Paul's last outing resulted in a controversial win over Mike Tyson last year. Since then, he's tried to set up fights with big names like Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Gervonta Davis, but those negotiations fell through.
Chavez Jr, on the other hand, picked up a win against Uriah Hall last year, his first fight since 2021. The former champion at 160 pounds has had a career marred with issues outside the ring. His most notable fight was a unanimous decision loss to Canelo.
Oscar De La Hoya, who's co-promoting the event, shared his thoughts with Fight Hub TV:
"Jake Paul, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, it's a real fight. 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. Obviously, Jake is a masterclass promoter in what he does. He's been doing some great things, Mike Tyson, 60 million people."
De La Hoya also mentioned the undercard, which features Gilberto Ramirez defending his cruiserweight belt against Dorticos in a mandatory fight he described as a "bloodbath".
The former champion praised Chavez Jr's potential, saying:
"When he trains, when he gets in shape, when he's focused he will be dangerous for anybody."
De La Hoya drew an interesting comparison to Canelo's fight with Chavez Jr:
"Look, Canelo fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. We promoted that fight many years ago. Didn't knock him out, couldn't hurt him, so imagine if Jake can hurt or even wobble Chavez Jr. It's something that Canelo didn't do, or couldn't do. There's a lot of stories to come out from this. A lot of great stories for Jake Paul."
This fight gives Paul a chance to prove himself against a former world champion. For the boxing world, it's a test of a YouTuber against legitimate boxing talent. The potential narratives, especially comparisons to Canelo's performance against Chavez Jr, add extra spice to the matchup.
ESPN has officially announced the fight, setting the stage for what promises to be an interesting night of boxing on June 28.