The fallout of Jake Paul’s loss the first time he ever faced a boxer is a sure-fire sign that boxing’s sanctioning bodies need external governing.
It comes after the World Boxing Council stated they would rank the YouTuber if he defeated Tommy Fury, despite mass protests.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman even stated people who didn’t support Jake Paul’s boxing run were ‘bitter haters’ in a move that further irked the boxing community.
The cold hard fact is that the YouTuber was never good enough to gain a place in the rating system. And that’s what the rankings are for. They place fighters on merit for a shot at the world title.
If you don’t have this kind of ladder in operation, there’s absolutely no point in having a world title. It’s that simple. Therefore, the WBC set a dangerous precedent that could have eventually made their own championship irrelevant in the sport.
The WBC has proven to be one of the best and most respected boxing organizations through the years. Every fighter worth their salt wants to hold that coveted green and gold belt.
Jake Paul’s rankings decision has consequences
However, decisions need to have consequences, and sometimes those sanctioning bodies need to be saved from themselves.
Sulaiman didn’t listen to the fans. He just made his own decision and stubbornly stuck to it. Even with advice from those who have been part of the sport for years.
It’s high time that a governing body oversaw some of the intentions of the WBC and WBA, for that matter. Many times have fans been subjected to views from a place of a President getting too close to a boxer or personality.
Those kinds of links should be outlawed if boxing remains unbiased moving forward. Jake Paul is another example of a long list of fighters who got favor without earning it.
There’s no questioning Sulaiman’s integrity, but his decision-making based on his heart and not his head needs checking at the soonest opportunity.
Hall of Famer Lou DiBella was one of those watching on Sunday evening [WBN wasn’t]. He hit the nail on the head about the WBC ranking.
“There’s nothing wrong with this as a ‘fair fight’ [Paul vs Fury], but the idea of a world ranking for the winner of this fight is an abomination,” said DiBella.
“I have no problem with Jake Paul. He works hard and is a legit celebrity. I have no problem with this as entertainment. But let’s keep it real about what this is concerning world-class. It’s not!
“Truthfully, this is good matchmaking. It is what it is,” he added.
Danger to life
In a new world of celebrity boxing, it’s evident that some of the sanctioning bodies struggle to cope with where they should place the latest fad. But the WBC Rankings is undoubtedly not one of them.
They need to be checked, if not by a governing body, then by someone inside their own faction.
Jake Paul should never be ranked, ever, as he doesn’t have the talent, no matter how much work he puts in. This sport is brutal. If the former Disney child actor had faced Badou Jack after Tommy Fury, his life would have been in danger.
That’s the fine line we are dealing with here and why decisions like that of the WBC need independent advice that Mr. Sulaiman would be forced to take note of moving forward.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of experienced boxing writer Phil Jay. Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
