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Request Rejected – Jake Paul’s Title Ambitions Hit a Major Snag

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Prince Horton | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:16 PM ET

Fresh off his biggest win, Jake Paul faces a roadblock on his path to a cruiserweight title.

Jake Paul reached a new milestone on June 27 at the Honda Center, earning the biggest win of his career by defeating Julio César Chávez Jr., a former WBC middleweight champion and son of a boxing legend. The victory was a significant step forward in Paul’s professional journey, solidifying his position as more than a novelty act. Still, despite the momentum, his route to a world title is far from straightforward.

Following the win, reports surfaced that Paul earned the No. 14 spot in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, making him eligible to challenge champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez. However, Paul’s team seemed interested in pursuing another route—one that involved WBC gold.

Current WBC champion Badou Jack, who captured the belt by defeating Ilunga Makabu in 2023, was viewed as a prime target. Yet that plan hit a wall.

According to ESPN’s Salvador Rodríguez, Don King refused to accept Jake Paul’s offer for Noel Mikaelian to step aside and allow Paul to challenge Badou Jack for the WBC cruiserweight title. Rodríguez reported on X that the WBC has scheduled a purse bid for July 15 for the mandatory rematch between Jack and Mikaelian. BoxingScene added that the rematch was ordered after Jack narrowly outpointed Mikaelian earlier this year, winning by majority decision after a hard-fought contest.

Don King se negó a aceptar la oferta de Jake Paul para que Noel Mikaelian se haga a un lado y Paul rete a Badou Jack por el título WBC Crucero. El WBC tiene pautada una subasta este martes para el duelo obligatorio entre Jack y Mikaelian, tras la disputada batalla de mayo pasado. pic.twitter.com/gJ40bGT9bc
— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) July 15, 2025

King’s decision reflects the approach of a seasoned legend in the game—a promoter who has seen every angle of boxing business. Protecting his fighter’s mandatory position while ensuring the financial upside of a purse bid is classic Don King strategy.

BoxingScene noted that Paul’s team has expressed a clear intention to fight for a title as soon as possible, with Badou Jack being the preferred opponent. The report underscores the push from Paul’s camp to secure a championship fight rather than wait for rankings to dictate the next move.

Paul, never short on options, could pivot to a showdown with Ramírez, who recently fulfilled his mandatory, or revisit a rematch with Tommy Fury. Either path will be a tough test, and the road to a title just got more complicated.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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