Who should Jake Paul fight next? Exploring the three options on 'The Problem Child's' table
In the aftermath of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, which took place last Friday, many are criticizing 'The Problem Child' for boxing a 58-year-old man, even if that man was Tyson. As expected, Paul won, but he didn't give a good account of himself, failing to stop an over-the-hill legend who had retired in 2005.
Questions are now being asked of him. Who will Paul fight next? It seems like his circus act of fighting aging combat sports athletes long past their prime has reached its shelf-life. Now, he must either face someone actually capable of fighting or admit his limitations as a boxer.
While there's no official news on what he intends to do next, there are potential foes he can look to, with some more likely than others...
Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez: Unlikely
After beating Mike Tyson, Jake Paul issued a thinly veiled insult at the great Canelo Alvarez, who currently reigns as the WBA (Super), WBC, and WBO super middleweight champion.
He claimed that Alvarez needed him, showing his interest in facing the Mexican legend:
"Canelo needs me, so I'm not even going to try and call him out. He knows he wants a payday, so he knows where the money man's at."
Alvarez is still an active boxer, having just defended his aforementioned titles in a dominant unanimous decision win over Edgar Berlanga. This isn't the first time that Paul has challenged Alvarez to a boxing match. Unfortunately for 'The Problem Child', he has been dismissed at every turn.
Alvarez is still facing serious boxers at the top of their game. Berlanga was undefeated prior to boxing him, as was the case with Jaime Munguia. Before that, the Mexican star had beaten a former undisputed light middleweight champion in Jermell Charlo and a former interim light middleweight champion in John Ryder.
And prior to those wins, he had beaten one of boxing's most fearsome punchers in former two-time unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Right now, two far more prominent and respected fighters than Paul are seeking a matchup with Alvarez.
Fellow pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford and current unbeaten interim WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez are eyeing him. So, despite Paul's claims, Alvarez does not need him at all. Alvarez has more prestigious and lucrative options, especially with Turki Alalshikh interested.
There's zero chance Paul fights Alvarez next or at any point.
Jake Paul vs. Francis Ngannou: Possible
Jake Paul was criticized for the Mike Tyson fight before it ever took place, and he has certainly been criticized for it afterward. One man who is unhappy with 'The Problem Child' is current PFL Super Fights heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who threatened to slap him the next time they crossed paths.
Naturally, Paul took issue with Ngannou's statement, labeling him a 'clout chaser' and even mocking him by declaring Jon Jones the world's best MMA heavyweight:
"Clout chasing doesn't suit you legend. Maybe Jon Jones is the better heavyweight after all"
A matchup between the pair isn't unlikely.
First, both men are signed to the PFL, with Paul awaiting his MMA debut. Second, the PFL has strong ties to the Saudis, who have facilitated Ngannou's two boxing excursions. So booking a boxing match between the two wouldn't be difficult in terms of logistics and finances.
Ngannou isn't new to boxing, and he is an MMA fighter, which Paul enjoys facing. Moreover, Ngannou, who idolized Tyson, seems determined to avenge the heavyweight boxing great. Given the lack of compelling matchups in the PFL's heavyweight division, what else is Ngannou to do?
He has already annihilated Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut. The only variables that might prevent the bout from coming to fruition are Paul's possible fear of Ngannou's devastating punching power and the fact that Ngannou is not yet over-the-hill and remains strong, muscled, and explosive.
Second, Deontay Wilder's interest in facing 'The Predator' could sway him to face 'The Bronze Bomber' instead. Still, it's possible, but it may depend on how far Paul's newborn feud with Ngannou goes.
Jake Paul vs. Artur Beterbiev: Unlikely
Not long ago, Jake Paul declared his first major goal in boxing, which is to become a world champion. Well, it appears that he now has the chance to realize his dream. Following his win over Mike Tyson, 'The Problem Child' was called out by undefeated undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
The Russian knockout artist took to his Instagram story to challenge Paul to a boxing match, which subsequently drew the American's attention:
"Just seen this....top 5 pound for pound fighter in the world calling me out. Hahahahaha. 4 years in and I run this sport"
Unfortunately, there is almost no chance Paul and Beterbiev will share the ring, at least not now.
Despite Beterbiev's interest, Paul didn't accept the challenge. Instead, he patted himself on the back for getting the Russian's attention. The hard truth is that Beterbiev is too big a risk.
He is an elite-level boxer that even Dmitry Bivol fell to, and he has knocked out 20 of his 21 foes. Paul will not put himself in harm's way. If he couldn't beat a halfway decent boxer in Tommy Fury, he will never make the mistake of locking horns with Beterbiev, of all people.