Don King Productions Rejects Jake Paul's Demand for Mikaelian Step-Aside, Citing WBC Ranking Rules
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Jul 2025
Don King Productions, the legendary promotional outfit headed by Hall of Fame promoter Don King, has emphatically rejected Jake Paul’s recent request for former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Noel Mikaelian to step aside from his highly anticipated world title rematch against current champion Badou Jack. The denial throws a significant wrench into Jake Paul's apparent plans to quickly secure a fight for the WBC Cruiserweight strap.
King's statement, delivered from his Florida headquarters, made it clear that a step-aside agreement for Mikaelian is not on the table. More fundamentally, the veteran promoter asserted that the World Boxing Council (WBC) would not even be in a position to sanction a matchup between Jake Paul and Badou Jack at this time, citing a crucial procedural hurdle: Paul is not currently ranked by the WBC in the cruiserweight division.
"The WBC has clear rules and rankings that must be respected," a spokesperson for Don King Productions stated. "Noel Mikaelian has earned his mandatory rematch, and that is what he is focused on. Furthermore, for Mr. Paul to even be considered for a WBC title fight, he first needs to establish himself within the rankings. This isn't a popularity contest; it's about adhering to the sport's legitimate procedures."
This firm stance from Don King Productions comes hot on the heels of Jake Paul's recent unanimous decision victory over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. in Anaheim, a win that Paul's camp touted as a significant step towards gaining legitimacy in the boxing world. Following that fight, Paul publicly called out both Badou Jack and Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez, signaling his ambition to challenge established champions in the cruiserweight division.
However, King's response highlights the bureaucratic realities of world championship boxing. The WBC, like other major sanctioning bodies, operates on a ranking system designed to provide a clear path for contenders to earn title shots. For Paul to bypass Mikaelian and directly challenge Jack, it would likely require an extraordinary exception from the WBC, which King suggests is highly improbable given Paul's unranked status in the division.
Noel Mikaelian (28-2, 12 KOs), who previously held the WBC Cruiserweight title before losing it to Jack, has a contractual right to a rematch, a right that Don King is clearly intent on protecting. This rejection by Don King Productions underscores the challenges Jake Paul faces as he attempts to transition from a crossover phenomenon to a fully recognized contender in the traditional boxing landscape, where rankings and mandatory challenges often dictate the championship picture. The path to a world title appears to be more complicated than a simple call-out for "The Problem Child."
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