Will there be a normal day in Jake Paul‘s life? Ever since WBA officially placed the 28-year-old in their top 15 rankings, the cruiserweight division has been in an uproar. The backlash even forced the organisation to review its decision in an upcoming meeting. And, if that was not enough, legendary promoter Don King threw another curveball at ‘The Problem Child.’
A few hours ago, Don King Productions revealed that Paul has requested his boxer, Noel Mikaelian, to step aside from his upcoming title clash against Badou Jack. In a lengthy statement, the promotion declared, “Don King Productions is denying Jake Paul’s request for former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Noel Mikaelian to step aside from his rematch against Badou Jack, the current WBC Cruiserweight World Champion.”
Don King asserts that even if Mikaelian steps aside, ‘El Gallo’ won’t secure a title shot due to his lack of an official ranking. At the time, there was no confirmation on whether Paul’s team had formally submitted a request. However, Nakisa Bidarian’s recent interview on Ariel Helwani’s show, revealing Jake Paul’s ambition to challenge Badou Jack for the title, fueled the flames.
Finally, after hours of skepticism, Jake Paul’s team finally released a statement, clarifying all the doubts. Bidarian took to his ‘X’ and stated, “Another fabricated statement by Don King,” dismissing all the claims. According to the MVP co-founder, despite demanding a title shot, Jake Paul has not approached anyone.
“There have been ZERO discussions with don or Team Noel or anyone regarding step aside,” he declared, setting the record straight. The WBC Cruiserweight title scene has been messy ever since Badou Jack won it back in 2023. The belt hasn’t had a proper defense since then, despite it changing hands twice. The latest Jake Paul-Don King controversy has added another chapter to that messy situation.
Another fabricated statement by Don King. There have been ZERO discussions with don or Team Noel or anyone regarding step aside. https://t.co/pqixfdpo6w
— Nakisa Bidarian (@nakisa_bidarian) July 15, 2025
However, as things stand, ‘The Problem Child’ will not challenge for a cruiserweight title anytime soon. And with him getting a blockbuster matchup against a former heavyweight champion, he shouldn’t be worried.
Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua’s matchup might become a reality
Back in March, during his podcast, ‘El Gallo’ sent out a bold challenge to Anthony Joshua. Joshua, who has been stuck in a limbo, struggling to land a fight since Daniel Dubois’ defeat, surprisingly reached out to Paul afterwards, which gave the latter more ammunition to double down on his challenge. However, we heard nothing from Joshua or his camp.
That all changed during the ‘Ring III’ event, where AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn spilled the beans on this potential matchup. “After speaking to His Excellency last night. In this mad world that we live in, I wouldn’t be surprised,” he revealed, taking everyone by surprise. While Hearn clarified that they are still targeting that Tyson Fury matchup, Joshua needs a match before that. And as things stand, Jake Paul will be the perfect opponent for that.
“Our focus is to fight Tyson Fury, but he needs a fight before then. If that’s Jake Paul and if you guys want that fight, I know the numbers would be massive, the world would want to see it,” the British promoter clarified. “I spoke to AJ about it, he said, ‘If you want me to flatten Jake Paul, I’ll do it.’ And I know there will be a lot of happy people, but that’s what Mr.Paul dines off. If we can do business with MVP, they’re doing great at the moment. In this crazy world, you never know, baby,” he concluded, setting the record clear.
With the duo onboard, and even His Excellency onboard, this matchup seems likely to happen. However, let’s wait for the official announcement before reaching any conclusion. What do you think?
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