Julio César Chávez Jr. and Jake Paul insist their bout is not staged
While the name and the line of Julio César Chávez Jr. evoke history, discipline and glory, the name of Jake Paul is linked to a modern phenomenon that has challenged traditional boxing codes.
The arrival of Paul under the boxing spotlights was not by conventional means and although his fight with Chávez could seem to be a marketing show, the two fighters could benefit from a victory.
At 39 with 61 professional fights (54-6-1, 34 KB), Chávez returns to the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday to face Paul, offering pre-combat speeches that mix confidence, maturity and a sense of duty. Far from the show, the Mexican says that he focused on the serious and deep preparation.
“We are preparing to the maximum, thoroughly, to arrive better than ever physically, well -focused.
Jake Paul, on the left, and Julio César Chávez Jr. will compete at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday.
(Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy / Getty Images)
Son of the legend of Mexican boxing Julio César Chávez Sr., he knows that many consider him the last springboard to catapult Paul in boxing legitimacy, but he does not share this point of view.
“He’s not going to fight me. I’m a better boxer than him,” said Julio César Chávez Jr.
The approval he received from the Mexican boxing star Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez was interpreted as a vote of confidence in his capacities.
“It is important to listen to it,” said Chávez. “I think Canelo knows that I am the best boxer than Jake Paul. … We are going to hit him hard.”
Paul said that if he defeated Chávez, he would close the door to the return of the Mexican fighter after a transition to a detoxification cure.
“He will retire,” said Paul.
He rejected the approval by Álvarez of his opponent.
“It is definitely a sign of respect for Canelo, but he showed me the greatest respect by refusing $ 100 million so as not to fight me,” said Paul, referring to a potential fight against Álvarez who was negotiated as recently as the Mexican star chooses another opponent. “He knows it’s not an easy fight.”
With a dozen fights to his credit, Paul (11-1, 7 KB) was systematically criticized for faced weaker opponents, the latter suspecting strong suspicions that opponents accept the limitations that promote Paul.
In November 2024, Paul faced the aging legend Mike Tyson, which he defeated by a unanimous decision. Critics on social networks immediately disputed the two fighters. There were moments that he seemed to have Tyson could have finished Paul, but then seemed to go back and avoid launching crucial punches.
Chávez clearly indicated that this fight was not part of a configuration and also has no agreed script.
“I don’t help myself with this kind of thing,” said Chávez. “The fight is normal and that’s all I can tell you.”
For the Mexican fighter, this fight represents something more than a handbag or a chance to obtain a viral renown.
Jake Paul, on the left, and Julio César Chávez Jr. swam following a weighing before their Cruiserweight boxing match in Anaheim on Friday.
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
“It’s like activation,” he said. “There is the opportunity to fight for the world championship, even a revenge match with Canelo.”
And while some suggested that a loss of Chávez would mean the end of his career, he categorically rejects it,
“It didn’t cross my mind, I’m not going to lose,” he said. “I think about winning and fighting after that.”
Paul, for his part, has made controversy a promotional tool, but he also looked, in his words, to specify that his ambition is serious.
In response to rumors, potential adversaries were canceled before the finalization of the fight with Chávez, Paul explained that “a Mexican coward was afraid to fight me. … Another large boxer had not delivered. We talked to [influencer and boxer] Ksi, Tommy Fury … who led us to Chávez and continue the opponent’s path of real opponents, former world champions and remain active on the way to become world champion. »»
Paul, as his custom, did not miss the opportunity to psychologically attack his rival. This time, he highlighted the symbolic weight of the Chávez family name.
“This is an additional pressure for Chávez Jr., he does not manage the pressure well,” said Paul. “… His father wants it for his son, more than his son does not want it. It can create a lot of problems and insecurities that I will expose.”
Paul defends his story as a self -taught boxer who came to change the rules of the game.
“I never wanted to respect. It is about proving me, to create one of the best sports stories to inspire the next generation,” he said. “Without me, boxing would be dead.”
For Paul, the fight is another stage of his attempt to silence the purists and to reaffirm themselves as a Youtube celebrity with gloves. For Chávez, this represents a chance to recover his lost place, to prove that his line is not only a family name but a legitimate talent.
Boxers Jake Paul and Julio César Chávez Jr. attend a press conference at Avalon Hollywood Theater in Los Angeles on May 14.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“I am not worried, I prepare to win … I caught the fight because I will win it,” insisted Chávez, minimizing the risks.
Faced with doubts surrounding the tests, the two fighters assured that fans will see a real fight on Saturday.
“In the end, above the ring, we are all the same,” said Chávez.
Paul is not worried about what people think of him.
“I don’t pay attention to what the world of boxing says,” he said. “Naturally, this world likes to shoot itself in the foot and wants to continue criticizing me, but what we have achieved is that they obviously have no power, no control, no weight because I am always involved in the biggest events.”
This The article appeared for the first time in Spanish Via Times in Español.
