The road to WrestleMania is always full of surprises, but the latest twist comes from outside the wrestling ring, aimed squarely at Jake Paul. While CM Punk and Roman Reigns are grabbing the WrestleMania headlines, another WWE star is looking to make a name for himself in a different arena—the boxing ring—, and he’s calling out its most polarizing figure.

Ahead of his ladder match at WrestleMania 42 this Saturday, WWE superstar Miroslav Petrov Barnyashev, aka Rusev, was asked which “celebrity” he would like to fight outside of the promotion. The three-time WWE United States Champion and Slammy Award winner, named singer Jelly Roll before quickly changing it to Jake Paul. He then proceeded to call out the novice boxer for a fight in a boxing ring.

“Also, the other Paul. The boxing Paul. Jake Paul… Yes, I would definitely love to put my hands on that guy,” Rusev told TMZ Sports. “I’ll box him too, but he already got a fake jaw, so. My boxing coach always says, ‘Hey man, you should box him.’”

While Paul has a history of clashing with stars from various combat sports, his interactions with WWE talent have been minimal, save for a notable war of words with multi-time champion Seth Rollins.

For those who don’t know, Jake Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, is already a star in WWE. And he’s had a long-running feud with Rollins, especially after the YouTuber-wrestler eliminated Rollins in a Royal Rumble match. This caused his brother to step in and threaten him.

“He sounds like a f— b—h. Not that big. I’ll beat the f–k out of him,” Jake Paul said during a podcast episode of Impaulsive in 2023.

Although Paul hasn’t actively pursued fights with WWE talent, Rusev’s challenge presents an intriguing possibility. Such a crossover isn’t without precedent; Floyd Mayweather famously knocked out Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV, proving that a high-profile boxing vs. wrestling match can capture the public’s imagination.

So, we can assume that nothing is impossible. But what does Jake Paul want next? Well, he’s already plotting his next move for his comeback, which includes a solid opponent.

Jake Paul eyes a comeback fight against former UFC heavyweight champion

Following his jaw-breaking loss to Anthony Joshua in December 2025, many fans have been doubting whether Jake Paul can actually make a comeback. But ‘El Gallo’ updated everyone with good news, stating that his jaw is healing well after the surgeries. Now, Paul is already considering his next big move in the ring, and he wants to fight none other than former UFC champ Francis Ngannou.

Paul’s confidence seems rooted in a direct comparison of their respective bouts against Anthony Joshua. While ‘The Predator’ was knocked out early, Paul survived six rounds, an experience he believes proves he can ‘hang with’ the former UFC champion.

“I think [Ngannou] getting knocked out unconscious by Anthony Joshua in like one or two rounds and then seeing me just take on Anthony Joshua for six rounds. Obviously, I ended up on the canvas too, but not unconscious,” Paul told TMZ. “I think he realized like, ‘Oh snap, this kid is actually a lot better than I thought.’

“And I think there’s a chip on his shoulder that I went three times as long as him. And then I’m sitting there talking smack to him. I think me versus Francis is an amazing fight.”

Currently, Francis Ngannou is set to face Philipe Lins on an MVP MMA card on Netflix, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. So, the ex-UFC champ already has a working relationship with Jake Paul’s promotion, and there’s a good chance they might square up in a future boxing match.

Whether he faces Rusev or Ngannou, Paul’s next move will be heavily scrutinized as he attempts to rebuild his boxing career.