Has Jake Paul’s meteoric rise to fame inflated his ego? The YouTuber-turned-boxer has carved out a surprising spot in boxing by facing off with retired legends like Mike Tyson and Anderson Silva. While his rapid success is impressive, does it really place him above the icons who built this sport over the last century?
It may sound like a joke, but that’s exactly what ‘The Problem Child’ seems to believe. He’s stirred the pot once again, taking aim at Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, and even Muhammad Ali. Now, a former UFC fighter has jumped in, surprisingly backing Jake’s bold claims.
Is Jake Paul boxing’s new messiah?
Speaking to DAZN, Jake Paul made a controversial statement, claiming that no one in the sport has done what he has, bringing boxing into the spotlight and pulling it out of the dirt. According to him, it was all his doing. “But I’m the greatest thing to happen to boxing since Muhammad Ali, and there’s no debating that,” Paul said.
He further added, “No other fighter is building gyms, getting boxing gloves into the hands of kids, throwing multiple events a year, donating my whole entire purse back into my own charity when I fought in Puerto Rico… I’ve done this in only 12 fights, where Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Marvin Hagler, you can name any of these people, fought nobodies for their first 15-20 fights, and no one even knew who they were.”
Bold words coming from the fighter, considering he has yet to face any real contenders in the sport. While many may disagree with Jake Paul’s statement, one person who won’t is Chael Sonnen. Why? Because ‘Uncle Chael’ agrees with what Jake Paul had to say. Taking to his X handle, ‘The American Gangster’ shared the footage and wrote, “Every word is true.”
In some sense, Jake Paul’s words hold some truth. The YouTuber-turned-boxer brought boxing into the mainstream spotlight through his marketing skills. His fight with Mike Tyson was broadcast live on Netflix and reportedly drew over 108 million global viewers. That little stunt seems to have piqued the interest of the likes of UFC CEO Dana White, who is looking for a new broadcast deal for his promotion, with Netflix leading the race to secure their signature.
Every word is true. https://t.co/cyqkoY3kDK
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) June 16, 2025
This viewership also brought Paul closer to the mainstream boxing scene, boosting his calls to face off against Canelo Alvarez, who signed a deal with Turki Alalshikh. Now, ‘The Problem Child’ is set to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday, June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. As with any Paul fight, the build-up won’t be a silent affair, and Chavez has already taken some shots at Paul ahead of the fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr makes fun of Jake Paul ahead of the fight
Jake Paul is not one to shy away from calling out anyone for a fight. Whether it’s Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, or Canelo Alvarez, ‘The Problem Child’ has made a habit of challenging big names. However, this bold approach seems to have backfired, as his latest opponent has mocked him for expressing interest in fighting Gervonta Davis earlier this year.
“He’s so stupid with those comments. He wants to fight Gervonta… Usyk… I don’t know. After the 28th, maybe he never fights again,” Chavez Jr. said in one of his interviews, taking shots at the Young boxer for wanting to fight everybody in the boxing world who is famous.
For now, Jake Paul remains confident that he can get past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday, June 28. Why wouldn’t he? He’s already beaten Anderson Silva, who outclassed Chavez Jr. handily. So, at least on paper, this fight should be in Paul’s pocket.
But the question remains—can he perform better against an established boxer? The last time he faced an opponent who was a pure boxer, Tommy Fury, he lost the bout via split decision. Since that loss, Jake Paul has fought a number of fighters, winning every single one of them, and now he has set his sights on a former champion. Did he set himself up for success or an upset?
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