Jake Paul stands accused of not knowing the rules surrounding world title shots in boxing after applying for a title shot he’s ineligible for.
According to Hall of Fame promoter Don King, Paul tried to secure a WBC cruiserweight world title fight against WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack.
However, Don King Productions rejected this move by the influencer boxer. The outfit remains firm on enforcing a rematch clause for former champion Noel Mikaelian.
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The WBC Rejection: No Ranking, No Shot
Added to King’s denial of the opportunity is the fact that the WBC hasn’t ranked Paul in the Top 40, let alone the Top 15.
Any boxer who fights for the WBC title, barring a legend or Emeritus champion, cannot earn sanction to battle for the green and gold. Therefore, Paul’s omission must have come as a shock.
In a direct statement on the matter, the King clarified the position and ruled out any possibility of Paul skipping the line.
Don King’s Stance: Bypassing Boxing’s Rules
Despite Paul’s growing star power and financial appeal, King made it clear that he can’t bypass boxing’s established processes.
“Don King Productions is denying Jake Paul’s request for former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Noel Mikaelian to step aside from his world title rematch against Badou Jack, the current WBC Cruiserweight World Champion.
“The Hall of Fame promoter King said the WBC wouldn’t even be able to sanction the matchup as the WBC does not currently rank Paul.”
The development brings a halt to speculation that Paul could leapfrog the division’s contenders and challenge Jack, who defended the title in May.
With Mikaelian’s contractual rights in place stemming from that spring bout in Saudi Arabia and Paul absent from the WBC rankings, the matchup is effectively off the table.
Paul, who currently holds a No. 14 spot with the WBA, has been campaigning for a world title opportunity at cruiserweight after stringing together wins over low-profile opposition.
However, any bout under their jurisdiction would require a significant rule exception.
One commenter on Instagram questioned, “Does Jake Paul even know the sanctioning rules?”