WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman issued a statement ahead of the fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua.
Paul versus Joshua will take place in Miami, Florida on Friday night, and is due to get underway at approximately 3:30am UK time on Saturday morning.
It will be fought over 10 three-minute rounds, with a slightly larger 22x22 ring compared to the traditional 20x20 size.
A contract clause meant that Joshua could not weigh in at above 245lbs - 7lbs lighter than he was for his last fight against Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
Advert
The 36-year-old was well within that limit on Thursday night, weighing in at 243.4lbs.
Paul, meanwhile, was at 216lbs.
Joshua is tipped by experts to win the fight comfortably in the opening rounds, with Paul given a remote chance of pulling off what would arguably be boxing's biggest upset.
Now, WBC president Sulaiman has released a statement ahead of the fight claiming that, regardless of the outcome, 'boxing wins'.
"Regardless of what happens tomorrow in the ring, the world must now respect Jake Paul," he wrote on Twitter.
"A kid who conquered social media and fell in love with boxing and has trained as hard as anyone, and has brought millions of new fans to the sport, and is providing great activity to boxers who fight in his cards.
"Boxing wins!"
Paul was officially added to the WBA cruiserweight rankings in July after defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and entered the list in 14th place.
Sulaiman's comments have led to concerns among fans - albeit there are no rumoured plans to do so - that a novelty belt could be introduced for the fight.
"WBC YouTube heavyweight belt incoming," one wrote.
Another said: "Oh, don't be so silly. Why don't you just create a belt for him?"
A third said: "Don't tell me you're gonna make him no.1 contender for the heavyweight belt or cruiserweight belt."
While a fourth stated: "You'll probably make him no.1 contender for the belt next."
How to watch Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua if you don’t have Netflix
If you don’t already have Netflix, there is a workaround to essentially get it for ‘free’ as part of a bargain bundle.
Sky is currently offering its ‘Stream on Screen’ package - including Netflix, discovery+ and much more - for just £15/ month. It’s Sky’s lowest-ever price and will allow you to watch the big fight live along with Sky Atlantic, Sky Stream and Sky Essential TV.
Topics: Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua, Boxing
Ryan Smart