Jake Paul is aware of the criticism surrounding his upcoming boxing match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Earlier this week, the social media personality turned pugilist took to social media to address the backlash regarding his planned June fight against the 39-year-old veteran. Chavez Jr. holds a 3-3 record in his last six bouts since 2019, a stretch that includes a loss to former UFC champion Anderson Silva.
While Chavez Jr. did achieve championship status earlier in his career, he appears significantly removed from the fighter who suffered a one-sided defeat to Canelo Alvarez in 2017. However, Paul dismisses these concerns, asserting that his fight against Chavez Jr. is comparable to a recent, highly-publicized UFC bout.
“Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a former world champion, a cruiserweight world champion,” Paul stated. “The same weight as me, the same size as me, and 20 years more pro boxing experience than me. For you inbreds, let’s get the excuses out of the way.”
He then drew a parallel to Paddy Pimblett`s recent victory over Michael Chandler, arguing that despite Chandler turning 39 shortly after their fight, his age wasn`t a major point of criticism because he`s considered to be “still within his prime.” Paul questioned the inconsistency:
“Last week, Paddy Pimblett beat Michael Chandler, and the whole world lost their mind, but not a single person mentioned Michael Chandler’s age. That’s because he’s still within his prime ages, the same age as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. If people didn’t have a problem with Paddy [beating Chandler], then why do they have a problem with me [fighting Chavez Jr.]? When I beat him, don’t even try to cry about his age.”
While it`s true that Chandler celebrated his 39th birthday just days following his fight against Pimblett at UFC 314, comparing his recent competitive history to that of Chavez Jr. is challenging.
Chandler maintained a ranking within the top 15 of the UFC`s lightweight division before his loss to Pimblett, and his previous defeats were solely against former champions such as Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira.
The same cannot be asserted about Chavez Jr., who recently secured a narrow victory over former UFC fighter Uriah Hall in a six-round bout, which was notably Hall’s second professional boxing match.
Furthermore, Chavez Jr. never actually held a cruiserweight world title during his career. He did compete for a light heavyweight title in 2015 but lost via stoppage in the ninth round.
It has also been widely reported that Chavez Jr. has faced personal difficulties outside the ring, including an arrest in 2024 for illegal possession of an assault rifle. Following his arrest, he entered a rehabilitation center for treatment, having previously admitted to substance abuse problems.
Despite these challenges, Chavez Jr. is set to attempt a comeback when he faces Paul in a boxing match scheduled for June 28 in Anaheim, California, airing on DAZN pay-per-view.
