Jake Paul added another win to his professional boxing record on Saturday night, defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in what many expected to be his most credible matchup to date. However, the fight has been marred by backlash, most notably from British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who reignited his public feud with the YouTuber-turned-fighter following the event.
Paul secured a decision victory over Chavez Jr, a former WBC world middleweight champion, in a performance that, while arguably his best to date in terms of opponent caliber, failed to excite fans or critics. The crowd in attendance booed during parts of the fight, which lacked action and failed to produce the knockout spectacle Paul had promised beforehand.
As the final bell rang and scorecards were read, criticism began pouring in. Among the loudest detractors was Morgan, who took to social media to slam both the fight and Paul’s continued ascent in professional boxing.
“BREAKING: I had a better fight with Jake Paul on Thursday than the unwatchable farce that took place tonight. The guy’s lining his pockets with buckets of $$$$. But he’s killing boxing with this boring staged bulls**t against older fighters way past their prime,” Morgan wrote on X.
A career-best win for Paul or another carefully crafted spectacle?
While Paul improved to 12-1 with the victory, his critics continue to argue that he’s gaming the system by cherry-picking opponents past their athletic peak.
Chavez Jr, once considered one of Mexico’s top boxers, has not been in his prime for nearly a decade. Though he once shared the ring with Canelo Alvarez and competed for world titles, his form has dramatically declined, leading many to accuse Paul of selecting him for his name rather than his current ability.
Chavez Jr barely registered any meaningful offense in the first half of the fight, leaving fans underwhelmed. He rallied somewhat in the later rounds, showing flashes of his former grit, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges or turn the tide.
Paul, to his credit, stayed composed and did what was necessary to win. Still, Paul remains undeterred in his quest to be taken seriously. In the post-fight press conference, the 28-year-old called out several of boxing’s biggest names and doubled down on his goal of winning a world championship.
“I want tougher fighters. I want to be world champion,” Paul said. “Zurdo [Gilberto Ramirez] looked slow as st tonight. That’d be easy work, too. [WBC cruiserweight champion] Badou Jack, I want everybody. Anthony Joshua, Gervonta [Davis] and Tommy [Fury], stop running.”
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