Jake Paul has often faced accusations throughout his boxing career of selecting opponents significantly smaller than himself, ostensibly to gain an advantage in the ring.
This past Saturday in Anaheim, California, Paul stepped back into the boxing ring for the first time since his controversial victory against Mike Tyson last November, facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Known as ‘The Problem Child,’ Paul secured another dominant win, earning a unanimous decision against the former WBC middleweight champion and continuing to elicit mixed reactions from boxing fans.
This victory over Chavez Jr. has propelled Paul into the top 15 of the WBA rankings, making him eligible for a cruiserweight world title opportunity. He even had a face-off with potential opponent Zurdo Ramirez after the Saturday night bouts.
Jake Paul Weighed Less Than Chavez Jr on Fight Night
Criticism regarding Paul`s choice of opponents, often perceived as smaller than him, has been a constant theme throughout his career.
After his victory, Paul notably threatened legal action against individuals making what he termed `irresponsible` claims about his boxing journey, continuing his public disagreement with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.
However, the revelation of the official fight night weights might help mitigate some of this criticism, showing some surprising figures.
At the official weigh-ins the day before the bout, Paul registered 199.4 lbs. By fight night, his weight increased to 209.4 lbs, a gain of only 5%. In contrast, Chavez Jr., who historically competed around 160 lbs, weighed in officially at 198.4 lbs but gained a substantial 15.1 lbs by fight night.
On Saturday night, Chavez Jr. officially weighed 213.5 lbs, surpassing Paul`s weight by 4.1 lbs. Despite the weight advantage, it did not benefit the Mexican fighter, as Paul controlled the majority of the contest.
Paul Called `Crazy` for Challenging Former Heavyweight Champion
Following his victory over the former champion, Paul issued challenges to several current world champions, outlining his ambition to achieve a major career milestone.
Notably, the 28-year-old named former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, who has been inactive since his significant loss to Daniel Dubois.
Given Joshua`s status as a legitimate former world champion and his considerably larger size, boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. characterized Paul`s challenge as `crazy`.
