Jake Paul: What does the future hold after his victory?
Jake Paul secured his most significant victory to date, outpointing former WBC middleweight world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision in a 10-round cruiserweight bout. Paul, with a record of 12 wins and one loss, has expressed his desire to become a world champion, and this triumph brings him closer to realizing that dream. However, his experience is limited, with only one amateur fight and this victory as the 13th in his professional career. The quality of the opponents he has faced also raises questions. His career includes confrontations with former MMA fighters, lower-ranked boxers, a youtuber, a former NBA player, and Mike Tyson, a former heavyweight champion of almost 60 years old. Chávez Jr. is an experienced boxer, but he is no longer in his prime and has had difficulty staying active and competitive. Despite this, Paul achieved the most important triumph of his career and showed improvements in his game since his only defeat against Tommy Fury in 2023. If Paul aims to contend for a cruiserweight world title, his options are WBC champion Badou Jack, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who defended his WBA and WBO titles in the co-main event, and Jai Opetaia, holder of the IBF title. Both the WBA and WBC have suggested that a standout performance by Paul could lead to him being ranked by these organizations, while the IBF and WBO have not commented on the matter.Given the circumstances, what is the most realistic next step for Paul and against whom does he have the best chance of success?“I don’t care, bro,” Paul declared during the post-fight interview. “I have a lot of time. I’m 28 years old. I’ll fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.”
Jake Paul
- Badou Jack: Jack holds the WBC title since February 2023, when he defeated Ilunga Makabu, but has only made one defense, against Noel Mikaelian in May. A fight with Paul could materialize at the end of 2025, and although Jack is 41 years old, he remains a dangerous opponent due to his experience. Of all the champions, Jack would be the most viable option for Paul. The challenge would be considerable, but Paul would have an advantage in reach and seems to have adapted to the size of the cruiserweights.
- Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez: Ramírez, 34, earned a hard-fought decision victory over former champion Yuniel Dorticos. Although it was not his most impressive performance, “Zurdo” faced a former champion with great power and prevailed in the final rounds. The WBA is interested in ranking Paul, so Ramírez is an option.
- Jai Opetaia: Opetaia, 29, is the most outstanding boxer in the cruiserweight division. He possesses speed and power. He is an aggressive puncher at his best and a difficult matchup for Paul at this time. The IBF has not shown interest in ranking Paul, so this is the least likely of the possible championship fights for Paul.
