Jake Paul got the number 14 spot in the WBA's cruiserweight world rankings after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Now, that decision is being looked at again because a lot of people aren't happy about it.
Paul won against Chavez Jr. in a ten-round fight. The judges all agreed Paul was the winner, but Chavez didn't put up much of a fight until the last couple of rounds. Even though Chavez wasn't ranked and hadn't fought in a while, the WBA still put Paul at number 14 in their rankings. That means Paul could get a shot at the world title against champion Gilberto Ramirez.
A lot of people in boxing don't think Paul deserves this ranking. They point out that most of Paul's fights have been against retired MMA fighters. The only real cruiserweight he's fought is Tommy Fury, and Paul lost that fight.
Craig Parker, an unbeaten 200-pound fighter, wasn't happy about Paul's ranking. Parker got pushed down from 14th to 15th to make room for Paul. He said:
"It's a struggle to be ranked in the WBA or any belt and stuff like that, so for him just to take a position that guys like me that struggle to find a ways to the gym, it's a long road to be where we at you know, and for him just to be number 14 it was a slap in the face. What can I say? It was disgusting news to me."
The WBA is now taking another look at their decision to rank Paul. Ring Magazine reports that the review is ongoing.
Paul's promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, responded to the news:
"Can't say we are surprised. But no matter what, he will not be stopped. Fall down ten times get back up every single time. Expect them to hate what they can't control."
We'll have to wait and see what the WBA decides about Paul's ranking. It's clear this decision has stirred up a lot of debate in the boxing world.
