Manny Pacquiao respects what Jake Paul is trying to accomplish in boxing.
While most boxing fans and pundits are tired of seeing ‘The Problem Child’ make a mockery of their sport with a slew of freakshow fights, ‘PacMan’ has a decidedly different take on Paul’s progression through the sweet science.
“I respect him, you know? He’s trying his best,” Pacquiao told Ariel Helwani. “He’s working hard for his dream, and he wants to be a champion. So I respect that. Not everyone can do that, putting in the work, stepping in the ring… It’s not easy.”
Paul added another win to his resume in June, defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in another lackluster bout that failed to deliver on the action it promised. The same thing happened during Paul’s clash with a 58-year-old ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson in November.
Despite being one of the most anticipated and most-watched fights in the history of the sport, Paul vs. Tyson was critically panned, with many calling it nothing more than a glorified sparring session for eight rounds.
Jake Paul’s WBA ranking comes under fire
Following his win over Chavez Jr., the WBA ranked Paul at No. 14 in its cruiserweight rankings, making him eligible to compete for the WBA cruiserweight world title. However, uproar from the boxing community has forced the WBA to reconsider Paul’s ranking.
“Due to heavy criticism and outrage from other ranked contenders, the WBA will review Jake Paul’s cruiserweight ranking at their upcoming European convention in Madrid — which takes place from July 15-18,” Ring Magazine posted on X.
“The WBA ranked Paul at No. 14 in its cruiserweight rankings after his lackluster win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last Saturday. Chavez Jr. wasn’t ranked at cruiserweight, and his last notable win came in 2012 at middleweight. Paul has never defeated a ranked boxer, unless you count his “fight” with the 58-year-old Mike Tyson.”
As of this writing, Paul is still the 14th-ranked contender in the division.
