Jake Paul isn’t interested in fighting Julio César Chávez Jr. for a title. The social media star turned boxer wants to face tougher opponents and win a “real belt” instead.
Paul’s boxing career has drawn criticism for his choice of opponents. He’s mostly fought aging fighters or retired MMA stars. His only loss came against Tommy Fury, but he bounced back with a win over 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paul strongly denied claims that the fight was scripted.
Now, with an 11-1 record, Paul is looking for more serious competition. He turned down a title shot against former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr., which was proposed by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza.
In a video response, Paul explained his decision: “I want someone tougher. And I want a real belt. Not just something put up for entertainment value, so, it’s great and all but honestly he’s easy work and I want someone tougher to shut people up.”
Chávez Jr., son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez, has had a rocky career. He once held the WBC middleweight world title and fought in a famous all-Mexican battle against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2017, which he lost.
His career took a downturn after a controversial fight with Danny Jacobs. Chávez Jr. failed to make weight, quit in the fifth round claiming a broken nose, and fans threw beer cans into the ring.
Recently, Chávez Jr. has had a stop-start career in higher weight classes and faced problems outside the ring. In July, he won a unanimous decision against former UFC fighter Uriah Hall.
Paul’s rejection of the Chávez Jr. fight shows he’s serious about stepping up his competition. He’s setting his sights higher, aiming to prove himself against more legitimate opponents in the boxing world.
Source link
