Whether He Earned It Or Not, I Think Jake Paul Deserves A Title Shot

Jake Paul hit a major boxing milestone this week when he became an officially ranked fighter in the WBA. It's another notch in his metaphorical belt, but it's looking like he's closer than ever to having an actual boxing championship. He may even get a date for go for that title by the time the 2025 TV schedule wraps up, and whether or not readers think he deserves it, we should all be rooting for him to get one.

The young boxer has no shortage of haters, including those considered his peers in the business, but even they should back the idea of seeing Jake Paul under the brightest of lights, looking for his first major title. I'm sure that's a big ask for some, but trust me, this is in everyone's best interest.

Jake Paul Is The Biggest Star Boxing Has Going For It

While their antics aren't always the most polite or sportsmanlike, the Paul brothers have forced their way into the mainstream when it comes to combat sports. Keep in mind, Jake Paul fought his first professional fight in 2020, and he's already technically able to get a title shot in one official organization. For comparison, cruiserweight Gilberto Ramirez had his first professional fight in 2009, and is only four years older than Paul. What Paul has done in this short of a career is truly remarkable, and even if he isn't the biggest talent in boxing, he's undoubtedly one of its biggest stars.

Jake Paul Will Finally Be Forced To Prove His Legitimacy As A Fighter

After losing celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal a lot of money betting against him, Jake Paul's professional ranking puts him in a position that I'd say he hasn't been in since he began his professional fighting career. Whether he's competing for the world title or taking on any of the fighters above him, he's going to enter the fight as an underdog.

Even if he's competing for the championship in his first fight, Jake Paul will finally be forced to prove he's a worthy fighter to all of his supporters and critics. Once he takes on someone proven to be a top talent, I'm sure people will take the comments from other fighters like Conor McGregor less seriously.

The world has tuned in to watch Jake Paul defeat former UFC stars and retired boxing legends, and honestly, I don't think they could be any more invested than they are currently. I believe that both Paul supporters and critics want to see him fight legitimate contending boxers at this stage in his career, and will be invested in seeing whether he can prove he's as good as he says he is. We'll either get to see him rise to the occasion or take a big loss. I think either way, people will be thrilled, and that's good for the Paul brand.

For now, we can just sit back and wait and see who Jake Paul plans on challenging in his next big boxing match. Whoever it is, I'm just hoping I'll be able to watch it with a Netflix subscription or on some other major streamer rather than pay pay-per-view pricing.