On Saturday night, Jake Paul fights an opponent who might just legitimise his professional boxing career like never before.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is the next man to step in the ring with ‘The Problem Child’ with their cruiserweight contest headlining the show in California.
Whether we like it or not, Paul is a star attraction on the boxing landscape, one of its biggest draws with even Anthony Joshua among those giving real thought to fighting one of the game’s most polarising figures.
But being the biggest is still a considerably long away off from being among the best. Paul’s previous 12 opponents are mix of influencers, former MMA fighters, unknown journeyman and a knackered Mike Tyson who was 30 years older than him when they met in their farcical bout last November.
Tommy Fury, the only active boxer on his record (a description which is itself a bit of a stretch), handed him the only defeat of his career when they met in 2023.
New territory for Paul with Chavez Jr a former world champion
Chavez Jr represents a change in approach. The Mexican, son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Snr who terrorised his opponents in the 1980s and 1990s, has fought 62 times as a professional, winning 54 of them.
In 2011, he won the WBC middleweight title, defending one of the sport’s most respected and revered belts three times.
In 2017, he shared the ring with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a huge all-Mexican dust-up, going the distance with a man who has been widely regarded as one of the best fighters on the planet for the last decade.
Chavez Jr has not been a serious boxer in a long time
Chavez Jr has genuine boxing pedigree at the highest level. Or rather, he had. In reality, the 39-year-old is another cleverly strategised cherry pick for Paul – one that could catapult him towards his own world title dream.
Since losing his world title to Sergio Martinez in 2012, Chavez Jr has fought just 13 times – losing five of them. The vast majority of his 54 career wins came early on, with most of them coming against easy and mismatched opposition. Sound familiar?
His fight with Canelo in 2017 was a huge spectacle, a box office hit that took place on Cinco de Mayo, the date reserved only for the biggest fights on the boxing calendar. But Canelo barely broke a sweat in winning all 12 rounds.
Losing to Canelo is no disgrace. But in an attempt to return to the top table in 2019, Chavez Jr suffered one of the most humiliating nights of his career. 24 hours after missing weight by five pounds, he quit on his stool in the fifth round of his meeting with Daniel Jacobs, later citing a broken hand.
Fans in attendance were not convinced, throwing food, drinks and anything else they could get their hands on into the ring, booing Chavez Jr as he was escorted backstage. His legendary father Chavez Snr, was among those in attendance, visibility disgusted with his son’s performance.
Humiliating defeat to Anderson Silva
Jacobs was a fine operator and while the manner of defeat was poor, plenty of decent names were bested by the American. But it would get worse for Chavez Jr.
He was back to fight UFC legend Anderson Silva in 2021. The Brazilian was 46 at the time of the fight having left UFC the previous year after a run of four defeats in five bouts.
Silva had not boxed in 16 years. But the veteran still produced a split decision victory as he outboxed Chavez Jr, who again missed weight leading up to fight night. 16 months later, Paul fought Silva, comfortably beating the Brazilian.
Chavez Jr returned to the ring last year, picking up a points win over another former MMA fighter in Uriah Hall in a close but dull contest.
It has been a long time since Chavez Jr looked in any way fearsome in a boxing ring but obvious incentives in silencing Paul might be enough to stir the spirit that made his father such an icon of boxing.
But under the surface, it is another cleverly calculated move that could have an almighty prize at the end of it for Paul.
‘My goal is to become world champion and the WBA and WBC plan on ranking me depending on my performance,’ Paul said. ‘And once I’m ranked I can go for the title shot.’