On June 28, Jake Paul will finally meet someone the boxing world respects, after three years of poking the boxing establishment. Former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. is not another faded MMA import or reality-TV star rival. He boxed 12 rounds with Canelo Álvarez and held a significant belt at 160 lbs. His pedigree is why Hall-of-Famer-turned-promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who is often dismissive of crossover spectacles, signed on. "Jake, congratulations," De La Hoya told DAZN's Ariel x Ade. "This is the first legitimate world-champion fighter you're facing."

Paul has arrived in Anaheim on the heels of a novelty win over Mike Tyson that garnered clicks and zero legitimacy. A win against Chávez Jr. would also hit reset on his declared goal of climbing the cruiserweight ladder to potentially challenge names like Canelo or even Gervonta Davis. "If he knocks Julio out late, it will shut the doubters up, and set him up with a top-10 opponent," says De La Hoya.

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The stakes for Chávez Jr. are equally stark; as he competes in California, he fights against the loss of a family name built by his legendary father. A loss to a YouTuber would signal the end of his dreams to make one last title run, and a victory would help him gain relevancy as well as distance himself from his prior setbacks around the weight and bland outings.

Paul vs. Chávez headlines a DAZN PPV that also shows you real championship fights - a unified cruiser king Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramírez will be defending against Yuniel Dorticós, and undefeated lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield will risk his '0' against clever former titlist Tevin Farmer. However, everyone will be locked in on whether Paul will find the funky crossover niche turns into a real contender, or whether Chávez Jr.'s experience proves the gap between influencer ambition and elite craft.

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Your turn - can Paul prove he is more than hype, or will Chávez Jr. throw the influencer express off the tracks? Let us know your thoughts below!

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