Jake Paul didn’t just beat Mike Tyson last year. He walked away with valuable experience. Say what you will about ‘The Problem Child,’ but sharing the ring with a former heavyweight champion is no small feat, even if the man is 58. And it may have just added another layer to Paul’s evolving skill set. Take Josh Padley, for example: after stepping in as a late replacement and losing to Shakur Stevenson, he bounced back just two months later with a fifth-round TKO win over Marko Cvetanovic. So, while many still hesitate to call Jake Paul a ‘real’ boxer, the fact remains—he’s now in a better place as compared to his next opponent Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Chavez Jr. is preparing to return to action against Jake Paul on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. His last outing was a unanimous decision victory over former MMA fighter Uriah Hall, a fight that marked his comeback after a three-year layoff. That break wasn’t just time off—it was spent in rehab, battling substance addiction as well as a brief prison stay. Now, with just weeks left until he steps into the ring again, his legendary father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., is speaking out—not with predictions, but with genuine concern.
In a recent Instagram post shared by Supreme Boxing, the elder Chavez made it clear he’s not placing bets on outcomes anymore. “The truth is, I don’t make predictions anymore because I always end up surprised—so we’ll just wait and see how it goes,” he said in Spanish. His focus now is less about results and more about his son’s performance, especially given the stakes of this upcoming fight.
Chavez Sr. knows what his son is capable of, but also understands what’s been missing. “He hits hard and he can take a punch,” he explained. So what’s the problem? “What he’s lacked is conditioning and volume,” the father admitted. Moreover, “he hasn’t been throwing enough punches.” That’s why he’s issued a clear directive: start strong, and go for the knockout early. In his eyes, this could be the 39-year-old’s penultimate shot. “He’s been given a lot of opportunities already, and I consider this his second-to-last chance. The last one is when you walk away for good.” But there’s more at stake than just a win or loss.
According to Chavez Sr., this fight in July is about redemption. “And I want it to be clean. No substances involved,” he said. While clarifying that his son doesn’t use drugs currently, he admitted there were past issues—especially with weight-loss pills. “Those things mess with your mind. If you don’t know how to use them, they’ll take you to a psychotic state,” he said candidly. “And that’s not something you want heading into a fight.”
Now, with Chavez Jr. in recovery and better health, the former world champion is cautiously optimistic. “I’ll be checking in on him next week,” he said. But for Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., this is more than just a fight. It’s about closure, accountability, and proving that his son—after everything—can still step into the ring with integrity.
But if Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. can’t get the job done against Jake Paul, don’t worry—there’s another cruiserweight champion more than willing to step in.
Forget titles – Jake Paul is boxing’s ATM
Jake Paul has made it clear, he’s on a mission to become a world champion. And if he manages to get past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the door could swing wide open for him to chase even bigger opportunities against top-tier contenders.
170114 Sveriges Badou Jack efter sin unificationfight för WBC och IBF i supermellanvikt under boxningsgalan Jack vs DeGale den 14 januari 2017 i New York. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxONLY Copyright: JOELxMARKLUND BB170114JM037
170114 Sveriges Badou Jack efter Sin för WBC och IBF I supermellanvikt Under boxningsgalan Jack vs Degale the 14 januari 2017 I New York PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxONLY Copyright JoelxMarklund
One of those opportunities might already be taking shape. Badou Jack, the reigning WBC cruiserweight champion, has expressed interest in fighting the 11-1 boxer. The Swedish boxer didn’t hold back when addressing Paul’s bold prediction of a knockout win. At a recent press conference, Jack shrugged off the claim and responded with confidence: “I never heard about that [Paul’s claims to win by KO), whatever. It is a money fight. It is an easy fight and it is a money fight, so why not?”
Badou Jack and Jake Paul aren’t strangers to the same spotlight, having appeared on the same card when Paul suffered a split decision loss to Tommy Fury back in 2023. That shared billing gave the 29-3 boxer a front-row seat to Jake Paul’s style. And with that, he doesn’t seem overly impressed.
At 41, Badou Jack may be on the older side, but he’s far from slowing down. With titles in three weight classes and a wealth of experience, he remains confident that a bout with Jake Paul would be more business than battle. And with both men seeing dollar signs, this might be one fight that’s just too easy to make. Do you think Badou Jack will shut down Jake Paul? Or will Jake Paul never make it that far, getting stopped in his tracks by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. instead?
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