Jake Paul's next fight - who is Julio Cesar Chavez Junior?

Following his comfortable victory against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson, Jake Paul's next opponent has been announced. And many would suggest that it is arguably a step up in class. 

The Problem Child has unquestionably made waves inside the boxing ring since turning professional back in 2020. The brash American has beaten plenty of household names, albeit not against traditional boxers. UFC veterans such as Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, and Mike Perry have all been vanquished, but there is one almighty blemish on his 11-1 record. The only time he faced an actual, singularly trained boxer in the form of Tommy Fury, he was beaten. 

Now, though, he has the chance to put that right. 

Jake Paul vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Announced 

That's because, for just the second time in his career, the younger Paul brother will fight a fully fledged boxer. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is the man charged with handing El Gallo De Dorado another humbling defeat, but the sports betting odds make him an outsider to succeed in his quest. A popular sports betting site offering odds on the contest currently makes Paul a huge -750 betting favorite to get the victory, with his Mexican opponent a +450 underdog to spring the shock. 

It will all go down on June 27th at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, with DAZN pay-per-view streaming the bout exclusively. But who is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and does he have any hope of handing Paul the second defeat of his career? Let's take a look. 

The Son of a Legend 

The name Julio Cesar Chavez holds weight in the world of boxing, but that is primarily down to his father. The elder statesman shot to prominence throughout the early 1990s, winning his first 87 fights on the spin, before a draw with Pernell Whittaker in 1993. Between 1990 and 1994, he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, and he eventually hung up the gloves in 2005 with a record of 107–6–2.

Throughout his storied career, he won world championships multiple times over in three different weight divisions. His son, on the other hand, has had his difficulties in breaking out of the shadow. 

Mexico's Next Great Hope 

Junior decided to lace up the gloves as a professional in 2003, and he would begin his career with 23 straight victories in his first two years in the game. A draw with Carlos Molina halted his perfect record, but he would go on to secure the victory in the rematch, before improving his record to an impressive 42–0–1 (with one no-contest) by January 2011. 

Those exploits secured El Hijo de la Leyenda a maiden world championship opportunity. Chavez Jr. faced off against undefeated Ferman Sebastian Zbik in Los Angeles in June 2011 with the WBC middleweight championship on the line. After a gutsy display, he emerged with a razor-thin split decision victory, securing his first and only world title. 

The Mexican successfully retained the strap three times, picking up impressive victories against former Contender Series runner-up Peter Manfredo Jr., future champion Andy Lee, and compatriot Marco Antonio Rubio. That set him on a collision course with Argentinian technician Sergio Martínez, and the date was set for September 2012. 

The contest was broadcast on pay-per-view for the first time in Chavez Jr.'s career, and despite being heavily favored, the champion was thoroughly outclassed. He was battered from pillar to post for the vast majority of the 12-round fight, and despite scoring a knockdown in the final round, he dropped the gold via a wide unanimous decision. 

Canelo Clash 

Chacez Jr. never really recovered from that defeat, and over the next five years, he lost again to Andrzej Fonfara. In 2017, fellow Mexican Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez had ascended to the role of boxing's pound-for-pound king, and even though his compatriot wasn't close to being on his level, a bout between the two was scheduled in a bid to secure a huge pay-per-view buy rate. 

Ultimately, the bout did exactly that, with millions tuning in to watch it. The contest, however, went as expected, with Alvarez dominating en route to a unanimous decision victory. Chavez Jr. would never fight at the world level again. 

Twilight Years 

Following that defeat, Chavez Jr. wouldn't fight again for two years. When he did, further losses followed to both Daniel Jacobs and Mario Abel Cazares. The nail in the coffin, though, came in June 2021 when the Mexican met former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. 

The Brazilian was aged 46 at the time and had only boxed twice before, with his most recent contest coming 6 years prior. Even so, he managed to upset the odds and secure a deserved decision victory, spelling the end for Chavez Jr. at any kind of respectable level. 

Now, at the age of 39, he will face Jake Paul in a contest he has at least some chance of winning. With 61 professional bouts under his belt, he certainly has the experience required to cause the 29-year-old American problems. And, well, even if he doesn't manage to get the job done, he will still leave California at the end of June with a bucket load of cash at the very least.