From Clicks to Clout: Jake Paul Aims To Prove He’s More Than Boxing’s Sideshow

Can Jake Paul silence the skeptics and prove he’s a legitimate boxer and not just an excellent event planner?The YouTube star-turned-pugilist steps into the ring again on June 28, looking to partner his viral fame with a desire to become a boxing champion. This time, his opponent is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a legacy name with a career of highs and lows. Scheduled for 10 rounds at the 200-pound limit, the bout takes place at Anaheim, California’s Honda Center and streams live on DAZN.Mr. Chavez, 39, is past his prime, but offers name value. He didn’t inherit the remarkable skills and heart of his Hall of Fame father, Julio Cesar Chavez, the greatest Mexican fighter of all time, but he built a respectable record of 54-6-1 with 34 knockouts before weight issues and a lack of focus derailed his career. He was a popular draw and earned the WBC middleweight championship in 2011, but quickly lost it to Sergio Martinez. He has fought just three times in the last four years.“Hopefully, when I beat him, people won’t underestimate this win,” Mr. Chavez said of his upcoming fight with Mr. Paul.It will be Mr. Paul’s first fight since his infamous battle with a former heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, last November at AT&T Stadium. The first live event on Netflix attracted more than 108 million live global viewers, making it the most-streamed sporting event ever.Fighting in a sanctioned bout for the first time since 2005, a 58-year-old Mr. Tyson earned $20 million but lost a unanimous decision to the 27-year-old Mr. Paul, who reportedly took home $40 million. It might have been boxing’s biggest attraction in years, but it wasn’t its finest hour. The eight-round bout wasn’t very competitive or entertaining, and neither fighter landed any damaging punches. Mr. Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) was criticized for not fighting a real boxer closer to his age after a string of bouts with former MMA fighters. Mr. Chavez Jr. is, at least, a real boxer.“I just defeated ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet,’ and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo (Alvarez) couldn’t finish,” Mr. Paul said. “Chavez Jr. is Mexican. But I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and the heart of the great Mexican fighters.”Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions is the official licensed promoter, but it’s a Most Valuable Promotions Event. Founded by Mr. Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, MVP had gotten the attention of a boxing industry in transition.Mr. Paul has parlayed a wide following on YouTube into a boxing career and now an expanding promotional company aimed at providing equitable pay to and supporting female fighters.MVP is promoting what’s being billed as the biggest all-women’s card in boxing history on July 11 at Madison Square Garden. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano meet live on Netflix for the third time in the headliner.“When Nakisa and I started MVP three and a half years ago, we had three priorities,” Mr. Paul said. “One to be a fighter first. Two, to give young boxers an opportunity, and three, to elevate women’s boxing to the forefront of the sport. Every decision we have made since has been driven by those priorities.”If the Tyson-Paul fight was a competitive dud in November, the co-main event between Ms. Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) and Ms. Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) was a toe-to-toe thriller. Ms. Taylor earned a unanimous decision to go with the split-decision victory she was awarded at their first Garden fight in April 2022.“This is truly a great opportunity, not just for Katie and I, but for all these incredible women,” Ms. Serrano said. “This is a great opportunity for all of them to shine, and they’re going to do that. I’m just honored to be part of MVP for how they’re helping women in sports; how they’ve given us our biggest payday; how they’re giving us the biggest spotlight on the biggest platform. Netflix on the best stage at MSG, I’m truly honored to be a part of this night, and I’m going to win.” MVP’s partnership with Golden Boy Promotions is significant given the reluctance of many established promotional companies to work with partners.Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Don King Productions, and later Golden Boy Productions and Premier Boxing Champions have been the preeminent boxing promoters. But U.K.-based Matchroom Boxing, headed by Eddie Hearn, has staged many of the sport’s top events in recent years, while the UFC boss, Dana White, is partnering with the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, to start a new boxing league in 2026.Golden Boy views MVP as a worthy ally. In the co-main event under Paul-Chavez, Golden Boy fighter Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) defends his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles against former champion Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) from Cuba.“Once again, Golden Boy is proving that we’re willing to work with anyone to deliver the biggest and most exciting events in boxing,” Mr. De La Hoya said. “We’re thrilled to partner with Jake Paul.”

From Clicks to Clout: Jake Paul Aims To Prove He’s More Than Boxing’s Sideshow

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