Jake Paul Wins Against Julio César Chávez Jr.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Jake Paul continues his rise in the boxing world, achieving a unanimous decision victory over former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. on Saturday night. Paul secured what could be his most significant triumph to date against a former world champion, although the latter was a decade removed from his prime. The fight took place in front of a crowd largely in favor of Chávez at the Honda Center, with scorecards of 99-91, 97-93, and 98-92.“He’s a tough guy,” Paul commented. “He’s never been arrested 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
Although the atmosphere didn’t match that of Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson last November, the energy at the Honda Center was comparable to that of many championship fights. Paul, born in Cleveland but residing in Puerto Rico, assumed the role of antagonist in hostile territory, entering the ring with the song “Lean Like a Cholo” and wearing a robe with the colors of the Mexican flag. Chávez was received with an ovation for his illustrious surname.
The last decade of Chávez Jr.’s life has been marked by disappointments, with rehabilitation problems and a 6-5 record in the ring. His career has had ups and downs, with weight problems and disappointing performances. Despite arriving at the fight in the best shape he has been seen in years, his effort did not translate in the ring. Despite the fans’ support for Chávez, he failed to deliver a performance that pleased the audience. Chávez appeared apathetic for much of the fight, limiting himself to receiving jabs and not responding. Only in the final rounds, when he was already far behind on the scorecards, did Chávez react. Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) dominated much of the fight with his jab, against a listless Chávez, who spent the first rounds chasing the influencer-turned-boxer without throwing 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.Chávez landed more than 10 punches, but his performance was poor for a former middleweight champion. Chávez, 39, 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 right hand with the jab and to include an uppercut in his offense. Chávez (54-7-1, 34 KOs) was never hurt, but seemed to settle for chasing his opponent around the ring, hoping to land a punch that would change the course of the fight, something that never happened. Chávez finally reacted in the last two rounds, connecting strong hooks to a Paul who looked tired. Paul, for his part, withstood the final onslaught and continued throwing punches until the final bell. With this victory, Paul is getting closer to his dream of fighting for a world title and made his intentions clear after the victory.“It was flawless,” Paul declared. “I think I only got hit 10 times. He just survived and I thought I did great. To go 10 rounds against a former world champion who has never been stopped. He’s up there with Canelo, with all these guys, and I embarrassed him like that.”
Jake Paul
“I want tougher rivals and I want to be world champion,” Paul stated. “‘Lefty’ [Ramirez] looked slow tonight. That’s easy work. I want Badou Jack. Tommy Fury can have it too. Stop running from me, Tommy.”
Jake Paul
