No sooner had Jake Paul’s tattooed hand been held aloft in Texas than talk swirled about whose face it might connect with next.
Paul had recorded a landmark win in beating one of the world’s greatest boxers in Mike Tyson – although one 31 years his senior with a knee brace who revealed he ‘almost died’ in June.
It was a surprisingly gentlemanly affair, one booed by the crowd as it petered out, but one where both fighters were sportsmanlike and good-willed. ‘He’s the GOAT,’ Paul declared of Tyson after their eight-round bout.
That hasn’t stopped the bad blood boiling in the aftermath. Not between Paul and Tyson, but Paul and the future. Who next for this PunchTuber?
From Canelo Alvarez, to Francis Ngannou, to KSI, Mail Sport runs through some of the potential options for Paul’s next fight.
Now that Jake Paul has defeated Mike Tyson, Mail Sport asks who his next opponent could be
The American’s big ambition is to win a belt, but money is also a huge consideration
Canelo Alvarez
Unified super-middleweight champion Alvarez is the man Paul wants. His hopes look vanishingly slim.
‘That’s the move, right? That’s what everyone wants to see I think. I want a bigger challenge,’ Paul told Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly after his thump fest with Tyson.
Mexican legend Alvarez, who has won 62 of his 66 professional fights, has knocked out Sergey Kovalev, twice beaten Gennady Golovkin, smashed up Billy Joe Saunders, dominated Edgar Berlanga, and smothered the mythical Miguel Cotto. He is more than a ‘bigger challenge’ – he’s out of Paul’s league.
Would he really deign to fight a YouTuber who lost to Tommy Fury last year?
Well, the only thing that might talk is the payday. Tyson reportedly earned around £16million from Saturday’s fight, Paul double that. Seat revenue alone at the AT&T Stadium was £14.1m. For Alvarez, 34, that might be tempting even if it muddies his legacy somewhat.
‘Canelo needs me, so I’m not even going to try and call him out. He’s going to want a payday and I want to show the world all the [stuff] I’ve been talking about beating Canelo is true and I’ll have the biggest upset in the history of boxing,’ declared Paul. Wowza.
Paul wants to fight unified super-middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez, who would surely win
The Mexican has won 62 of his 66 fights and is out of Paul’s league, but a colossal payday could be tempting for the 34-year-old
Carl Froch
Froch will rant at just about anyone these days in his podcast crusade – just ask Anthony Joshua. He pulled no punches when it came to Paul.
‘I will tie one arm behind my back and finish you for good,’ he gloated at the weekend. Mail Sport does not consider the one-armed strategy to be wise.
But who are we to doubt the Cobra? He’s still in enviable shape. The former super-middleweight champion is now 48 but you wouldn’t be able to tell.
He won 33 of his 35 professional bouts and retired from boxing in 2014 after back-to-back victories over fierce rival George Groves.
But the prospect doesn’t seem to appeal much to Paul. ‘F***ing sour loser. Shut the f***up. I’ve done more in four years than you have in your life,’ he retorted.
‘First and last time I respond to your broke salty a**. Let me know if you want to wash my cars.’ Meow.
Carl Froch is still in good shape and claimed he could beat Paul with one hand behind his back
The 48-year-old is the former super-middleweight champion, having won 33 of 35 fights
Francis Ngannou
This one feels more realistic on paper, even if Ngannou is down on his luck after two defeats in two pro fights – granted, to Tyson Fury and Joshua.
The former UFC heavyweight champion nobly vowed to get revenge on Tyson’s behalf, writing on X: ‘Next time I see this Jake Paul guy I’m gonna give him 2 or 3 slaps.’
This Jake Paul guy gave short thrift to The Predator. ‘Clout chasing doesn’t suit you, legend. Maybe Jon Jones is the better heavyweight after all.’
Ngannou is now with the PFL, where he boasts a record of 18 wins and three defeats.
He impressed and won lots of fans in the Battle of the Baddest against Fury in October last year. Even floored The Gypsy King before losing via split decision by the tightest margin possible.
But this huge puncher’s mystique in boxing was extinguished in January, when Joshua floored him three times in two rounds. Knockout Chaos it was billed, and so it turned out to be. And with that he has likely lost a lot of commerical potential in boxing.
Francis Ngannou, former UFC heavyweight champion, is one of the hardest punchers around
He has subtly called out Paul but his stock in boxing fell with a one-sided defeat by AJ in March
Artur Beterbiev
Here’s a tasty one – the current undisputed cruiserweight champion saying he’d gladly put his belts on the line against Paul.
We’re not talking about a has-been here, nor some social media mug. Beterbiev has fought 21 times and won 21 times, 20 via knockout. In October he beat Dmitry Bivol via split decision in the interminable ‘Riyadh Season’ to become the first undisputed king of his category since Roy Jones Jr a quarter of a century ago.
Calling out The Problem Child, he wrote: ‘@jakepaul what can you do in the ring against the current undisputed champion? Just know that I’m always open to any suggestions.’
It’s particularly inviting for Paul because he’s made no secret of his ambition to win a title ever since debuting as a professional in 2020. Clearly he enjoyed the call-out. ‘Top five pound-for-pound fighter in the world calling me out. Hahahahahaha. Four years in, and I run this sport,’ he tweeted.
It’s also a prospect where you imagine, with that utmost respect, that Paul would get pummelled. Beterbiev, 39, is so far above any opponent the American has faced.
As with Alvarez, it would be truly brave and dangerous to box him.
Artur Beterbiev (left) would be a fearsome opponent; only Dmitry Bivol has avoided being KO’d
The undisputed cruiserweight king has directly called out Paul with his belts on the line
Conor McGregor
It looks like Paul would be willing to make this one happen after their verbal sparring over the weekend.
This is how former two-weight UFC champion McGregor, 36, saw Saturday’s affair: ‘A 16-minute spar in sparring gloves. F*** off.’
Paul hit back: ‘Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t’.
Mail Sport sees this bout as unlikely compared to some of the other options. McGregor is currently defending a civil action by a woman who has accused him of rape.
Moreover, The Notorious has not competed since his defeats by Dustin Poirier in January and July 2021.
However, he did tell Mail Sport last year that he is plotting the ‘greatest comeback’ in MMA history. Beating Paul would be a start.
Conor McGregor has not fought since 2021, when he lost twice to Dustin Poirier
KSI
KSI must be frothing at the mouth to fight somebody by now. It’s been over a year since he was beaten by Tommy Fury by unanimous decision.
Having knocked down the Love Islander, and seen his opponent have a point docked for illegal shots to the back of the head, KSI branded it a ‘robbery’. He is still waiting to take out his frustration on somebody else.
He is yet to comment on Paul’s win over Tyson, but did write ahead of the showdown: ‘Jake Paul will knock out Mike Tyson. This will not be close at all.
‘Boxing is a young man’s game and Mike is 58 years old. They’re sending a lamb to the slaughter and it’s disgusting.’
KSI beat Jake’s older brother Logan in 2019 and has a record of 5-1-1.
While it would hit the spot for a particular crowd, Paul would hardly boost his boxing credentials fighting KSI. He wants to set his sights higher.
Fellow YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI has not fought since he lost to Tommy Fury last year
Tommy Fury
This one has already happened, so you might question while it’s necessary.
If Paul wants to develop into a genuine contender, the golden road does not cross this bridge. Fury is not a first-rate boxer.
But revenge fuels sport like few other obsessions. Fury is the only man to record a defeat on Paul’s ledger. Would Paul one day regret enacting his comeuppance if he doesn’t at least try?
Still, there’s no guarantee. Paul might come away with his tail tucked even further between his legs. Fury has won all 10 of his professional fights so far. He’s not the school’s scariest bully but he’s still a serious boxer.
In any case, Fury’s first assignment back in the ring will be against former UFC fighter Darren Till in Manchester in January.
Tommy Fury is the only fighter to beat Paul, so the prospect of revenge could tempt him
Gervonta Davis
WBA lightweight champion Davis, 30, would be a significant reduction in weight for Paul to take on after he boxed Tyson at heavyweight.
However, they both appear fairly willing to make it happen.
After Paul beat Tyson, Davis wrote: ‘To the bozo who shared a ring with Mike… you a whole bozo for this and you didn’t get the job done (s***)head’.
Flattering words from the American, and Paul seems game for it. He said on Friday: ‘I’d be down. Let’s run it. Like, I’d be super, super down.’
Paul has 20cm on him, but Davis is a true boxer – first wildly successful as an amateur, and now the winner of all 30 of his pro fights, 28 by knockout.
Lightweight champ Gervonta Davis and Paul appear to want to fight each other, but it would be a huge weight drop for the latter
Jorge Masvidal
Mixed martial artist Masvidal, 40, would be an intriguing prospect – and likely one that wouldn’t end well for Paul.
He has won 35 of his 52 contests, but is on a streak of four defeats and hasn’t faced off against anyone in the UFC since losing to Gilbert Burns in April last year.
MMA star Jorge Masvidal is not allowed to fight against Paul until he has finished with the UFC
The American recently revealed he is actually banned from facing off against Paul in the UFC.
‘I’m full time with the UFC, the UFC granted me permission to box outside the company, but one of the names that I wasn’t allowed to fight was Jake Paul,’ he told Sportsbook Review.
‘The reason is, he’s trashed the UFC brand too much, he’s disrespected Dana [White] and Hunter [Campbell] too much, he said things he shouldn’t have said.’
Only when he is one day finished with the UFC would he be able to take on Paul.
