Somehow, the Jake Paul fight on June 28th at the Honda Center in Anaheim has become legacy-defining for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. A few weeks ago, The Problem Child described the upcoming clash as ‘do-or-die’ for the Mexican, whose career has been on a downward trajectory since he lost the WBC Middleweight title in 2012 to Sergio Martínez.
So, for the 39-year-old, this fight is more than just a payday. It’s a chance for redemption, a fight he cannot afford to lose. Not only because it would add another red to his record, but because of the ignominy that will follow him for losing a fight to Jake Paul. And as the Mexican once again confirmed, there is no retreating from it.
The Sinaloa native has claimed that he does not respect the 28-year-old as a “good fighter.” So, he knows that if he fails to back up his words, there is no going back. Ahead of their fight, the pair appeared in the ‘Face-Off’ segment on DAZN Boxing. During the conversation, which turned into an hour-long trash-talking segment, the interviewer asked Chavez Jr., “If you were to lose to him, would you quit boxing forever?” The 39-year-old immediately replied, “Yes, man,” before switching to Spanish.
He added, “If I lose, I mean I won’t fight again. Imagine. If I lose to Jake Paul, it’s gonna be embarrassing.” He believes that losing to someone like Jake Paul, whom he doesn’t even respect as a fighter, would be too embarrassing.
The translator beside him reinforced the sentiment, declaring, “If he loses this, he is done.” The translator added that Chavez Jr. might vanish completely for at least 2 years, “cuz he’s embarrassed to lose to a man like Jake Paul.” As expected, The Problem Child reverted, asking the Mexican to plan out his disappearance. “I’m gonna have my team get the jersey. We will hang it up in the banners of the rafters of the arena,” he stated, declaring that he will make Chavez’s loss a celebration.
Well, just one conversation and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has raised the stakes of the fight tenfold, and the chip on his shoulder is now massive. So, the question has to be asked. Why would the former world champion take such a fight?
Trying to end the Jake Paul phenomenon
A few weeks ago, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. sat down with Ariel Helwani for a quick chat. During the conversation, the 39-year-old revealed that the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s popularity attracted him to this bout. It was not a fight that he wanted, but in this phase of his career, something he ‘needed.’ As the conversation moved forward, Helwani asked whether the former WBC middleweight champion is motivated to win or if he wants to end Jake Paul’s experiment altogether. “Yes,” Chavez Jr. replied, issuing a scathing warning to the 28-year-old.
May 14, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: JAKE PAUL and JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. speak during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz ahead of their fight at The Avalon in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles USA – ZUMAw213 20250514_zep_w213_007 Copyright: xClutchxPocketsxWamblix
“I’m still thinking that I’m better than Jake Paul, so I think, after this fight, maybe Jake will continue to fight. I don’t know, try to be a better boxer. But I don’t think he has the skills and everything for winning that fight. Yes, I want to end Jake Paul’s career. I want to end it,” he added.
Maybe this clash was an afterthought for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the beginning. However, with the fight night approaching, he is geared up. Not just to win, but to reclaim his old glory and protect his name.
Do you think he will be able to give Jake Paul a decisive loss? Let us know your picks down below.
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