Jake Paul given path to title shot after WBA rankings update

Boxing ratings have been a controversial topic for many years, but the WBA has ignited discussion after naming the YouTuber as their No 14 at cruiserweight

The World Boxing Association (WBA) has opened the road for a Jake Paul title shot after the organisation ranked the US boxer at #14 in its latest ratings.

Paul outpointed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on Saturday night, which was enough for the American, 28, to be ranked by the WBA.

An influencer-turned-boxer, criticism of Paul’s credentials stems from the quality of opponents in his current record of 12-1 (7 knockouts). The WBA is not the only governing body causing controversy with its ratings.

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In recent months, the inclusion of eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in the WBC’s welterweight ratings despite his four-year retirement caused much consternation, eventually leading to the organisation backtracking and removing the Filipino legend.

Winners

Jake Paul

Jake Paul (right) outpointed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (Getty Images)

Paul has become rated by a major sanctioning body for the first time, following his victory over former WBO super-middleweight champion Chavez Jr.

Prior to his win against Chavez, it was hinted that Paul would be ranked by both the WBA and WBC, potentially teeing up a shot against champions Gilberto Ramirez and Badou Jack. The WBC is set to update its ratings in a few weeks.

Coincidentally, both fighters have featured on the undercards of Paul matches in the past, but it remains to be seen whether either man will step into the ring with the influencer. Paul has called out each man, including a face-off with Ramirez in the build-up to his fight with Chavez.

However, the next fight that everyone wants to see for “Zurdo” Ramirez is a unification clash with Jai Opetaia.

Jimmy Kelly

Jimmy Kelly’s inclusion at No 11 in the middleweight ratings is slightly eyebrow-raising, with the Mancunian omitted from the latest update in May, the month of his latest fight.

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Midway through May, Kelly made his debut at 160lb, knocking out Thai boxer Patumpong Saengarun in the third round in Saudi Arabia.

The WBA did not include the Brit in their updated ratings on May 30th, but a month later they have rated Kelly in their top 15 fighters at middleweight. It is almost a decade since Kelly challenged for a world title, losing to reigning WBO super welterweight champion Liam Smith in December 2015 via a seventh-round stoppage.

Inactive in 2024, the now 32-year-old could be gearing up for another charge for a world title shot if he is able to build on his somewhat surprising inclusion in the WBA’s ratings.

Eimantas Stanionis

Eddie Hearn jokes with Eimantas Stanionis (Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Former WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis could receive a shot at his old title sooner rather than later, with the Lithuanian rising to second in the ratings.

Currently the WBA has two champions at welterweight, with Jaron “Boots” Ennis the ‘super’ champion, whilst Rolly Romero earned the ‘regular’ belt by defeating Ryan Garcia at the start of May.

Ennis defeated Stanionis in April to unify the IBF and WBA titles, but the American has already announced his intention to step up and campaign at 154lb.

With Devin Haney, second with the WBA in May, removed from June’s ratings after teeing up a world title shot at WBO champion Brian Norman Jr, Stanionis has risen from fourth up to second.

Raul Curiel has also risen two spots in the ratings, going from third from his fifth-placed perch. The Mexican defeated the WBA’s 11th-ranked welterweight Victor Ezequiel Rodriguez at the end of June, jettisoning his opponent from the ratings.

Losers

Joe Smith Jr

Joe Smith Jr (Getty Images)

There is a vast difference in the trajectories of Joe Smith Jr and Gilberto Ramirez’s careers since their clash in October 2023.

Prior to the fight, the pair had comparable recent histories, having lost to one half of the light-heavyweight powerhouse duo, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr had the chance to claim three world titles when he faced Beterbiev in June 2023, whilst Ramirez was aiming to take Bivol’s WBA belt in November 2022.

Neither fighter was successful, paving the way for the challengers to share a ring in October 2023, both moving out of the light-heavyweight division.

For the victorious Ramirez, it proved to be the start of a successful assault on the cruiserweight division, the former WBO super-middleweight champion becoming a two-time titlist in the following years via the WBO and WBA straps at 200lb.

Following the loss, Smith Jr has not fought again – with his 18 months of inactivity seeing the WBA remove the American from their cruiserweight ratings. Despite having only once fought at cruiserweight, Smith Jr was as high as 10th with the WBA as recently as May.

Smith Jr has not formerly announced his retirement, with a proposed bout in February of this year falling through. It remains to be seen whether Smith Jr will return to ranked status – or the sport as a whole.

Tevin Farmer

Tevin Farmer ahead of his bout with William Zepeda in November (Getty Images)

Tevin Farmer’s stock has taken a beating since 2024, with the American now on a four-fight losing streak.

Make no mistake, the quality of fighter Farmer has faced recently is clearly world class, with interim world champs Raymond Muratalla and William Zepeda earning tight decision wins over the 34-year-old.

After a more-convincing win for Zepeda in a rematch between the pair, Farmer needed a statement win against Floyd Schofield towards the end of June. However, the opposite occured, with Schofield knocking Farmer down twice inside the first round before ending the fight before the three-minute mark was reached.

Already tumbling out of world title contention, Farmer has lost his rating at number 10 with the WBA, with the American now unrated. In contrast, Schofield has moved up to number one, although that is mainly due to the fact that Zepeda has a world title shot against WBC champ Shakur Stevenson in July.

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