In his quest to gain recognition from the mainstream boxing world, Jake Paul has a fight lined up against a former world champion. He seems to have chalked out a plan as well. “I definitely want to become world champion, so going after Zurdo or Badou (Jack) sounds like a good game plan to me,” he told Dave Schmulenson, aka The Schmo, two weeks ago. But it appears the Ohioan’s attempts to claim boxing credibility still face formidable odds.A few weeks after his fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Manny Pacquiao will step into the ring. He will face reigning world champion Mario Barrios. Pacquiao’s last bout, before he announced retirement, ended in a loss. At the kickoff press conference in Las Vegas, the former world champion spilled the beans on his comeback, his opponent, and future outings. Now, the Paul-Chavez Jr. fight precedes his match with Barrios. So it was but obvious that the PacMan would find himself bombarded with questions related to the former Disney star’s boxing foray.Manny Pacquiao on Jake Paul’s boxing stature: He still has a way to go“Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., if Jake Paul were to win that fight, do you think it legitimizes him as a boxer?” During the post-conference interaction, a reporter asked Pacquiao. The Filipino icon offered a reasonable clarification. “It’s hard to comment on that fight, but it’s up to the fans how they analyze it and how they judge it,” he said. But the reporter persisted. As a Hall of Fame boxing legend, what were his thoughts? Let’s say Jake Paul defeats Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a former middleweight champion. Will it finally ‘legitimize’ Paul? Though he replied with a big smile, Manny Pacquiao seemed certain, “I don’t think so.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fight Hub TV – Boxing • MMA • Combat Sports (@fighthubtv)One just had to take a look at the approvals he received on Fight Hub TV’s Instagram post that featured the interview footage. “Legend speaking the truth” and “Thank you, Manny, for being honest!” were some of the comments that flew in response.Fans might recall. Roughly a year ago, in one of the episodes of his podcast, Jake Paul revealed that Pacquiao wanted to fight him. However, the prospects never really ‘excited’ him enough to proceed further.Not quite there, yetJake Paul’s last fight was against a former heavyweight champion who is nearing sixty. In the interview with The Schmo, Paul revealed a potential fight with Gervonta Davis as the next on his radar. Yeah, no, we’re working on it behind the scenes to make that happen. That’s a fight where the fans are going to win, and it’s going to be the biggest event of the year,” he said.Boxing: Jake Paul vs Andre August Dec 15, 2023 Orlando, Florida, USA Jake Paul gives a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after knocking out Andre August in the first round at the Caribe Royale Orlando. , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xNathanxRayxSeebeckx 20231215_nrs_fo8_00015_Though he clarified that the match could be an exhibition, for those who know, Tank Davis is a lightweight champion. A fight with Jake Paul could possibly take place at a catchweight. So basically, the whole scenario might appear a bit perplexing to many.Wouldn’t it be more appropriate if Jake Paul fought a top-15-ranked contender? Then he could work his way up, as most of the champions usually do. Yes, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is unlike Ben Askren, Tyrone Woodley, or Anderson Silva. He is a bona fide boxer who even held a title previously. But isn’t it also true that he’s mostly run out of his prime? A 39-year-old washed-out fighter who suffered a loss to a former MMA champion, who in turn met with a defeat at the hands of Jake Paul.So add up Pacquiao’s comments and the way Jake Paul is carrying the torch. It’s not hard to see why the former, like many, holds reservations about the latter’s boxing legitimacy.What about you? Do you agree with Manny Pacquiao?The post Manny Pacquiao Disrupts Jake Paul’s Quest for Boxing Validity in Honest Verdict appeared first on EssentiallySports.