For weeks, Jake Paul was at the receiving end of sharp criticism for facing Gervonta Davis. How could he step in against a 5-foot-5-inch, 135-pound boxer? And now, all of a sudden, everyone wants to fight him? The twist in the plot emerged after Tank’s alleged involvement in domestic violence. Ticket sales for the November 15 event in Miami weren’t encouraging, to say the least. Taking immediate action, Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) scrapped the Netflix card. According to the latest reports, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, now ranked 14th in the cruiserweight division, will return on a December card.

Needless to say, the development and reports of Jake Paul and his team searching for a suitable dance partner sent the boxing world into a frenzy. From boxing’s Ryan Garcia and Edgar Berlanga to MMA’s Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou, names started making the rounds. It’s still under wraps who Paul will fight next, but there’s no shortage of suggestions and callouts. One, incidentally, came from a fighter Paul had previously worked with. Someone who’d dabbled in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Jake Paul’s latest challenger? Lion Sporino, or just Gabriel Rosado

For his cameo as Leo “The Lion” Sporino in Michael B. Jordan’s Creed, Gabriel Rosado received rave reviews. Now, two decades into his professional boxing career, and having faced the likes of Gennady Golovkin and Jermell Charlo, the Philadelphia-born fighter, who turns 40 this coming January, finds himself at a crossroads. After a string of losses, he’s managed to pull off a few wins, the latest coming on Danny Garcia’s farewell card last month. So Rosado wants to up the ante. If not for belts, then perhaps for a payday. And one way to do that – a matchup against Jake Paul!

Speaking with Marcos Villegas, the former middleweight challenger lobbied hard. Calling out Jake Paul, he said, “Stop fighting dudes like Tyson. Stop fighting dudes like Little Tank Davis.” clarifying that he wasn’t annoyed by Tank’s prospects, the reported $40 million offer to fight Paul. “But it’s kind of comical that you’re fighting a guy so small,” he said. So what does Paul need to do? “Fight me,” Rosado stated.

It was time to challenge the fighter in Jake Paul. “Fight me if you really want to prove something,” Rosado declared. According to him, their duel would sell well and, more importantly, give Paul the credibility that has long eluded him: facing an active professional boxer.

He didn’t mean any disrespect to Paul’s past opponents. But Gabriel Rosado nonetheless made it clear what fighting the likes of Nate Diaz or 58-year-old Mike Tyson really means.

Time for Jake Paul to take stock

“Nate Diaz is a UFC fighter,” he said and later added, “Mike Tyson isn’t Iron Mike anymore.” So it was time for Jake Paul to take a hard look at his choices. “Comes a time where you can’t keep playing boxer. You either really do that, or you’re just going to keep fronting.  And if you’re going to keep fronting, everybody’s going to look at you as an influencer. But if you want that respect, that people are looking at you and you look like a true pro boxer, then this is the fight,” Rosado concluded.

Last month, ahead of his fight at Barclays Center, Rosado had a word of caution for Gervonta Davis. The lightweight champion, he warned, ran a real risk facing a 200-pound cruiserweight contender.

Perhaps King Rosado’s confidence stems from the work he’s done with Jake Paul in the past. After Paul’s fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Rosado had said Paul still needed a few more bouts before stepping up for a title shot. “Give yourself more time to actually better your skill,” Rosado had strongly recommended at the time.

Fans may have to wait and watch if Jake Paul responds to Gabriel Rosado’s callout. With Nate Diaz also expressing interest in a rematch with the Ohioan, the landscape has taken another unexpected turn.

What’s your take? Should Jake Paul seriously consider Gabriel Rosado’s callout?