The Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. show has officially kicked off.
On Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, CA, Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) and Chavez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs) sat across from each other and later had a stare down as both competitors fired off some pleasantries with a pro-Chavez Jr. crowd in attendance. His father, Chavez Sr., was next to his son and added to the hype of the event by saying this is the first time in a while that he’s seen his son focused and that he expects the best version to come out on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
Given the press conference’s vibe, this fight could be the blockbuster that no one had on their bingo card. The only remaining question is whether the fight will deliver on June 28. Honestly, that may not even matter, and if Wednesday was a sample of the build-up, then watch out, this may be one of the most discussed fights for the first half of 2025.
Here are some quotes from Paul and Chavez Jr. as they build towards June 28 live on DAZN PPV.
Jake Paul Quotes
On why facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was the right fight following the Tyson win
“This fight has been brewing for quite some time now. The fans have wanted to see this, and I want to continue to elevate and raise the level of my opponents. This is a former world champion, and he has an amazing resume following in his dad’s footsteps […]. This guy is a great fighter, and I want to test myself against the best in the world.”
On how important it is to do what Canelo could not do and stop Chavez Jr.
“I’m going to shock the world once again and prove how good and how powerful I am. This is his toughest fight to date, and I’m going to embarrass him and make him quit like he always does.”
On if he wants the best of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
“I don’t want any excuses. When I beat this man, all the boxing media, like you always do, are going to discredit it. I’m going to expose and embarrass him. He’s the embarrassment of Mexico. Mexico doesn’t even claim him, and he’s going to get exposed on June 28. They say he’s training hard. They say this is the most focused he’s ever been. Good. As he should be. People don’t realize how good I actually am, and when he feels those first few punches, he’s going to want to quit and go back to his stool.”
On if this signals his pursuit of a world title
“I’ve always said that I’ll fight really tough people and fight big money fights. This is prize fighting, so I’m giving the fans what they want with every single fight by taking on tougher opponents.”
On if he’s thinking about a future matchup with Ramirez if he beats Chavez Jr.
“Yeah, 100%. This is what I came here to do: to become world champion and create one of the greatest sports stories the world has ever seen. Going from Disney Channel to YouTube to world champion in six to seven years? That’s the most relatable and best sports story that any kid can get behind. I’m here to inspire the next generation and do what no one has ever done before in the world’s hardest sport, and that is boxing.”
On fighting in this type of atmosphere
“Man, the Mexicans love me. I’m stepping into my home environment. They love me more than they love this guy. Mexico doesn’t even claim him. I love my Mexican fans, and they’ve always been rocking with me since day one. I’m going to show him who the real Mexican warrior is.”
On whether Chavez Jr. will be his very best after getting back in the gym to train
“That’s not a champion’s mindset. You have a big fight and all of a sudden you start training hard? I train as hard as possible, no matter who I’m fighting, and that shows you the type of person [Julio] is.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
On being called an embarrassment and a quitter
“Jake is crazy. I think he’s overrated. He hasn’t fought anybody in his life. On June 28th, he’s going to see what’s up. To start off, he’s never knocked anybody out. Give me one name he’s knocked out, just one. It’s like if I fought with my dad. It’s going to be a good fight. When he was born, I was already a champ.”
On what’s different coming into this fight
“I feel very good. I feel refreshed and renewed. I haven’t taken blows to the head, so I’m a lot better than he is.”
On what he has to do to win
“I need to prepare 100%. This is an interesting fight. It might not be easy, but I’m going to do the best I can to be the best person I am, but I think I’m going to take him.
On what he can do to Jake Paul
“He’s never fought anybody like me. Mike Tyson wasn’t even a fighter. He doesn’t know what he’s going to see or what to expect because he’s never seen it before. In boxing, you learn step by step, and he’s missing many.”
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