April 18 – Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring when he squares off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of the legendary Mexican boxer by the same name.
Paul, who recorded a unanimous decision over 58-year-old Mike Tyson on Nov. 15, announced that the 10-round bout against Chavez will take place on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
“Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my pro debut after a single amateur fight, and every fight since has been a step towards becoming world champion. I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo (Alvarez) couldn’t finish,” Paul said.
“Chavez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and heart of the great Mexican fighters. On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN pay-per-view, I will knock out Julio and make Chavez Sr. proud in ways Jr. never has. Another massive event from Most Valuable Promotions, with some Oscar De La Hoya seasoning added to the show. Viva La Puerto Rico.”
In February, Paul pulled no punches while blasting Canelo Alvarez on social media, claiming that the latter “ducked” a planned fight with him to sign a contract with Riyadh Season.
Paul, 28, owns an 11-1 record with seven knockouts. His eight-round bout against Tyson at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, drew gate revenues of $18.1 million — a record for a boxing or mixed martial event held outside of Las Vegas.
Paul vs. Tyson attracted a peak of 65 million concurrent streams on Netflix, a streaming record for a live sporting event.
The younger Chavez, 39, was the WBC middleweight world champion from 2011-12. He owns a record of 54-6-1 with 34 knockouts. His last fight was in July, beating Uriah Hall by unanimous decision in a six-round bout.
“First of all, I will show what I can do now that everything is in the right place in my life, mentally and physically,” Chavez said. “I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger. Second, I want to thank (Most Valuable Promotions) for taking the risk of fighting me. Unfortunately for their Problem Child, they’re going to have a big problem this June — one they won’t know how to resolve. Hopefully, when I beat him, people won’t underestimate this win.”
The match will be part of the co-main event. WBO cruiserweight world champion and WBA cruiserweight super title holder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) will defend against Cuba’s former WBA and IBF cruiserweight world champion Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs).
–Field Level Media
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