Jake Paul’s attempt to secure a world title fight against WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack has encountered a significant obstacle. Veteran promoter Don King has firmly rejected Paul’s request for challenger Noel Mikaelian to step aside and allow Paul to replace him in the upcoming title fight.
Although Don King’s prominence peaked in the 1980s, he remains an influential figure in boxing, promoting fighters including Adrian Broner, Blair Cobbs, and notably, the current WBC cruiserweight title challenger Noel Mikaelian—the boxer Paul hoped to bypass.
In May, Mikaelian lost a razor-close Majority Decision to Jack on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Skelton event. The WBC quickly mandated an immediate rematch, which has now been agreed upon, resulting in the cancellation of the purse bid.
“Don King Productions is denying Jake Paul’s request for former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Noel Mikaelian to step aside from his world title rematch against Badou Jack, the current WBC Cruiserweight World Champion,” the promoter’s statement read.
Don King blocks Jake Paul’s request to bypass challenger Noel Mikaelian for the WBC cruiserweight title fight. (Photo by Chris Arjoon/Getty Images)
Don King points to WBC ranking rules
Don King’s promotional company emphasized that Paul is not currently ranked by the WBC, rendering him ineligible for the title fight under the sanctioning body’s rules. Paul holds the 14th spot in the WBA rankings, but this has no bearing on WBC eligibility.
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Paul’s team has expressed interest in fighting Badou Jack rather than other champions such as Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (WBA) or Jai Opetaia (IBF).“The Hall of Fame promoter King said the WBC wouldn’t even be able to sanction the matchup as Paul is not currently ranked by the WBC,” the statement added.
WBC confirms rematch agreement, cancels purse bid
Following the close May fight, the WBC ordered a rematch between Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelian. A purse bid was scheduled but subsequently canceled after an agreement was reached.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the update to BoxingScene and other media outlets. “The WBC has been notified that an agreement has been reached for the rematch between Cruiserweight champion Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan,” Sulaiman said. “Consequently, the purse offer scheduled for [Tuesday] is hereby cancelled.”
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Paul’s position with the WBC remains uncertain. The organization was reportedly considering ranking him following his win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but no official ranking has been granted as of now.
