Jake Paul beats Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., another over-the-hill former champ, with ease

New York Times

4 hours ago

For the second time in less than a year, Jake Paul battered a long-past-his-prime boxing champion from yesteryear. On Saturday night, Paul defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via unanimous decision (99-91, 97-93, 98-92) in front of an underwhelmed crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The 10-round cruiserweight affair ended in Paul's sixth consecutive victory but did little to quell the notion that the YouTuber-turned-boxer is building his in-ring reputation with a fraudulent resume built on defeating big names many years removed from their heydays.
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After needing little punching substance to defeat Mike Tyson in their November spectacle, Paul flashed on Saturday much of the same arsenal he's weaponized to disrupt the boxing world over the past five years: bluster on the mic, aggressive pressure in the opening rounds, and good enough footwork to tally another win, much to the frustration of another arena of fans.
'All the boos are words and action speak louder than words. So y'all can shut the f— up,' Paul said after Saturday's win, which improved his record to 12-1.
'It was flawless,' Paul said about his performance. 'I thought I did great going 10 rounds against a former world champion. He's in there with Canelo (Álvarez) and all these guys, and I embarrassed him like that.'
Paul, 28, did not use his post-fight time on the mic to try and rekindle interest in a bout with Álvarez, but did call out a litany of present-day stars: Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez, Anthony Joshua, Badou Jack and Gervonta Davis.
🤣🤣🤣😩😩😩
— Badou Jack (@BadouJack) June 29, 2025
Chavez spent the first half of Saturday's fight boxing like a man unaware he could also throw punches. He didn't land a single punch in the first round. The former WBC middleweight champion — who entered the night famous for sharing a name with his legendary father and for being cannon fodder for Álvarez in 2016— mustered up enough moments in the final rounds to bring the weary crowd to its feet.
But overall, Chavez spent more time in the bout complaining to the ref about legal punches from Paul than Paul has spent boxing legitimate opponents in his career.
'Jake is a good boxer,' Chavez said after the loss, but later added, 'I don't think he's ready for the champions, but he's a good fighter.'
Paul and Álvarez were rumored to have been nearing a bout agreement earlier this year before Álvarez pivoted to a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season in February. As part of that deal, Álvarez will battle undisputed champion Terence Crawford in a September megafight.
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Paul and Davis were also reportedly in talks for an exhibition bout this fall, but those plans fell apart after Davis and Lamont Roach fought to a draw in March, prompting a rematch.
The 39-year-old Chavez last fought in July 2024, defeating former MMA fighter Uriah Hall via unanimous decision, but has now lost four of his last seven bouts dating back to 2019, a stretch that includes a 2021 loss to former UFC champ Anderson Silva, who was making his boxing debut at the age of 46.
Despite that, Paul told The Athletic before Saturday's fight that taking on Chavez showcased Paul's willingness to risk his growing reputation as a boxing draw.
What remains to be seen is where Paul goes from here. Will he cash in on his reputation to book a megafight of his own? Or will his path continue to be paved with the names of faded former stars from decades prior?
'Everyone wants me to fight the toughest person in the world right now, and that will happen in the next 24 to 36 months,' Paul said weeks ago. 'But I do have room to improve as a fighter, and that's the journey that I'm on.'