the ghost of Iron Mike that night.

Similarly, one cannot deny that Chavez Jr had not had a proper fight for circa five years before taking the Anaheim assignment against ‘The Problem Child’ and had done a stint in rehab - following an arrest in Los Angeles on gun charges – while battling substance misuse issues in that time.

That said, anyone who can't admit that Jake looks more impressive in each passing fight could stand accused of being a complete hater.

Also, even the great fighters boxed a few tomato cans on the way up, and while I do not see greatness when I watch Jake Paul, I do see a fighter improving, someone dedicated to his craft and putting in the work. Someone who, if his upward trajectory continues, would be deserving of a title shot at cruiserweight. 

Paul is improving as a boxer, but a lot of the hate comes from who he has been facing since that first pro defeat to Tommy Fury, right?

 

Ergo, in order to assess him properly, the American has to be matched against a boxer who is not only skilled but crucially still within his fistic prime.

A top-15 ranking technically makes a boxer eligible to fight for that sanctioning body's world title, and so in theory Paul could now challenge WBA and WBO unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez.

Ramirez looked sharp on the undercard of Paul v Chavez Jr as he defended the belts against Yuniel Dorticos, and after Paul and Ramirez faced off in the post-fight press conference 'El Gallo' reiterated his desire to win a boxing world title.

Has Jake Paul done enough for world title shot?

Is he deserving of a world title shot based on what we know?

He has been a pro for over five years and at the age of 28 should be at or around his physical peak. He may need a bit more seasoning before mixing it with someone like Ramirez, and WBC champion Badou Jack may actually be a better option.

Let’s stick with the facts. Jake Paul is not bad for boxing. Lack of unified governance. Bad judging. PED's. Too many belts/champions. This is what is hurting boxing. Not an American millionaire on a professional journey, making sacrifices and daring to see how far he can go in the toughest, loneliest sport of all.   

Also, boxing history is littered with examples of fighters less deserving that Paul getting a world title shot. Indeed, it is a very crowded field.

(Getty Images)

When Chuck Wepner fought Muhammad Ali for the WBC title heavyweight title, The Bayonne Bleeder's professional record stood at 30-9-2. He was 36 years old at the time of the fight and looked more pub bore than professional athlete.

But you could argue even Wepner was deserving of his shot when compared to John Kodjo Mensah.

The Togo fighter was slated as having a 45-2 record before a 1979 WBC bantamweight title tilt against Carlos Zarate.

Zarate was rebounding from his first career loss to Wilfredo Gomez but had a 52-1 (51) record and was bound for the Hall-of-Fame. It later transpired that Mensah was actually 1-4 as a pro going in and all four of his losses had been to the same opponent!

Zarate vs. Mensah was an inevitable massacre, and while Jake Paul presumably starts as a clear betting outsider against Ramirez, Jack or IBF ruler Jai Opetaia he will – unlike Mensah – at least have earned the right to be in there.

I am reliably informed that ‘El Gallo’ has a massive social media following across various platforms. 20.9 million subscribers on YouTube. 28.7 million followers on Instagram. 18.4 million followers on TikTok.

These are eye-watering numbers, and life isn’t always fair. Sometimes, fighters with a large fanbase but limited boxing pedigree are given title shots due to their marketability and what they bring to the table financially to any promotion. Professional boxing is more of a business than it is a sport and has always been that way.

Forget the “King of Boxing” hyperbole. Let us judge the man on his actions and it is going to be fascinating where the Jake Paul story leads us in the next 12-15 months

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