ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jake Paul, known for his high-profile yet unconventional boxing endeavors, faced his stiffest challenge yet by stepping into the ring with Julio César Chávez Jr., a seasoned ex-middleweight champion. The matchup initially appeared daunting, with many predicting Chávez would expose the gaps in Paul’s experience.
However, the narrative swiftly changed as Chávez struggled to bring the anticipated intensity, waiting until the ninth round to seriously challenge Paul. By that point, Paul had already established a firm lead and looked poised for yet another victory in his growing boxing career.
Paul secured a unanimous decision win on Saturday night, taking control early in the match before enduring Chávez’s late efforts. With this sixth straight victory, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) displayed a composed mastery over the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), pleasing his noticeably pro-Chávez audience in Southern California.
Reflecting on the fight, Paul remarked, “I love that he brought a good fight at the end, and I think the fans got a good fight to see him come out, put some punches on me. It makes me better. I had to elevate tonight and rise to a different level. I’m glad the fans got to see me get punched in the face a little bit.”
Even with the encouragement of his legendary father from ringside, Chávez exhibited a cautious approach, taking too long to assert himself. Paul capitalized on this passivity, dictating the pace and rhythm of their cruiserweight bout held at Honda Center by consistently landing clean shots. A late spark from Chávez in the sixth and ninth rounds provided brief excitement, but the ever-vigilant Paul remained largely unscathed.
As the final round concluded with Paul absorbing several of Chávez’s punches, he celebrated atop the ropes despite boos from the audience. Paul responded, “All the boos are awards. It was flawless. I think I only got hit about 10 times.”
The judges awarded scores of 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93 in favor of Paul, affirming his control throughout the match. In his own assessment, Chávez admitted, “I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last rounds. 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.”
Despite criticism, Paul has leveraged his extensive online following and hard work into a promising boxing career, distinct from traditional expectations. Throughout his burgeoning venture, he has ventured into promotional work and expressed interest in mixed martial arts, reinforcing his position as a notable figure in combat sports.
Paul’s previous fights included a single loss to Tommy Fury earlier this year, and a victory over an aging Mike Tyson last November. Conversely, the match provided Chávez an opportunity to make a comeback, luring fans eager to support their local boxing icon after his lengthy absence from the sport.
Chávez, overshadowed by his father’s legacy, has faced multiple setbacks, including failed drug tests and suspensions, yet achieved success by securing the WBC middleweight title in 2011. Despite battling esteemed fighters like Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, Chávez never realized his full potential, as illustrated by his recent losses.
Looking ahead, Jake Paul’s entertaining yet lucrative boxing journey may soon intersect with more traditional avenues. Financially, he’s positioning himself to engage with higher-caliber fighters under official sanctioning bodies as opportunities arise.
On the matter of future opponents, Paul playfully commented, “We’ll see. There’s a long line, so they’ve got to wait in line. Take a ticket.” He also expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who achieved a close win over Yuniel Dorticos earlier that evening.
In other fights, Holly Holm, at the age of 43, made a triumphant return after a significant hiatus from boxing, and Julian Rodriguez delivered a thrilling victory with a last-minute stoppage over Avious Griffin.
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