Jake Paul loses WBA cruiserweight ranking after loss to Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul’s defeat by Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight bout in December has seen American boxer lose his WBA ranking.Published On 3 Jan 2026Jake Paul has slipped out of the WBA cruiserweight rankings after the YouTuber-turned-boxer was soundly beaten by former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last month.Paul’s jaw was broken in two places and the American needed surgery to repair the damage after Joshua’s sixth-round knockout victory in a heavyweight bout in Miami.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Liensberger to miss Olympics after latest serious skiing accidentlist 2 of 4Venus Williams gets Australian Open wildcard aged 45list 3 of 4AFCON 2025: Gabon government sacks Aubameyang, suspends national teamlist 4 of 4Photos: Sporting moments of 2025 beyond the scoreboardend of listThe event had drawn criticism ahead of the bout due to the disparity in the sheer size and experience of the boxers, while Paul spent much of the fight dancing around the ring rather than engaging Joshua.Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) had entered the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings at No 14 in July shortly after he beat 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California.He was at No 15 entering the bout against Joshua. Bosnia’s Edin Puhalo has taken Paul’s place in the top 15, having recorded his 29th career win in December.The WBA ranking announcement and changes were for the period ending December 31.