Anaheim, California (AP) – Jake Paul beat the former average weight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision on Saturday evening, dominating the first laps before hanging on the Tardif de Chávez rally.
Paul (12-1, 7 KB) seemed to take the greatest risk of his unique boxing career by facing his most accomplished opponent in Chávez 39 years old (54-7-2), and by doing it in front of a crowd ardently pro-Chávez in southern California.
At least it seemed to be a risk until Chávez enters the ring at the Honda Center and looks lifeless, barely punching until the end of the fourth round of their Cruiserweight fight.
Even with his famous father shouting furiously at the edge of the ring, Chávez temporarily fought against Paul, who patiently controlled the ring and landed just enough to win rounds.
Chávez first launched a perceptible attack in the sixth, and he delivered several fascinating shots in the ninth, finally displaying the skills of a long boxing career.
But he was not seriously damaged the pugilist who became YouTuber, who jumped on the strings to celebrate after absorbing several gusts in the 10th and last round.
“All hoots are prices,” said Paul. “It was impeccable. I think I was only touched 10 times. ”
The judges marked him 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Paul. The Associated Press also favored Paul 97-93.
“I thought I had lost the first five laps, so I tried to win the last laps,” said Chávez. “He is strong, a good boxer (for) the first three, four laps. After that, I felt that he was tired. I don’t think he was ready for the champions, but he is a good fighter.”
Chávez, who had fought only once since 2021, is best known for not having maximized the potential of his father’s genetics. He is still the most credible boxer from afar to share the ring with Paul, who is now 5 and a half years and 13 fights in his lucrative combat career.
Paul managed to take advantage of his internet ubiquity and his own hard work to become a force in the field of boxing, if not in traditionally important fights. He founded an occupied promotional company and flirted with mixed martial arts while becoming one of the most important combat sports athletes in the world.
But Paul had above all fought mixed martial artists and online celebrity colleagues, and he took his only defeat in February 2023 when he intervened against the real boxer Tommy Fury, whose fame also exceeds his ring skills.
Paul had not fought since last November, When he beat Mike Tyson In a very publicized fight which could not meet improbable expectations of fans who did not understand the simple realities of 58 -year -old Tyson.
Chávez was far from the ring for three years before his return at the end of last year, but Paul’s invitation brought him again – with the thousands of fans who impatiently bought tickets for the perpetual support of their champion.
Chávez came across countless stockings during a long boxing career led in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. The son failed drug screening tests, served suspensions and lacked blatant weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to sport.
He has always reached his heights, winning the WBC average weight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with the great generational canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing both.
Chávez even lost in 2021 against Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion and a rudimentary boxer who lost a unilateral ring against Paul a year later.
Paul’s career as the most popular pugilist in the world could soon change: his financial power makes almost inevitable that he is invited to fight under the aegis of a sanction organization, which means that he could probably book a fight against an elite boxer each time he chooses it.
“We will see,” said Paul when he asked him to appoint his next opponent. “There is a long line, so they have to line up. Take a ticket.”
Paul then said that he would have no problem to beat Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who kept his two Cruiserweight title belts with a close unanimous decision on Yuniel Dorticos de Cuba during the last fight against sub-rowing.
Earlier, the former 43 -year -old UFC star Holly Holm came from a 12 -year absence from the boxing ring to previously dominate Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa, Yolanda Guadalupe.
The New Jersey’s Welter weight, Julian Rodriguez, won an exciting victory in the decreasing moments of the 10th and last round, narcoticing Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and finally striking the griffin previously undefeated laterally in the strings for a stop with 5 seconds on the left.
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Boxing AP: https://apnews.com/boxing
