Latest news with #JulioCésarChávezJr
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jake Paul storms out of Piers Morgan interview
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-professional boxer, appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored ahead of his fight against Julio César Chávez Jr. During the interview, Morgan questioned Paul's boxing abilities, suggesting Tommy Fury was his only'proper boxer' opponent and that Mike Tyson would have easily beaten him in his prime. Paul responded aggressively, fat-shaming Morgan and insulting boxer Canelo Álvarez. Paul responded by insulting Morgan and promoting his upcoming pay-per-view fight, stating it was a 'business enterprise.' A victory against Chávez Jr. could potentially earn Paul a ranking, according to Mauricio Sulaiman, chairman of the World Boxing Council
New York Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
If Jake Paul is boxing's biggest draw, what does that say about the sport?
Jake Paul has another boxing match on Saturday. Thousands will scream they don't care. However, millions more will pay for the privilege to watch. Love it or loathe it, Paul, who first entered the public eye by posting videos on social media of sophomoric pranks, has become the biggest draw in American boxing, and that's been great for him. Advertisement This weekend's pay-per-view bout on DAZN against former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. in Anaheim, Calif., will be his eighth headline fight since 2021. Paul has reportedly earned more than $60 million in his brief in-ring career. What it says about the state of the sport is not so clear. 'I think Jake Paul is brilliant as a marketer and an influencer,' said Todd duBoef, the president of Top Rank, a boxing promotion company. 'And I think he's done an incredible job. But I don't really believe it has anything to do with boxing.' The numbers don't lie, though. An estimated 108 million viewers caught at least a live glimpse of Paul dancing around a 58-year-old Mike Tyson on Netflix last year in a bout that arrived with maximum hype but quickly devolved into an unsatisfying spectacle. Paul won the fight by unanimous decision. Many observers decried the event's very existence. However, it did little to dim Paul's drawing power. 'I've embraced the hate and done things consistently to push people's buttons, to build that hate even more,' Paul said in a recent interview. It's an old-school formula he's leaned into with new-school annoyance, and Paul is well aware that people will tune in hoping to see him get knocked out. 'In this sport, monetizing that hate can be very lucrative,' he said. 'You look at all the big people — they were all villains, from Floyd (Mayweather) to Mike Tyson to Muhammad Ali. People forget Muhammad Ali was one of the most hated figures in the world. I see myself as a similar story.' That Paul would be brazen enough to mention himself in the same breath as three of boxing's all-time greats is the type of antic that drives many to root against him. Ali, after all, came to prominence during the Civil Rights era, when his unapologetic confidence upended the expectation that Black athletes would be quiet and humble. He unleashed some of the most poetic trash talk the sports world has ever heard, but his anti-war stance cost him his champion belts and years of his boxing prime. Advertisement Paul faces nothing like that kind of pressure. His public career began with prank skits on Vine. He later skirted COVID-19 restrictions in California by throwing large parties and was sued by his neighbors for being a public nuisance. His résumé includes beating a retired NBA player and former MMA fighters years past their prime. It doesn't take a trained eye to know that Paul's talk of eventual world titles is all talk; the imperfection in his 11-1 professional record was a loss to journeyman-turned-reality star Tommy Fury. And yet the 28-year-old Paul believes he would be heralded as the next great American prospect if he weren't a YouTuber with Disney Channel roots. The sport's purists would scoff at that. Boxing's check-engine light may glow brighter with each of his ring walks, but he is undeniably a magnet for attention. 'I don't know why he set his sights on boxing,' said boxing historian and commentator Mark Kriegel, the author of Tyson's biography. 'But it was a pretty smart calculation.' Paul has become the rare promoter who straps on gloves and turns himself into the product. 'I think he might be one of three people in my lifetime who understand the media better than the media understands itself,' Kriegel said. 'The other two being Al Sharpton and Donald Trump. He just has an intuitive sense of what people want.' The greatest promoters have always built hype, provoked engagement and told stories. However, in a crowded media space where sports are competing with TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, HBO and Hulu for attention, the modern-day promoter needs a breakthrough. Enter boxing, a sport in desperate need of an American disruptor. 'Content is king,' Paul said. 'And I think that's where I come into the picture — telling the stories, using my platform, promoting these events and promoting other fighters.' Advertisement Top Rank's duBoef sees it and calls Paul wonderful for the industry, but he draws a hard line between Paul's spectacle and the sport itself. When duBoef considers the health of boxing, he views it through a global prism. He starts in Japan, where there's a renaissance behind pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue. In England, he points to Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on July 19. In North America, he cites Canelo Álvarez and David Benavidez, who draw massive crowds. The biggest fight in the sport in 2025 is likely to be Álvarez facing Terence Crawford on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas. For duBoef, Paul's fights live in a different bucket. An entertainment adjacent to boxing, in the same way that the PGA Tour shouldn't be concerned about Aaron Rodgers battling Tom Brady in 'The Match.' Paul would have been just as successful playing three-on-three basketball, chess, tennis or pickleball, DuBoef believes. In a moment of humble levity, Paul echoed duBoef, to a point. 'I think there are better boxers,' Paul said, acknowledging the Benavidezes and Inoues of the world. 'But outside of the ring, I'm one of the most important in boxing. Just because of the new eyeballs running to the sport.' The eyeballs Paul is drawing into boxing aren't just for him. He's helping to make names out of others, too, cultivating an ecosystem of potential future stars within his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) brand, in the same vein as Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. The November rematch between Amanda Serrano, who is signed to a lifetime deal with MVP, and Katie Taylor thrived so mightily on the Paul-Tyson undercard in November that the women will headline their trilogy in Madison Square Garden on their own Netflix card this summer. 'It's too easy to dismiss him as just a provocateur,' Kriegel said. 'Promoters promote. There are too many promoters in this sport who just hang out a shingle and let someone with money pay for their promotion. You wouldn't have seen Serrano-Taylor 2 reach that audience if it weren't for that card.' Advertisement Whether that's inspiring, infuriating, repulsive or innovative, Paul's persisting existence in boxing is certainly not neutral. For those who believe boxing should be about skill, belts, rankings and legacies, Paul is a warning sign. For those who prize entertainment, reach and pop-culture relevance, then Paul is the adrenaline shot the sport needs. Either way, feeling anything is infinitely more valuable than apathy. 'That Gen Z category all got aware of the sport,' duBoef said. Yes, Paul has another boxing match scheduled for this month. Don't tune in for world-class footwork or heady feints. However, don't think ignoring it will make it go away. A man many boxing purists despise just might be essential to the sport's health. 'It seems to me like there's this elaborate dance,' Kriegel said. 'And most of the time he gets what he wants.' (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic. Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Julio César Chávez Jr. defies fear and trains among the L.A. community affected by ICE raids
Julio César Chávez Jr., in yellow, is surrounded by fans while training at his gym in Maywood. He was grateful to see a large crowd despite ongoing immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. (Jad El Reda / L.A. Times en Español) Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have sparked fear, protests and the cancellation of several public events throughout the Los Angeles area. Amid the tense climate, more than 100 people recently gathered at the Maywood Boxing Club to watch Julio César Chávez Jr. train as he prepares to face Jake Paul on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Chávez, visibly surprised by the turnout, confessed that he did not expect to see so many people given the circumstances. Advertisement 'I thought there wouldn't be people here, because of everything happening, but I'm glad they made the time to come,' the Mexican boxing star told L.A. Times en Español moments before beginning his training session. While they were drawn to the chance to watch a boxing star train, the event also united a community and showed its resilience in the face of adversity. Boxers Jake Paul, left, gestures toward Julio César Chávez Jr. during a boxing news conference at the Avalon Hollywood Theatre in L.A. on May 14. Nakisa Bidarian, CEO and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, center left, and Oscar De La Hoya, of Golden Boy Promotions, center right, look on. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) The last few weeks have been particularly difficult in Los Angeles. Testimonials and videos on social media have documented arrests of immigrants in the middle of public streets, generating a generalized state of fear. Chávez, who has lived in the city for more than a decade, reflected on the impact of the raids. Advertisement "It even scared me, to tell you the truth, it is very ugly," he said. "I don't understand the situation, why so much violence. There are many good people and you are setting an example of violence to the community." Chávez said his concerns about the raids have little to do with political debates over immigration policy. He is more focused on the treatment of people being detained by federal agents wearing masks who don't identify themselves and target workers who appear to be immigrants. 'Seeing children left alone because their parents are grabbed. ... That is common sense, we are people and we are going to feel bad when we see that situation," he said. Although he acknowledges immigration crackdowns could affect ticket sales for his fight against Paul, Chávez was confident that the fight will go off without a hitch. Advertisement "I don't think the fight will be affected, maybe the tickets, although you can watch it on pay-per-view at home, because in the end there will be a fight," he said. "The support for me is going to be there and if they don't go, I know they will go another way. People want me to beat Jake Paul with my heart and I want to give a fight like I haven't given in a long time." Read more: While Dodgers wait to speak, Jaime Jarrín, Kiké Hernández and others support immigrants Sean Gibbons, president of Knucklehead Boxing and MP Promotions, was more direct. For him, the June 28 fight is safe. "I don't think there will be any changes. The fight will happen at the Honda Center in Anaheim, and everything that happens is happening in Los Angeles," he said. "If we had done the fight at Arena, it could have been a problem, but I think the people sent a strong message by being here [at the training session], despite everything that's going on. Hopefully things will calm down long before the 28th." Advertisement Gibbons also stressed that the attendance at the training is proof that fans are willing to come out and support Chávez, even in uncertain times. Among those attending the event was 38-year-old Maywood resident Olaf Luevano. For him, being at the gym was not only a show of support for the boxer, but also an act of unity. "This was a good way to come out and support the people, to show everyone that we are together. He is someone from our community and he will come out and fight, representing our people," said Luevano, who added that although he has legal documents, discrimination and fear affect everyone equally. 'Just because of the color of our skin and how we look, it affects us too.' Miguel Castañeda, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, lives in Lynwood and came to witness the open-door training. Castañeda shared the same nervous feeling, but also the need to resist. Advertisement Read more: Immigration raid at car wash sparks tense scene, hours of protests in Bell 'Dismayed everyone, even the celebrities are worried,' said Castañeda, 39. "One thinks about it, but you have to go out and live. You don't have to live in fear. Not to be locked up, no, we all have to go out. ... We have to be encouraged." Castañeda was also surprised by the size of the crowd at the gym he has visited in the past. "I've never seen so many fans in this gym. It's good to see this, that people come out to support," he said. Two miles away, Chávez's legendary father opened the doors of the now defunct Azteca Boxing in Bell to connect with fans before some of his historic bouts. Advertisement Julio César Chávez Jr. said working out in front of a big group of fans not only motivates him, but also connects him with his roots. "It's impressive, the people there. It's been a long time since I've seen so many people together and even more so in these difficult times," he said. "It's a motivation to keep working hard. Also, coming to these kind of gyms, people remember the times of before and I am very grateful." Chávez said he takes issue not only with the raids, but the way political speeches — especially those by President Trump — have attacked immigrants. 'I'm from Sinaloa, where you see things over there so ugly and to come here, to such a beautiful country, and see Trump attacking immigrants, Latinos, without a purpose," Chávez said. "... You have to get closer to God and I think Trump made a bad decision.' Advertisement Chávez said he understands the fear many in the community feel as a result of the recent immigration crackdown, but it was encouraging to see people gather at his gym. 'One of my trainers didn't want to come because of the fear of ICE," he said. "... I just ask them to take care of themselves, to stay away from danger. We know ... there is a very big conflict and we're hoping that nothing bad happens." This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
