Jake Paul is one win away from officially being a ranked boxer.
Those are the stakes that have been laid down by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman according to a Wednesday press release, in which he states that the WBC ratings committee will rank Paul in the cruiserweight division should he defeat Tommy Fury on Feb. 26 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
Billed as “The Truth,” the event is co-promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and Queensberry Promotions in coordination with Skill Challenge Entertainment Enterprises and the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport.
Both boxers enter the Feb. 26 bout with an undefeated pro record. Paul is a YouTube star who has gone 6-0 as a pro, primarily competing against non-boxers, including UFC stars Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren, and NBA veteran Nate Robinson. In his most recent outing, Paul defeated Silva via eight-round unanimous decision.
Fury is also undefeated, with an 8-0 record comprised mostly of journeymen boxers. He is the half-brother of heavyweight star Tyson Fury.
Currently, the WBC’s rankings go 40 names deep. It is unclear how high Paul can expect to be ranked with a win in his next fight.
Gimmicky rewards for victories are commonplace in boxing. The WBC famously created a “Money Belt” for the momentous Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor crossover fight in August 2017.
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