Jake Paul, the social media personality turned boxer, has responded to the criticism surrounding his scheduled fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The bout, set for June, has drawn backlash primarily due to Chavez Jr.`s recent ring record and age.
Chavez Jr., now 39, has a 3-3 record in his last six fights dating back to 2019, including a loss to former UFC champion Anderson Silva. Despite holding titles earlier in his career, he is widely considered to be past his prime, a significant decline from the fighter who faced Canelo Alvarez in 2017.
Paul, however, dismisses these concerns, drawing a parallel to a recent high-profile mixed martial arts contest. He pointed out that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a former world champion, weighs the same as Paul, and possesses two decades more professional boxing experience. Paul rhetorically questioned critics, whom he referred to dismissively.
He specifically compared the situation to Paddy Pimblett`s recent fight against Michael Chandler in the UFC. Paul highlighted that Chandler also turned 39 shortly before that fight, yet his age was not a major point of criticism. Paul argued that if there was no issue with Pimblett fighting Chandler, critics should not have an issue with him facing Chavez Jr. He warned against using Chavez Jr.`s age as an excuse if he wins the fight.
Nevertheless, the comparison between Chandler and Chavez Jr. is viewed by some as flawed. Chandler was still a ranked fighter in the UFC`s lightweight division prior to facing Pimblett, and his recent losses were primarily to top contenders and former champions. In contrast, Chavez Jr.`s most recent victory was a close decision against former UFC fighter Uriah Hall in what was only Hall`s second professional boxing match.
Furthermore, historical records show that Chavez Jr. was a WBC Middleweight champion, not a cruiserweight champion as mentioned by Paul, though he did compete for a light heavyweight title in 2015 and lost.
Beyond his in-ring performance, Chavez Jr.`s career has also been affected by well-documented personal issues, including a 2024 arrest for illegal firearm possession and subsequent treatment at a rehabilitation center following admitted struggles with substance abuse.
Despite these challenges and criticisms, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is scheduled to face Jake Paul in a boxing match on June 28 from Anaheim, California, broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view, aiming to showcase that he still has something left to offer in the sport.
