Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had options.
According to the former middleweight champion who is set to take on Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on June 28, he had an offer to fight another YouTuber-turned-boxer, KSI.
However, Chavez says he took the fight against Paul because he has a bigger name. Chavez was speaking to boxing content creator, Elie Seckbach of ES News. Here is a look at the interview.
The matchmaking decisions behind influencer boxing fights aren’t always rooted in rankings or competitive merit—they’re often about reach. Chavez Jr. knows that, and based on his comments to Seckbach, his team weighed their options.
KSI, a global brand in his own right, was on the table. But Paul’s drawing power still seems to eclipse everyone else in this niche crossover space, which made the decision a straightforward one for Chavez.
While Chavez Jr. says he chose to fight Paul because he has a bigger name, he also said he wants to take revenge for Mike Tyson. Chavez says he didn’t like seeing Paul fight the 58-year-old boxing legend, and he wants to make Paul pay.
The fight between Chavez Jr. and Paul was announced on April 18.
The date for Paul-Chavez Jr. is a curious one considering it positions the fight to go head-to-head against the UFC’s International Fight Week.
Does Paul know something we don’t about UFC 317? Aside from that, it is strange for him to attempt to go head-to-head with one of the UFC’s biggest shows.
The pairing immediately sparked discussion around Chavez Jr.’s current form and what Paul gains by continuing to pick fights with legacy names. KSI had a fight scheduled with former mixed martial artist, Dillon Danis, but an injury forced the former out.
However, the cancellation happened after KSI slapped Danis in the face with a pancake at the presser.
Despite Chavez Jr’s boxing pedigree, he will likely be an underdog by the time the fight with Paul rolls around. Chavez Jr. is 38 years old and he has only fought once over the past four years, a unanimous decision win over former UFC fighter, Uriah Hall.
From a promotional standpoint, Paul vs. Chavez Jr. sets up a clean “old school vs. new wave” narrative. And Chavez Jr. has leaned into it, pointing to Tyson’s involvement in the Paul orbit as a motivator. Paul, who continues to play the role of boxing disruptor, now faces a name with legacy weight—even if that legacy has been complicated by inconsistency and inactivity.
There’s no question the build-up will lean heavily on personality, nostalgia, and internet moments. With Paul, that’s always part of the package. For Chavez Jr., the question will be how sharp he can look after so much downtime—and whether a name built off heritage and occasional brilliance still has enough juice to challenge the influencer boxing tide.
Like it or not, we’re about to find out.
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