Jake Paul has been awarded a World Boxing Association 'title belt' after attending the governing body's recent convention in Miami, Florida.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer is 6-0 as a professional, having made his debut in 2020 after just one white-collar bout back in the summer of 2018. However, his six opponents have been a mix of YouTube stars, basketball players and MMA legends far past their prime, as opposed to legitimate boxers, or even local American journeymen.
And some boxing fans were irked when footage emerged of Paul on stage with WBA president Gilberto Mendoza and legendary boxer Bernard Hopkins to be presented with a world title. Even Paul himself seemed embarrassed at the gift and awkwardly attempted to return it, admitting that he hadn't yet earned it. He eventually said that he would use it as motivation.
“I”m honoured. For real, this means a lot," Paul said while holding the belt. "I feel like I haven’t earned this yet, though. I feel like I have to actually fight for this. I don’t know, I don’t know. Thank you. I feel like you guys should hold this until I’m actually fighting for a WBA Championship. I don’t know."
Hopkins briefly took the microphone to jokingly challenge Paul to a fight, saying that he could "accommodate him very well" if he were interested in a fight for a WBA belt. However, the YouTube star eventually accepted the gift for what it was and thanked the WBA for the honour, declaring that he would hang it up and "use it as motivation".
What do you make of the WBA giving Jake Paul a world title belt? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Paul only managed to fight once this year after taking a break until May to focus on promoting Amanda Serrano's undisputed title effort with Katie Taylor. His August bouts with Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr were cancelled. However, he did impress in a win over legendary UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in October, and is expected to return in February.
No opponent has been named for Paul's next professional fight, but fans will likely only accept a 'legitimate boxer', with Tommy Fury locked in talks. The Brit is the younger brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson and has a solid 8-0 professional record, making him the perfect candidate for a fight with Paul.
They have twice signed to fight each other, with both bouts being cancelled by Fury. The first was called off when he broke a rib in training ahead of their December fight last year and the second was cancelled due to a travel issue that saw the Love Island star unable to get into the United States.
