Jake Paul seemed to be taking the biggest gamble of his boxing career by stepping into the ring with Julio César Chávez Jr., a former middleweight world champion and easily Paul’s most accomplished opponent to date.
But any sense of risk quickly faded as Chávez delivered a sluggish and uninspired performance, failing to mount a meaningful offense until the ninth round—disappointing a crowd that had come hoping to see the YouTuber-turned-boxer tested.
Instead, Paul coasted to another win, securing a unanimous decision on Saturday night. He dominated the early rounds and weathered a mild late surge from Chávez to notch his sixth straight victory.
Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) encountered little resistance from the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), controlling the fight in front of a largely pro-Chávez audience in Southern California.
“I love that he brought some heat toward the end—it made me better,” Paul said after the fight. “I had to step up, rise to a different level. I’m glad fans got to see me take a few shots.”
Despite his legendary father shouting encouragement from ringside, Chávez approached the bout hesitantly. He barely threw a punch in the first few rounds of their cruiserweight contest at the Honda Center and didn’t show real urgency until the sixth round. In the ninth, Chávez finally displayed flashes of his veteran skill, but it was too little, too late.
Paul took the late flurries in stride, even celebrating mid-ring after enduring a few exchanges in the final round. The crowd responded with boos, prompting Paul to clap back.
“All the boos? That’s just applause in disguise,” Paul said. “I think I only got hit about ten times. It was a clean fight for me.”
Judges scored the bout 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93 in Paul’s favor. Independent observers also had Paul winning by a wide margin.
Chávez, who has fought only once since 2021, remains a fighter remembered more for missed opportunities than for fulfilling his potential. While he was once the WBC middleweight champion, he’s better known for a career marked by failed drug tests, suspensions, missed weight, and inconsistent performances—made all the more frustrating given the legacy of his father, one of Mexico’s most beloved boxing legends.
Still, Chávez stands as Paul’s most credible opponent yet. After the fight, Chávez admitted he gave away the early rounds.
“I felt like I lost the first five rounds,” he said. “He’s strong, a decent boxer for the first few rounds. After that, I could tell he was getting tired. I don’t think he’s ready for top champions, but he’s not bad.”
Paul has built a boxing career that, while unconventional, is undeniably effective. With a mix of Internet fame and steady in-ring improvement, he’s built a promotional empire and carved out a space as one of the most talked-about figures in combat sports—even if his fights haven’t always been against traditional opponents.
He suffered his only loss to Tommy Fury in 2023, and his last appearance before this fight was in November, when he beat Mike Tyson in a highly publicized match that couldn’t quite meet sky-high fan expectations—especially considering Tyson was 58 at the time.
Chávez, who returned to boxing late last year after a long break, accepted Paul’s challenge and brought with him a dedicated fanbase that still believes in his name.
Though his career has been uneven, Chávez did reach significant heights, winning and defending a world title and facing elite opponents like Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez—even if he lost both bouts. He also lost in 2021 to UFC legend Anderson Silva, who later fell to Paul in the ring as well.
Paul’s side-show-like boxing career may soon evolve further. Thanks to his commercial appeal and rising credibility, it’s only a matter of time before he’s matched against elite opponents sanctioned by major boxing organizations.
When asked about who’s next, Paul replied, “We’ll see. There’s a long line. Take a ticket.”
He added that he’d have no trouble beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who retained his cruiserweight belts earlier that night with a narrow decision over Yuniel Dorticos.
In other action, 43-year-old UFC veteran Holly Holm returned to the boxing ring for the first time in 12 years, cruising to victory over previously unbeaten Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa. And in a dramatic finish, New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez scored a knockout win over Avious Griffin with just five seconds left in the final round, handing Griffin his first loss.
Also Read:
