Boxing icon delivers controversial verdict on Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. showdown

The fight between Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is scheduled for June. Ahead of this highly anticipated bout, a boxing legend has shared a controversial verdict about the matchup.

Jake Paul has finally secured his first fight of the year—and it’s a big one. The influencer will take on the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, in a bout that few saw coming.

While Chavez Jr. is no longer the boxer he once was, he still represents a serious challenge for Paul, who continues to build his professional boxing career.

Boxing icon delivers controversial take on Jake Paul vs. Chavez Jr.

A few years ago, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was seen as the future of Mexican boxing alongside Canelo Alvarez. He had a promising start to his career, but ultimately failed to live up to expectations, especially when compared to his legendary father.

Chavez Jr. did achieve some success—most notably as a former WBC middleweight world champion—but his career was hampered by off-the-ring issues that kept him from reaching his full potential.

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Teddy Atlas, one of the most respected trainers in boxing, believes Chavez Jr. may still pose a challenge for Jake Paul. However, he controversially argues that Paul has the edge—suggesting the YouTuber-turned-boxer is more committed to the sport than Chavez Jr. is at this stage of his career.

“Am I interested really in Chavez Jr? Not too much. Why? He’s already fought a guy that wasn’t a boxer. He already fought a guy who wasn’t known as a boxer, one of the great MMA fighters of all time, actually my favourite fighter of all time, Anderson Silva … [Silva] was 46-years-old when he got into a boxing ring with Chavez Jr and he beat him. I don’t know now at 39-years-old … yeah he was a world champion. But since then he’s been inactive, had problems with drugs…

“Look give him credit, he won a world title, can’t take that away from him. And here he is, getting another shot to make another payday, amazing, and here Jake Paul is keeping this thing going, keeping the dream going, give him credit.”

Chavez Jr. faced Anderson Silva, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, back in 2021. He lost to the Brazilian by split decision—a result that gives Teddy Atlas more reason to believe Jake Paul can defeat the former WBC world champion.