Is Jake Paul ready for a world title fight? Who is his best option?

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jake Paul picked up his biggest triumph against an experienced hostile by cruising past erstwhile WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. with a unanimous decision successful a 10-round cruiserweight fight.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has made wide his intentions to go a satellite champion, and the triumph implicit Chavez has pushed him person to seeing his imagination materialize. However, Paul is inactive comparatively inexperienced, with lone 1 combat arsenic an amateur and his triumph against Chavez being conscionable the 13th of his nonrecreational career. The level of contention that helium has faced is besides a concern. His vocation has been spent facing erstwhile MMA fighters, 2 boxing journeymen, a chap YouTuber, a retired NBA subordinate and a astir 60-year-old erstwhile heavyweight champion successful Mike Tyson.

Chavez is experienced, but helium is good past his premier and has struggled to enactment progressive and competitive. Nevertheless, Paul earned the biggest triumph of his vocation and demonstrated a fewer caller wrinkles to a crippled that is showing maturation since helium suffered his lone nonaccomplishment to Tommy Fury successful 2023.

If Paul wants to combat for a cruiserweight satellite title, his options are WBC champion Badou Jack, Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez, who defended his WBA and WBO belts successful the co-main event, and Jai Opetaia, the IBF titleholder. Both the WBA and WBC person suggested that an awesome show from Paul could spot him ranked by the sanctioning bodies, portion determination has been nary connection from the IBF and the WBO.

"I don't care, bro," Paul said during his postfight interview. "I got a clump of time. I'm 28 years old. I'll combat anyone, anytime, immoderate place."

Given the circumstances, what is realistically adjacent for Paul and who does helium person the champion accidental against?

1. Badou Jack

Jack has held the WBC rubric since February 2023, erstwhile helium stopped Ilunga Makabu, but helium has made conscionable 1 defence -- against Noel Mikaelian successful May. The timeline could lucifer up for a combat with Paul by the extremity of 2025, and though Jack is 41, helium remains a unsafe enactment due to the fact that of his experience. Of each the champions, Jack would contiguous the astir realistic enactment for Paul. As for the challenge, it would beryllium a monolithic measurement up for Paul, but helium would person a scope vantage and has appeared to acclimate to the size of chap cruiserweights. This is not to accidental Jack is the "easiest" opponent, but helium is the astir apt enactment if Paul hopes to triumph a satellite title.

2. Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez

Ramirez, 34, won a hard-fought determination implicit erstwhile champion Yuniel Dorticos connected Saturday and is undefeated astatine cruiserweight. Although it wasn't his astir awesome performance, "Zurdo" faced a erstwhile hard-hitting champion and pulled distant late. Don't beryllium fooled by Ramirez's dilatory commencement and mediocre performance. He's incredibly skilled, with the quality to enactment unneurotic punches and efficaciously neutralize his hostile with his guard. Considering the WBA is funny successful ranking Paul, Ramirez is an enactment for the erstwhile YouTuber. Ramirez seems to beryllium much funny successful a unification bout with Opetaia than facing Paul, and that seems to beryllium the astir apt route, adjacent though the 2 conducted an impromptu staredown astatine the postfight quality conference. Ramirez has size and acquisition connected his broadside against the younger Paul, who would astir apt beryllium a important underdog. But the WBA has made questionable decisions successful the past, truthful it wouldn't beryllium that overmuch of a astonishment if the combat with Paul was ordered.

3. Jai Opetaia

Opetaia, 29, is the people of the cruiserweight division. He has velocity and powerfulness connected his side. He's a convulsive puncher entering his premier years and a nightmare matchup for Paul astatine this point. The IBF hasn't expressed immoderate involvement successful ranking Paul, truthful this is the astir improbable of the imaginable title fights for Paul. It besides presents the stiffest challenge, and Paul would request importantly much seasoning successful the ringing earlier helium steps up to the challenge. Opetaia is not arsenic fashionable with American audiences, truthful the hazard versus reward whitethorn not beryllium worthy it for Paul conscionable yet.

Most apt adjacent opponent: Tommy Fury

A rematch with Fury -- successful a nontitle combat -- is simply a much realistic enactment for Paul, who has improved by leaps and bounds since the past clip they fought. The clip is close for the nonaccomplishment to beryllium avenged. Paul's squad has routinely stated that Fury's asking terms was excessively precocious for a rematch, but Fury's options are fewer and acold betwixt astatine this constituent successful his career. The combat would beryllium a important gully with a beardown storyline. As agelong arsenic the 2 sides tin travel to terms, this is the close combat to marque if Paul cannot unafraid 1 with a satellite champion.