Jake Paul wins a unanimous decision over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to move closer to the WBA top 15 in the cruiserweight division.
Controversial social media star and cruiserweight Jake Paul (12-1, 7 knockouts) secured a clear points victory over former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (54-7-1, 34 knockouts) last night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The scores from the three judges were 97-93, 98-92 and 99-91 – a clear success for the YouTuber, who is increasingly establishing himself in professional boxing.
With this victory, Paul once again underlined his ambitions in the cruiserweight division. WBA President Gilberto Mendoza had already announced beforehand that Paul could move up into the top 15 of the WBA world rankings if he defeated Chavez Jr – a controversial but symbolic sign for the career changer in the professional ranks.
The 27-year-old Paul controlled the action in the ring for long stretches, while Chavez Jr, son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, was too passive for long periods. It was only in the tenth and final round that the Mexican made a spirited attempt to end the fight early, but the US star proved his resilience and held out. “He’s a tough guy, a tough guy who’s never been stopped,” said Paul respectfully after the fight. “I have respect for the Mexican warriors.”
At the same time, Paul couldn’t resist a verbal dig at WBA and WBO world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. “He’s slow as shit,” Paul said provocatively. Chavez Jr acknowledged Paul’s performance after the fight: “I lost the first five rounds. I tried to win the rest. He’s strong, a good boxer. But I don’t think he’s ready for the champions.”