Jake Paul’s short run in the WBA rankings is coming to an end

The defeat also ended his brief stay among the WBA’s ranked cruiserweights. Paul entered the top 15 earlier in the year after a big win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a result that sparked internal objections in the sport. The ranking was appealed at a WBA conference and upheld, although questions about its durability never completely disappeared.

Activity played a role. Two of Paul’s last three bouts were contested outside of the cruiserweight division. A proposed exhibition against Gervonta Davis had already pushed him into bantamweight territory before the Joshua fight confirmed the move. As his schedule drifted upward, the relevance of a cruiserweight ranking became increasingly uncertain.

The WBA update removed Paul from the list entirely. He was ranked #14 before slipping to #15 and now appears to be unranked, with Liam Callanan and Edin Puhalo taking available positions. Paul did not address the change publicly.

Before the Joshua loss, Paul spoke openly about returning to cruiserweight and pursuing a title. He shared a California card with WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez last June, and then briefly faced him, a moment that indicated longer-term ambition rather than immediate intent.

For now, those ambitions have been put on hold. Paul said he hopes to fight twice next year once he recovers. Whether those matches come at cruiserweight or elsewhere will determine whether a re-entry into the rankings is even relevant. Meanwhile, the removal signals a quiet narrowing of options rather than a definitive end.