BOXING world champion Noel Mikaelian is ready to put his title on the line against Jake Paul – but warned it could comes with consequences.
Paul is only four years into his 9-1 career but remains adamant he will not only challenge for but win a championship belt by 2025.
3
Mikaelian – who holds the WBC title in Paul’s chosen cruiserweight division – is 27–2 and won the strap last year.
He has taken note of Paul’s lofty aspirations – but warned of the dangers that would come with it.
“It could be dangerous, of course. He can get knocked out, it can happen to any fighter,” Mikaelian, 33, told SunSport.
“But he doesn’t have the experience to obviously fight somebody like me or any other champion in the cruiserweight division or Canelo or something.
“That would be like, I don’t wanna say suicide, but it will be it could be dangerous.
“Boxing is a dangerous sport, an average 15 people die a year from boxing matches.
“So many concussions, brain injuries. So boxing is definitely a dangerous sport and it could be dangerous for anyone.”
Paul’s only loss in the ring came against Tommy Fury, 25, in February 2023 but he has won three times since.
3
That included stoppage wins against little-known opposition in Andre August, 35, and Ryan Bourland, 36.
But it did little to boost Paul’s chances of getting in place for a world title shot – which would start by getting a top 15 world ranking.
Paul, 27, now returns over the weekend against former UFC star-turned-bare-knuckle boxer Mike Perry, 32.
In the lead-up to the fight, he has continued to boast of plans to challenge for a cruiserweight title next year.
And Mikaelian is ready to grant Paul’s wish – on a few conditions.
“I watched him against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia last year and I expected much more,” he said.
“I thought he would bring a bigger crowd and that would be much more of a star. But it wasn’t as huge as I thought.
“But looking forward to next year, if he wants to fight for a world championship, it will be quite difficult. He has to first beat somebody in the top 15 to get ranked.
“And then – he’s gotta give me that Hawk Tuah and spit on that thing – then I’d do a voluntary defence against him.
“I would play around with him and enjoy it and it would be very lucrative for me too. So I would embrace that if he wants to fight for a title.”