Jake Paul beats former middleweight champ Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision

Anaheim: Jake Paul scored a unanimous decision win over former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. on Saturday night, controlling the early rounds and withstanding a late push from his veteran opponent.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) took on what many considered his toughest opponent yet in the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), battling not just a former world champion but also a heavily pro-Chávez crowd at Honda Center.

What looked like a major gamble for Paul turned one-sided early, as Chávez entered the ring flat and hesitant, throwing few meaningful punches until the fight's fourth round.

Despite the presence of his legendary father loudly urging him on from ringside, Chávez was cautious and lacked urgency, while Paul kept his composure, dictated the pace, and did enough to bank rounds.

Chávez finally came alive in the sixth and showed flashes of his experience with a strong ninth round, but his offense never truly threatened Paul, who closed the 10-round bout with confidence and celebrated atop the ropes after the final bell.

But he couldn't seriously damage the YouTuber-turned-pugilist, who jumped on the ropes in celebration after absorbing several flurries in the 10th and final round.

“All the boos are awards,” Paul said. “It was flawless. I think I only got hit about 10 times.”

The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Paul. The Associated Press also favored Paul 97-93.

“I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last rounds,” Chávez said. “He’s strong, a good boxer (for) the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”

Chávez, who had fought just once since 2021, is best known for failing to maximize the potential in his father’s genetics. He is still the most credible boxer by far to share the ring with Paul, who is now 5 1/2 years and 13 fights into his lucrative fight career.

Paul has successfully leveraged his Internet ubiquity and his own hard work to become a force in the business of boxing, if not in traditionally important bouts. He has founded a busy promotional company and flirted with mixed martial arts while becoming one of the most important combat sports athletes in the world.

But Paul had mostly fought mixed martial artists and fellow online celebrities, and he took his only loss in February 2023 when he stepped in against actual boxer Tommy Fury, whose fame also exceeds his ring skills.

Paul hadn’t fought since last November, when he beat Mike Tyson in a much-hyped bout that couldn’t live up to improbable expectations from fans who didn’t understand the simple realities of Tyson being 58 years old.

Chávez was away from the ring for three years before his return late last year, but Paul’s invitation brought him back again — along with the thousands of fans who eagerly bought tickets in perpetual support of their champion.

Chávez has fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.

He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.

Chávez even lost in 2021 to Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion and rudimentary boxer who lost a one-sided ring decision to Paul one year later.

Paul’s career as the world’s most popular pugilistic sideshow could change soon: His financial potency makes it almost inevitable that he will be invited to fight under a sanctioning body’s aegis, which means he could likely book a bout against an elite boxer whenever he chooses.

“We’ll see,” Paul said when asked to name his next opponent. “There’s a long line, so they’ve got to wait in line. Take a ticket.”

Paul then said he would have no problem beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who retained his two cruiserweight title belts with a close unanimous decision over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos in the final undercard bout.

Earlier, 43-year-old former UFC star Holly Holm returned from a 12-year absence from the boxing ring to dominate previously unbeaten Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa.

New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez earned a thrilling victory in the waning moments of the 10th and final round, staggering Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and eventually knocking the previously unbeaten Griffin sideways into the ropes for a stoppage with 5 seconds left.