Jake Paul dominates Chávez Jr. and seeks bigger challenges in boxing

In a surprising demonstration in the ring, Jake Paul continued his rise in the boxing world, achieving a unanimous decision victory over former WBC middleweight world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. The event, held at the Honda Center, saw Paul secure his most significant victory to date against a former world champion, although the latter was a decade away from his prime. The judges scored cards of 99-91, 97-93, and 98-92.

“He’s a tough guy,” Paul said. “He’s never been knocked out, and he’s a Mexican warrior. I respect Mexican warriors. I respect Mexico, but I’m also a warrior and I came out victorious tonight.”

Jake Paul

The atmosphere at the Honda Center, although not comparable to Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson, vibrated with the energy of a championship event. Paul, born in Cleveland but residing in Puerto Rico, assumed the role of antagonist in hostile territory, entering the ring with “Lean Like a Cholo” by Down AKA Kilo and a robe with the colors of the Mexican flag. Chávez, for his part, was received as a hero, honoring his father’s legacy. However, Chávez Jr.’s career in the last decade has been marked by ups and downs, including rehabilitation problems and a 6-5 record in the ring. Despite appearing in what seemed to be the best physical shape in years, his performance did not translate in the ring. Despite the crowd’s support, Chávez failed to deliver a performance that thrilled the audience. He appeared lethargic for much of the fight, receiving jabs without responding. Only in the final rounds, when he was already behind on the scorecards, did Chávez react. Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) controlled much of the fight with his jab against a listless Chávez, who spent the first rounds chasing the influencer-turned-boxer without landing significant punches. Paul connected 140 of 482 punches (29%), with most of his offense coming from his jab, connecting 65 of 302 (21.5%) throughout the 10 rounds.

“It was flawless,” Paul stated. “I think I only got hit 10 times. He just survived and I thought I did great. Going 10 rounds against a former world champion who has never been knocked out. He’s up there with Canelo, with all these guys, and I embarrassed him like that.”

Jake PaulChávez landed more than 10 punches, but the effort was insufficient for a former middleweight champion. Chávez, 39 years old, landed only 61 of 154 punches (39.6%), with nine punches in the first five rounds. In the intermediate rounds, Paul began to combine his jab with the right hand and an uppercut. Chávez (54-7-1, 34 KOs) was never hurt, but seemed content to follow his opponent waiting for a decisive blow that never came. Chávez finally reacted in the last two rounds, connecting strong hooks on a tired Paul. Despite this, Paul resisted and continued throwing punches until the final bell.

“I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last ones,” said Chávez, who had only fought once since 2021. “He’s strong, a good boxer [for] the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”

Julio César Chávez Jr.

With this victory, Paul is getting closer to his dream of fighting for a world title, making his intentions public after the triumph. “I want tougher fighters and I want to be a world champion,” Paul declared. “’Lefty’ [Ramirez] looked slow tonight. That’s easy. I want Badou Jack. Tommy Fury can have it too. Stop running from me, Tommy.”