The 10-round bout brings together Paul, an influencer-turned-boxer with an 11-1 record (7 KOs), and Chavez Jr., a former WBC middleweight champion who's seen better days in the ring with a 54-6-1 record (34 KOs).
Paul's coming off a unanimous decision win over Mike Tyson last November. He's been looking for his next big fight, with plans to face Canelo Alvarez falling through when Canelo signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Paul also got frustrated when a potential matchup with Gervonta 'Tank' Davis didn't materialize after Davis' controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr.
"Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my professional debut after just one amateur fight, and every fight since then has been one step closer to my world title," Paul told ESPN. "I just beat the baddest man on the planet (Mike Tyson), and now I'm facing a former champion that the fraud Canelo Alvarez couldn't knock out."
Chavez Jr., now 39, has had a bumpy road since losing his WBC middleweight title to Sergio Martinez in 2012. He's gone 8-6 since then, including losses to Canelo Alvarez in 2017 and an embarrassing defeat to Anderson Silva in 2021. His last fight was a decision loss to Uriah Hall on the undercard of Paul vs Mike Perry last July.
Despite his recent struggles, Chavez Jr. believes he's ready to turn things around.
"First of all, I will prove what I can do now that everything is in order in my life, both mentally and physically. I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger," Chavez Jr. said. "Unfortunately for Paul, they will have a big problem this June, one that they will not know how to solve. Hopefully, when I win, people will not underestimate this victory."
The fight will be promoted by Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Golden Boy Promotions. It'll be broadcast on DAZN PPV.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP, explained how the fight came together: "Chavez Jr. has always been on the list of fighters that Jake Paul has looked at. After the fight with Tyson, the original plan was to fight Chavez Jr. next. However, the opportunity with Canelo presented itself and we suspended talks with Chavez."
Paul, who calls himself "El Gallo De Dorado," ended with some fighting words: "Chavez Jr. is Mexican, but I have the will and heart of the great Mexican boxers. On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN PPV, I will knock out Julio and make Chavez Sr. proud like Jr. never has."