TOMMY FURY will also earn a WBC ranking if he beats Jake Paul – leaving both fighting for world title contention.
The pair of celebrity boxing rivals meet in a rescheduled grudge match on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.
And the stakes were raised after the WBC announced that Paul will recieve a cruiserweight world ranking if he emerges victorious.
But WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman CONFIRMED to SunSport that Fury will also be ranked should he win.
To contend for a world title, a fighter must be within the WBC’s top 15 ratings.
But, this ranking is not guaranteed for either Paul, 26, or Fury, 23.
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Instead, the WBC will analyse the result and place the winner anywhere from the top 40-15, depending on the nature of the performance.
Meaning, if the victor impresses enough, they can receive a top 15 rating and be eligible for a world title fight.
Sulaiman told SunSport: “(We) cannot anticipate which number.
“The WBC ranks 40 fighters in each weight category, the performance in such fight, by both fighters, will determine the evaluation of the ratings committee.”
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Paul has beaten ex-MMA champions Ben Askren, 38, Tyron Woodley, 40, and Anderson Silva, 47, during his 6-0 career.
But after Fury twice pulled out before – amid injury and visa issues – it left the American yet to face a recognised boxer.
He was set to in August, when 13-2 heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr, 31, signed on as a late replacement.
The WBC were even willing to rank Paul if he won, until the fight was cancelled due to a weight disagreement.
Instead, the YouTuber-turned boxer returned in October to beat UFC legend Silva on points, in a win hailed by Sulaiman.
He said: “I had provided my opinion before Jake Paul’s last fight and the WBC ratings committee did not rate him after his win versus Silva.
“Now that he will fight Tommy Fury, who is an established boxer, it becomes possible to rate him.”
Paul had vowed to shock the world and become a world champ one day, despite not yet fighting a seasoned boxer.
He won a WBC “amateur” belt for his white collar win over KSI’s younger brother Deji, now 26, in 2018.
And Paul has remained on good terms with the WBC and Sulaiman ever since, paving the way for a potential title shot in the future.
Sulaiman added: “That is something that will be determined by Jake Paul himself.
“He started as an amateur boxer and he has improved his boxing skills in a very important way.
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“It seems he has tremendous punching power, solid chin and keeps improving technique and defence.
“We will see what happens in the future, I respect him very much for his training ethics, discipline and dedication, just as a professional boxer does.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
