Jake Paul to Fight Ex-Champ Chavez Jr. on June 28

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is set to face former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The 10-round bout marks Paul’s first fight since defeating Mike Tyson via unanimous decision last November.

“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,” Paul said in a statement announcing the fight.

Paul, 28, boasts an 11-1 professional record with seven knockouts, and is coming off what he described as his “biggest win yet” against the 58-year-old Tyson.

“I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo couldn’t finish,” he said, referencing Mexican star Canelo Alvarez, who beat Chavez Jr. in 2017.

Paul, who refers to himself as “El Gallo De Dorado,” emphasized his admiration for Mexican boxing legends.

“Chavez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and heart of the great Mexican fighters,” he added.

“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.”

Chavez Jr., 39, held the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012 and currently has a professional record of 54 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw, with 34 victories by knockout.

His last bout was in July, where he defeated former UFC fighter Uriah Hall by unanimous decision.

“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 in response to the fight announcement.

“I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger.”

He welcomed the opportunity to prove himself against Paul.

“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,” he said.

“Hopefully, when I beat him, people won’t underestimate this win.”

The June 28 fight is being promoted by Most Valuable Promotions, with involvement from Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

“Another massive event from Most Valuable Promotions, with some Oscar De La Hoya seasoning added to the show. Viva La Puerto Rico,” Paul said.

The Paul vs. Tyson fight previously broke records, generating PHP 1.04 billion ($18.1 million) in gate revenue and peaking at 65 million concurrent streams on Netflix, the highest for any live sporting event on the platform.

The Anaheim event will also feature a co-main title bout as Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) defends his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles against Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs), a former WBA and IBF world champion.

Paul’s upcoming challenge against Chavez Jr. will test whether his boxing ambitions can extend beyond novelty matches and into true professional legitimacy.