“I wouldn’t mind just having a shot to see; could I get to his chin to test his chin… If he takes the shot, then cool, or if he can catch me before I get to his chin, cool. But I would definitely like a shot.” Last year, Roy Jones Jr. sparked intrigue when he floated the idea of stepping into the ring with Jake Paul. He also warned that Paul would likely need to stop him, because the boxing legend would be coming to knock him out. But after the bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, where the two combatants had a 30-year age gap, and Jones Jr was one of the commentators, there’s little appetite for another generational mismatch. So, with a 28-year age gap between Paul and Jones Jr., a fight is even less likely to happen. Still, the 56-year-old has found a way to stay in the mix.
Roy Jones Jr. is trying to shift his focus from coaching back to fighting. No, it’s not against Jake Paul. But against fellow boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez. However, it’s not just the fight itself that’s raising eyebrows. It’s where he wants it to happen. In a recent exclusive interview with Prime Casino, Jones Jr. said, “I’ll fight Julio Cesar Chavez Sr on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Chavez Jr. [But] It would all depend on what Julio Cesar Chavez Sr thinks.”
But why would he think of fighting now? “It will work because we are both legends, and we know what we’re doing, so it’ll be good… I would not want to kill him, and he’s not there to kill me, which he couldn’t, because he’s much smaller than me. But I’m not there to kill him,” Roy Jones Jr. answered. But that’s not all.
The 62-year-old Mexican legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., officially retired from professional boxing in 2005 after an illustrious career spanning 115 bouts. His most recent appearance in the ring came in the summer of 2021, when he faced the son of another boxing icon, Hector Camacho, in an exhibition match. Meanwhile, Roy Jones Jr., last fought in 2023, suffering a loss to MMA star Anthony Pettis after eight rounds in Wisconsin. He also famously fought in an exhibition bout against Mike Tyson in November 2020.
In the interview, Jones explained the motivation behind a potential return to the ring. “We have to show people what we used to be, why people respected and revered us,” he said. “So that we’re not there to take each other’s heads off. We have to show people true skills and understanding of what the sport is missing today—the skill level of boxing has dropped.”
The fight, according to him, should be on the undercard of the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight, scheduled for June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. However, there are several hurdles in the way. Not only would Jake Paul need to approve the bout for his event’s undercard, but Golden Boy Promotions, which is co-promoting the event, would also need to sign off. And perhaps most importantly, Chavez Sr. himself has yet to officially agree to the fight. As it stands, the matchup certainly remains enticing, but far from confirmed.
Regardless of whether the fight materializes, one thing is clear: Roy Jones Jr. holds Jake Paul in high regard. In fact, he believes the YouTuber-turned-boxer has what it takes to become a world champion one day.
Jake Paul gets big praise ahead of his June showdown
Since turning professional, Jake Paul has secured wins over notable names such as Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz, with his only loss coming from Tommy Fury. So, reflecting on Jake Paul’s journey, boxing veteran in the same interview with Prime Casino said: “The whole purpose [behind the fight] is creating the argument for Jake Paul to fight for a world title. That’s what he really wants to do. And it’s not bad the way he’s going about it.”
The 66-10 boxer further went on to express cautious optimism about Jake Paul’s championship potential. “I ain’t gonna say that [he will win a title], but he’ll get a shot depending on who the opponent is,” he explained. “But he will get a shot, and he has the power to win anything. He can knock anybody out.” In anticipation of Paul’s upcoming fight, Jones Jr has confidence in the social media sensation’s abilities, especially against Chavez Jr. “Chavez Jr wasn’t the same after the Sergio Martinez fight,” he said. “I think that fight might have taken a lot out of him… but he was a good fighter at one time, and all good fighters have a chance to show up one night because somewhere down in him there is a good fighter.”
Still, Jones believes The Problem Child holds the upper hand. “Whether he can find it or not for the Jake Paul fight, we don’t know,” he said of Chavez Jr. “But I think Jake should probably take him out, mainly because Jake beat Anderson Silva. And Silva beat Chavez. Sometimes it’s a triangle, sometimes it goes like that. But from what I’m seeing right now, I think Jake beats him because Jake’s bigger… and I think Jake just has more vigor right now, and will want to win more than Chavez does.”
With that said, do you think Roy Jones Jr. will get his wish for his next fight? And do you agree with his assessment of Jake Paul’s power?
The post Jake Paul Faces Tough Call as Mike Tyson’s Ex-Rival Issues Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.
