Julio Cesar Chavez JR is perhaps a former world champion, but he has not escaped without controversies in his career.
14 years before Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's very published fight with Jake Paul will take place, the Mexican hunter beat Sebastian Zbik to become WBC World Middleweight Champion.
This was the greatest achievement of Chavez JR's career and helped him get out of the shadow of his father for the first time.
However, that victory was full of controversy and doubted his legitimacy as a world champion.
Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Sebastian Zbik beat controversial to become the world champion middleweight
The whole situation around the Chavez JR vs Zbik fight on 4 June 2011 was loaded with controversy, even before the bell rang.
Sergio Martinez was the WBC World Centralweight Champion and was generally recognized as the top hunter in the division.
A refusal to fight the unbeaten interim champion Zbik, but Martinez saw the belt stripped and Chavez JR booked in a title fight against the German.
This quick change to book Chavez JR in a title fight smelled of opportunism, where the administrative body saw more money in the Mexican of the second generation as champions than the rightful title holder.
If something was wrong that the fight was set up, the result of the competition would have both fans and experts scratching their heads.
Despite the surpassing of Chavez JR – 391 of his punches compared to the 256 of his opponent, with 47% accuracy – and the Mexican during the entire Outboxes match, the jury members Chavez Jr released the controversial victory.
I am not surprised that many people do not agree with Chavez JR via Zbik. I let Zbik win more of the middle rounds. A kind of strange fight
– Geoff with a G (@Ggerling) 6 June 2011
View tweet
While some strong body photos in the later rounds would have influenced some jury members to Chavez JR, two of them had him as the outright winner, while the third party scored a draw.
None of those who judge Zbik as the winner over 12 rounds has drawn harsh criticism from many, in particular the loser of the fight itself.
Sebastian Zbik accused Julio Cesar Chavez Jr of stealing the victory and the title
In the aftermath of the fight, Zbik made it clear that he did not think he was lost and that the judges made the wrong decision.
Immediately after the game, he spoke with Fight Hub TV, where the previously unbeaten Zbik explained why he thinks he won the fight and did not understand the decision of the judges.
Zbik said: “I am disappointed and sad that I lost my title. I think I fought the fight and they didn't give it to me. They stole my belt.
“Normally the challenger has to make the fight to become the champion, but I came here as the champion and I made the fight.
“I pushed him all the time, threw more punches, hit him more often – I did everything to win this fight. So I can't understand what happened here.”
Chavez Jr will hope for less controversy when he accepts Jake Paul in California on 28 June.