Jake Paul has added another big name to his record, but once again his victory came in a bout far below the elite standards of this sport. This time the sacrificial victim was Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, who lost by unanimous decision at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The fight, jointly promoted by MVP Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, ended with official scorecards of 97-93, 98-92, and 99-91 in favor of Paul.
Chavez Jr’s approach in the first three rounds looked more like that of a clerk than a professional fighter. The son of the Mexican legend spent the opening frames retreating, keeping a high guard and merely trying to avoid damage.
Paul, for his part, didn’t do anything extraordinary, but easily built a lead by taking advantage of Chavez’s lifeless performance. His actions were basic and not particularly damaging, yet sufficient to create an early gap on the scorecards.
Only in the fourth round, when Paul tried to raise the intensity by putting more power behind his punches, did Chavez show a flicker of pride, attempting a reaction after absorbing a couple of heavy shots. It wasn’t nearly enough to shift the momentum, but at least it was better than the total inaction from earlier.
In the middle rounds, the Mexican finally tried to come forward, but in a messy and ineffective way. His most notable actions included an obviously low blow and a couple of headbutts. Paul managed to control the pace quite comfortably, occasionally tagging Chavez with his left jab.
Starting from the seventh round, fatigue became a major factor. Clinches increased dramatically, turning the bout into a chaotic mess for at least two rounds, with referee Gerard White constantly stepping in to separate the fighters.
Chavez Jr found a new burst of energy in the final moments of the eighth round and delivered his best work from that point on. With nothing to lose, he went all out and managed to land occasional hooks to the head and uppercuts to the body in the last two rounds.
However, his late effort wasn’t enough to seriously trouble Paul. The American weathered the storm without ever looking close to collapsing and willingly engaged in the final exchanges, showing he could handle his opponent’s power.
Personally, among the three official scorecards, I found Rudy Barragan’s 97-93 to be the most accurate reflection of what happened in the ring, marking a four-point margin between the fighters. There was no doubt, though, about the winner: Chavez gave away too many early rounds, perhaps aware he lacked the stamina to push sooner, ultimately wasting his chance to flip the script late.
After last November’s sad spectacle — when Jake Paul defeated a completely out-of-place Mike Tyson — the former YouTuber has now beaten another ex-world champion, much younger than Iron Mike but still far from his prime.
Time will tell if Paul continues chasing famous names in steep decline or finally takes a braver step to earn the credibility that no real boxing expert has granted him so far. Rumors have circulated about attempts to secure fights with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gervonta Davis — both active champions, though much lighter than Paul. Will the former YouTuber’s next opponent finally be a boxer in his prime?