Jake Paul’s upcoming 10-round cruiserweight bout with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28, 2025, is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about fights of the year.
As the highly anticipated showdown approaches, top boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya has shared his thoughts, acknowledging that Paul is stepping up to face a legitimate challenge.
Despite criticism for taking on retired fighters, Paul has now secured a matchup with Chavez Jr., a seasoned veteran with years of experience in the ring, including high-profile bouts against fighters like Canelo Alvarez.
Paul’s most recent win was a unanimous decision over a retired Mike Tyson, which raised eyebrows in the boxing community. Now, with Chavez Jr. as his opponent, Paul is facing a more formidable test.
De La Hoya: A real Test for Jake Paul
In an interview with Fight Hub TV, De La Hoya, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, emphasized the significance of this fight for Paul’s career.
“People keep saying Jake Paul is not a real fighter. Well, he’s fighting a real fighter now. It’s going to be a good test for both guys.” De La Hoya stated.
De La Hoya also pointed out Paul’s skills as a promoter, adding that the match would provide both fighters with plenty of compelling storylines.
A striking comparison was made by De La Hoya between Paul and Canelo Alvarez’s fight with Chavez Jr. in May 2017. Although Alvarez won via unanimous decision, De La Hoya noted that Canelo was unable to knock out Chavez Jr., and could not hurt him. De La Hoya posed an interesting question.
“Imagine if Jake can hurt or even wobble Chavez Jr. It’s something that Canelo didn’t do. There’s a lot of great stories to come out of this.”
Meanwhile, talks of a potential future showdown between Jake Paul and Canelo Alvarez were recently quashed after Saudi chairman Turki Alalshikh signed Canelo to a four-fight deal, starting with a May 3 match against William Scull. In a recent interview, Canelo discussed the possibility of fighting Paul later in his career.
“Maybe at the end of my career, when I’m retired, we’ll see.”
As the June fight nears, all eyes are on Jake Paul to see if he can prove himself against the seasoned Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., with De La Hoya’s backing making the stakes even higher.
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