Jake Paul is out of the WBA cruiserweight rankings after losing to Anthony Joshua. That fight went down on December 19 in Miami. Paul stepped up to heavyweight for it, but Joshua—a former two-time champ—dropped him a few times before finishing things in the sixth round.

Even though the loss happened at heavyweight, Paul’s standing at cruiserweight took a hit. When the WBA updated their rankings at the end of December, Paul was no longer on the list. He’d been sitting at No. 14, but now it’s just the usual 15 names, and he’s not one of them.

Paul, 28, first cracked the WBA rankings after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. back in June. Chavez Jr., if you don’t know, is a former middleweight champ and the son of the legendary Chavez Sr. That win by decision helped Paul’s case, but losing to Joshua knocked him out of the conversation. His pro record now sits at 12-2, and on top of the loss, he broke his jaw in two places. That’s a rough way to end a fight—especially after his last heavyweight appearance 13 months back, when he beat Mike Tyson on points.

At cruiserweight, Paul’s picked up wins against former UFC guys like Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Mike Perry. His first pro loss came in that division too, when Tommy Fury—Tyson Fury’s half-brother—outpointed him in 2023.

So, what’s next for Jake? Nobody really knows yet. He’s been calling out Canelo Alvarez for ages, hoping to score a fight with the Mexican superstar. Canelo, 35, is a former champ in four different weight classes and has twice held all the super-middleweight belts at once. But in his last fight, he lost those titles to Terence Crawford. Crawford, who’s 38, actually retired in December after beating Canelo on points.

While Paul figures out his next move, Joshua is recovering from a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his friends. He was just a passenger in an SUV when their convoy hit a parked truck along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele—both close with Joshua—died in the accident on Monday. Joshua himself got away with only minor injuries.

For a while, people have said Nottingham's Ezra Taylor had it all, but he didn't truly believe it until he teamed up with Malik Scott.

Taylor, with a record of 13-0 and 9 KOs, was doing great in his first 11 fights. So, some were surprised when he moved to Los Angeles to train with Scott earlier this year.

The new setup with Scott, a former heavyweight fighter turned coach, didn't start smoothly. Taylor spent 23 hours in a U.S. detention center after going to Mexico to watch Gerald Washington's fight. When he tried to come back to the U.S., they told the 31-year-old he was being sent back to the UK.

“Don’t worry, we’re settled here now,” Taylor says from his temporary place in West Hollywood. Yeah, I got deported last time. That was two weeks before the Troy Jones fight, crazy. Being stuck in detention for 23 hours isn't ideal when you're trying to get ready for a fight.”

But it didn't throw him off. He won his first fight with Scott by beating Jones, his only undefeated opponent, over 10 rounds. Then, five months later, Taylor and Scott got their second win together when Taylor stopped Steed Woodall in the ninth round at London’s O2 Arena.

Now, Taylor is back in LA to get ready for his next fight, which he calls the toughest one yet. On January 24, Taylor is set to go up against Willy Hutchinson, who's ranked No. 10 by The Ring, at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena. For the first time, the odds are against Taylor.

But he thinks he has an advantage.

Usually, it's a 1v1 in the ring, Taylor says. But now it feels like a 2v1 because I have Malik in my corner. That’s how much confidence I have since we started working together. I'm very thankful to have Malik in my life. He really changes everything.

“He’s like a father and a guide. If I could be like someone, I would choose him. He’s got great morals and beliefs. I’m learning a lot from him both in and out of the ring. We both believe in God, so we connect on that, too. It's more than just a boxing thing. We have a strong relationship.”

Taylor skipped Christmas with his family in Nottingham to focus on training camp, which continued without a break over the holidays.

“I’m working hard here,” he says with a smile. No Christmas for me.

“This has been a long and helpful camp. I'm getting used to the climate and changes because you have to get used to them. America's totally different from the UK. The training is hard, but you have to get used to it. And you can see the results in my fights. I'm getting better all the time.

“I've got an apartment here where I relax. I just go back and forth to training. I train in North Hollywood, stay in West Hollywood, and train two or three times a day.

“We can put in the time, and we don't have a strict schedule. We don't have to stick to a one-hour session; we'll go for two if we need to. If I need to perfect a left or right, we'll keep working on it until I get it right. So, it's great. The way we work together is great.”

What about Hutchinson, who is younger but has more experience? He lost a close fight to Joshua Buatsi in September 2024 and is now determined to get a shot at a world title.

“We already have a plan,” Taylor says. We know what we need to do. It's nothing out of the ordinary for me.

“That’s what I keep telling people. You've probably seen the best of Willy Hutchinson, but you haven't seen the best of me yet. People should remember that.

“We know he switches stances and is hard to read. So, you have to spar with everyone—southpaws, orthodox fighters, and switch-hitters. The sparring here in LA is intense. It tests you.

“Being here is great because they have all kinds of styles to deal with. And I trust Malik completely. He's a genius at what he does.

“I'm excited. I don't have to do anything crazy in the ring. I'm just going to go in there and be the best Ezra Taylor.”