Paul said that he wants “tough fighters”, but his callouts often ignore weight sections.
He insulted former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Lightweight World Champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as potential opponents.
Earlier this week, WBC President Maurisio Suleman said that Paul can be considered for the ranking if he defeats Chavez. Under WBC rules, a fighter must be within the top 15 to qualify for the world title shot.
For reference, British champion Vidal Relay is ranked 15th, while Team GB Olympian Shivon Clarke is ranked 19th.
Should Ohio’s Paul be ranked over him? Sporting Logic says no. But in today’s boxing scenario, this is not impossible.
Paul has also suggested that WBA may rank him. WBA fights at the level of history, activity and competition while ranking fighters.
For his credit, Paul has brought a new audience into boxing, supported women fighters through his most valuable propaganda and showed serious commitment to training. But it does not justify a world title shot alone.
To earn real respect in boxing, they must move beyond faded names and former MMA stars. Winning over Chavez and Tyson can promote their brand but they greatly reduce their credibility in the ring.
The problem for the self-declared ‘problem child’, however, it is likely to move with an active, legitimate rank fighter when the wheels are likely to come.
