Believe it or not, Jake Paul is now a ranked boxer and eligible to fight for a world title

Jake Paul was a child actor.

He was once primarily known as a YouTube influencer .

When he started boxing, he was seen largely as a novelty act who didnt face serious fighters.

As of Monday night, however, Paul is ranked by the World Boxing Assn.

And as impossible as it may have sounded in the not-so-distant past, that makes him eligible to fight for a world title.

Ive worked hard to get here but there is nothing to celebrate, Paul wrote on X after the WBA listed him at No.

14 in the latest edition of its cruiserweight rankings.

Long road ahead and Im more committed to it every single day.

I may veer off the path now and again, but being a world champion is my desired ultimate destination.

The ranking came days after Pauls victory by unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the most accomplished opponent the former Disney Channel Bizaardvark star has faced en route to a 12-1 record with 7 knockouts in a boxing career that has spanned less than seven years.

During much of that time, Pauls opponents included fellow YouTubers, an NBA player and several mixed martial artists.

In the fall, he defeated then-58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson by unanimous decision in a bout that peaked at 65 million concurrent streams on Netfilix and netted a record gate of $18,117,072 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Pauls only loss came in 2023 against Tommy Fury, a professional boxer and reality TV star.

He reflected on that fight Saturday night after his win over Chavez.

I dont think I was a fighter at the time, Paul told reporters.

I was barely 212 years into the sport.

I didnt really know what I was doing.

I didnt have the right equipment around me, the right conditioning.

My lifestyle outside of the ring was still like that of a YouTuber, a famous actor or whatever it was at that point in time.

I wasnt completely focused on boxing.

...

People still hold the Tommy Fury fight against me, but now Ive beaten a former world champion and Im coming to collect on that loss to Tommy.

The current WBA cruiserweight champion is Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez, who was on the same bill as Paul last weekend and defeated Yuniel Dorticos in a close but unanimous decision.

During the postfight news conference, Paul and Ramirez stared each other down.

I want tougher fighters.

I want to be a world champion, Paul told reporters.

Zurdo looked slow ...

tonight.

Thatd be easy work, too..

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