Jake Paul sees a victory over Mike Tyson in November as a stepping stone to a world cruiserweight title shot.
The YouTuber wannabe boxer faces bareknuckle fighter Mike Perry next month before beginning a four-month build-up to Tyson in Texas. Victories over both will do little to extend Paul’s place in the rankings, which currently stands at nowhere with any of the four organizations.
Of the four sanctioning bodies, only the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association have been receptive to placing Paul in touching distance of a world title shot. However, wins over Perry or Tyson do not qualify for a rating boost. Paul would have to battle somebody else who holds a ranking spot to begin any journey to a championship chance.
At present, Paul shows no intention of fighting any boxer with actual ranked ability. Therefore, his plans for a 2025 title run seem to amount to media bluster.
“I believe in 2025 I will most likely be a world champion,” Paul told ESPN. “I think I’m ready for it in the next couple of months. I’m going to go for it in 2025.”
Paul says the driving force behind his world title plan is determination. Sadly, that alone won’t be able to help him in his quest.
“It’s really my God-given ability and willpower to do this,” added the influencer. “People haven’t really seen me fight in the past year because of two first-round knockouts.
“If Mike Perry can make it out of the first round, maybe people will see a little more of me, but I don’t believe that anybody can hang with me at two hundred pounds [cruiserweight].
“Cruiserweight is what my body was made for. My punches aren’t the same [lower down], and I don’t have that power or pop. Two hundred pounds is definitely where I was meant to fight at [moving forward].”
The only realistic way Paul will get anywhere near a world title in 2025 against current champion Noel Mikaelian would be to beat a top-fifteen contender in the first quarter of next year. If the Tyson fight does go ahead in November, despite all the doubts, Paul would probably get back in the ring around March or April.
Marcus Browne, former world champions Joe Smith Jr. and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, plus Britons Isaac Chamberlain and Cheavon Clarke, are ranked between ten and fifteen. Furthermore, any of those five would be highly favored to take Paul out clean. As it stands, Jake Paul faces a tough job even getting ranked.
That will not deter the ex-Disney child star, though, who must be congratulated for his perseverance if anything else.
“I’m not slowing down the train for anybody. People must stop doubting me and know I take this sport more seriously than 99% of pro boxers. I’m obsessed with this. I become the best at it when I put my mind to something,” he concluded.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
