Jake Paul has entered the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) cruiserweight rankings at No. 14 following his unanimous decision victory over former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. The WBA’s announcement makes the YouTuber-turned-boxer eligible to challenge for a world title, marking a major milestone in Paul’s boxing career that began approximately six years ago.

The 28-year-old outworked Chávez (54-7-1) over 10 rounds at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on June 28. Before the fight, the WBA had suggested it would rank Paul if he defeated Chávez, who had fought only once in the previous four years.

Championship Path Opens Against Ramirez

Paul’s new ranking sets him up for a potential fight against WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who defended his WBA and WBO titles in the co-main event with a decision win over Yuniel Dorticos. The fighters have not yet agreed to a deal, but they engaged in a staredown during the post-fight news conference.

“I want tougher fighters. I want to be a world champion,” Paul stated after defeating Chávez. “Zurdo looked slow tonight. That’d be easy work, too.”

Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, suggests Paul might instead pursue a title shot against Badou Jack, the 41-year-old who holds the WBC cruiserweight belt, citing concerns about Ramirez’s promotional engagement.

Unconventional Boxing Journey

Paul’s previous opponents include fellow YouTubers, an NBA player, several mixed martial artists, and 58-year-old Mike Tyson. The Tyson fight, streamed on Netflix in November 2024, broke records with an average of 108 million live global viewers, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history according to Netflix’s metrics.

Paul’s only professional loss came in 2023 against Tommy Fury, a relatively established boxer but not considered a title contender. Paul has since called for a rematch with Fury.

Business Implications

An Associated Press report notes that the WBA’s decision likely reflects Paul’s financial potential more than his fighting resume. Sanctioning body rankings can be adjusted internally to create opportunities for lucrative sanctioned fights, and Paul has emerged as one of boxing’s most financially potent figures.

Paul was previously in preliminary negotiations for a high-profile fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for May, but Alvarez ultimately signed a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season instead. Most Valuable Promotions, Paul’s promotion company, stated they were “deep in negotiations” for a Cinco de Mayo weekend event in Las Vegas before the deal collapsed.

Paul now focuses on his stated goal of becoming a world champion, with potential pathways through either Ramirez or Jack.