Jake Paul will be returning to action this summer to kick off his 2025 campaign.
On Friday, Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger first reported that Paul is slated to face former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a cruiserweight showdown.
Later in the evening, "The Problem Child" himself confirmed the news, officially announcing that the bout is scheduled for June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Before finalizing his bout with Chavez Jr., Paul was deep in talks for a superfight with Canelo Alvarez, targeting a May date. However, those plans fell through when Alvarez opted to sign a lucrative deal with Riyadh Season promotion.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer even took aim at the Mexican superstar on social media, mocking Canelo’s unanimous decision win over Chavez Jr. from May 2017.
"I just defeated the baddest man on the planet and broke multiple records, and now I’m going against a former world champion with 54 wins who Canelo could barely beat," Jake Paul wrote on X.
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"The Problem Child" last stepped into the ring in November, earning a unanimous decision win over former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. The 28-year-old Ohio native is riding a five-fight winning streak and boasts a professional record of 11-1. His lone defeat came in February 2023, when he suffered a narrow split decision loss to Tommy Fury.
Meanwhile, Chavez Jr. was last seen on the undercard of Paul’s bout with Mike Perry this past July, scoring a unanimous decision victory over former UFC standout Uriah Hall. The win marked his first appearance in the squared circle following a three-year layoff.
"La Leyenda Continua" reigned as the WBC middleweight champion from 2011 to 2012, successfully defending the title three times before dropping it to Sergio Martínez in September 2012. The seasoned Mexican veteran boasts a professional record of 54-6-1 with one no contest, and 34 of those victories coming by way of knockout.