Jake Paul has a new opponent – and this time, it’s not a former NBA dunk champion, not a retired UFC striker, not a novelty matchup built for viral views.
It’s Anthony Joshua. The former unified heavyweight champion of the world. The Olympic gold medalist. The man who spent years as one of boxing’s most dominant, marketable forces.
On December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, live on Netflix, Jake Paul will step into a ring with one of the most physically gifted heavyweights of his era. The announcement came Monday after Paul‘s originally scheduled November 14 fight was postponed due to Gervonta Davis facing domestic violence accusations. And now that the dust has settled, the real question is louder than ever:
How good of a boxer is Jake Paul actually?
Yes, Jake Paul is ranked – and yes, it drives people crazy Let’s get the uncomfortable truth out front: Jake Paul is officially ranked by the WBC. Depending on who you ask, that either means boxing is evolving… or falling apart.
But the ranking itself sparked a much bigger debate: Is Jake Paul a real boxer? A fair question – and one that deserves a fair answer. A YouTuber who trains like a professional Say what you want about the YouTube beginnings or the Disney Channel days, but one thing is impossible to deny now: Jake Paul puts in the work.
He trains like a professional. He takes the sport seriously. He’s in real boxing shape. And his improvement shows: he throws clean, sharp 1-2 combinations. His footwork, once clumsy, is now serviceable. His conditioning holds up – he doesn’t gas after three rounds anymore. And most importantly: he wins fights.
No, he’s not beating elite boxers in their prime. But he’s passed every test put in front of him so far – until Tommy Fury. And losing to an actual lifelong boxer? That’s not exactly a scandal. Paul is doing what any developing fighter is supposed to do: climb the ladder. He just happens to be climbing it in front of millions of people.
What makes a “real boxer” anyway?
Here’s where things get messy. Jake’s WBC ranking puts him in regional, mid-level territory – not among the Crawfords, not among the Inoues, not anywhere near the world-title conversation. And so far, most of his opponents have been former MMA fighters making their pro boxing debuts.
That’s like beating a Jiu-Jitsu black belt in a wrestling match. Impressive? Sure. Authentic boxing résumé material? Not really. Tommy Fury, the one opponent who actually came from the same sport and the same system, beat him clean.
So when longtime fans say Jake Paul hasn’t “earned it” the traditional way – the tiny shows, the nightmare travel, the 6-0 killers fighting for rent money – they’re not wrong. But the sport isn’t traditional anymore. Times have changed – and Jake Paul is the proof
Boxing’s old gatekeeping rules don’t apply the way they used to. Today, belts matter. Skills matter. But attention matters too. Jake Paul brings more attention to boxing than almost any active fighter not named Canelo. Arenas sell out. Streams spike. Younger fans tune in. That doesn’t replace skill, but it does change the economics.
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