The Jake Paul experience is back. Paul returns to action after his highly publicized but abysmal fight with “Iron” Mike Tyson in November. Paul faces another former champion in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who previously held the WBC middleweight title.
Paul, 28, had the world watching when he welcomed back Tyson, 58, to a professional ring for the first time in two decades. “The Problem Child” coasted to a horrendous decision win against the legend. Paul (11-1) seeks to spur interest in a fight with Canelo Alvarez by beating his former opponent, Chavez Jr. (54-6-1, 1 NC) on June 28.
“He’s a great fighter. I like big names, legendary names, and he’s on my path to a world championship,” Paul said at the final press conference. “This is a tough test, a very tough test, but I’m here to challenge myself and do big things in this sport and then make a title run after I beat him on Saturday.”
The son of a legendary three-division world champion, Chavez Jr. won consecutive fights against David Zegarra and Uriah Hall. His last loss was against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, whom Paul beat the next year.
“No, I don’t think he’s good. I think he tries, he trains hard, but he’s not a good fighter,” Chavez Jr. said. “He’s definitely not a good boxer. If he were a good boxer, then everyone else on this stage would be a legend. I don’t think he’s a good boxer, and everybody knows that.”
The undercard does feature a pair of interesting fights. Unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is set to defend his WBA and WBO titles against Yuniel Dorticos in the co-main event. Ramirez has an incredible record at 47-1 with 30 knockouts. His lone defeat came in a 2022 decision los to Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title. He’s bounced back with three wins since, including a huge victory over Chris Billam-Smith in November to claim the WBO cruiserweight title.
Plus, boxing Hall of Famer and former UFC champion Holly Holm returns to the boxing ring for the first time in 12 years when she takes on Yolanda Vega. In her boxing career, Holm held titles in three different weight classes and made 16 defenses of those titles before eventually transitioning to MMA.
Below is the complete fight card for Paul vs. Chavez Jr., along with the latest odds. Check back throughout the week for the latest news, features, and other content surrounding this massive event.
