“I’m going to embarrass him and make him quit,” said Jake Paul during the press conference, as he talked about his upcoming opponent, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The YouTuber-turned-boxer faces the former middleweight titleholder on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim in a ten-round cruiserweight bout. Paul exuded confidence, vowing to hand Chavez Jr. a crushing defeat. Still, his opponent is a 39-year-old ex-champion well past his prime. Chavez Jr.’s last loss didn’t even come from a fellow boxer. A former UFC champion inflicted it.
Yet, suggesting that perhaps it’s too early to count him out, recent footage of Chavez Jr.’s training has sparked renewed interest in the fight. Amid these discussions, Jake Paul offered a thoughtful reflection on how the fight might unfold. He even compared Chavez Jr. to the first professional boxer he faced: Tommy Fury.
His Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) shared an exclusive video. At his home, the former Disney star discussed the nitty-gritty of the June 28 showdown. He sounded quite confident and insisted that it would be his best performance today. “Styles make fights, and Chavez is a come-forward fighter who keeps his hands up, which opens up a lot of holes for me to hit him, and the way our styles match up, he’s just going to get picked apart, and I haven’t really been able to showcase my full new skill set to the world.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 28: Jake Paul faces off with Tommy Fury, ahead of their upcoming fight on the 26th of February in Diriyah in Saudi Arabia, in the ring prior to the IBF, WBC, WBO World Light Heavyweight Title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Anthony Yarde at OVO Arena Wembley on January 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
According to the Ohioan, it’s going to be ‘an offensive war.’ The interviewer asked him what Chavez Jr. brings to the table that’s different from opponents like Mike Tyson or Mike Perry. So Jake Paul replied, “Chavez is definitely the most experienced fighter I’ve fought to date, and he still has his youth, and he basically knows that this is do or die for him.” Naturally, the conversation turned to Paul’s first loss, which came at the hands of Tommy Fury.
“Both Chavez Jr. and Tommy Fury are both orthodox fighters. How do you think that Chavez Jr. compares to Tommy? Over 6 feet, they have a more traditional style,” the interviewer probed. Jake Paul started with Fury. He highlighted that the scion of the famous boxing family has more speed and power. Given his ability to use his footwork and move around, Fury is ‘more of a boxer.’ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.? “Chavez likes to make a fight happen, comes forward, engages, is more methodical, takes his time, and goes a lot to the body,” Paul said.
That’s a surprisingly detailed technical assessment coming from a fighter often criticized for lacking traditional boxing credentials.
A reasonable take on the matter
For Chavez Jr., there’s a lot on the line. It was 2012 when he lost the middleweight title to Sergio Martinez. However, since then, Chavez Jr.’s career has been defined by inconsistency, most notably a one-sided loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2017, followed by extended absences from the ring. It took him two years to bounce back from that match. Then, meandering through losses and wins, mostly losses, he went on another break after the 2021 fight against David Zegarra.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 22: Julio César Chávez Jr. attends Logan Paul Workout Showcase at Wild Card Boxing Club on October 22, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
Many boxing purists mock Jake Paul for fighting aging or inactive opponents. However, it’s worth noting. Chavez Jr., despite being 39, might see this as a final opportunity to secure a meaningful win. Plagued by setbacks in and out of the ring, he may be fighting not just for redemption but to cement his legacy.
Oscar De La Hoya, speaking about Chavez Jr.’s chances, said, “I’ve talked to the father and he says ‘Look, if my son shows up to the ring the way I’ve seen him in the last few months,’ I think he said last six, seven months, he goes ‘Yeah he’s gonna knock out Jake Paul.’”
So, as Jake Paul pointed out, fans could see a real battle this time. Perhaps even a thrilling contrast to his much-criticized Tyson square-up.
What do you think? Does Jake Paul’s comparison between Tommy Fury and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. hold weight, and could this fight surprise us all?
The post Jake Paul’s Surprising Boxing IQ on Display as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tommy Fury Receive His Verdict appeared first on EssentiallySports.