Notebook: Jake Paul sees beating Chavez as a way to crash rankings
Zurdo defends vs. Dorticos in co-feature; Norman-Haney welterweight title fight under discussion; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Like any good promoter, Jake Paul has done his best to build up Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and speak about him in glowing terms.
He has called him “a great fighter.” He has referred to him as “a tough test, a very tough test.” And he insists that Chavez is “coming in prepared.”
By no definition, however, would Chavez be seen as a great fighter. Perhaps Paul meant his father, the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. But perhaps Chavez will be a tough test for Paul and maybe, for a change, he will be prepared.
What he is undeniably, however, is Paul’s next opponent, whom he will face in the 10-round cruiserweight main event of an MVP/Golden Boy card on Saturday (DAZN PPV, 8 p.m. ET) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
“I like big names, legendary names, and he’s on my path to a world championship,” Paul said at the fight week news conference. “This is a tough test, a very tough test, but I’m here to challenge myself and do big things in this sport and then make a title run after I beat him.”
Paul showed up at the news conference with piece of paper that read “I will be getting knocked out” written on it. He placed at Chavez seat for the presser.
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A win against the long-faded Chavez will probably get Paul put into at least some of the sanctioning body rankings, as wild as that may seem. But Paul has preached for the past few years that he will become a world champion.
“To become a world champion, I need to be ranked,” Paul said at his media workout. “That’s what this fight is all about. Beating Chavez in a great fashion, we’ll see where the WBA and WBC rank me, and then hopefully I’ll be able to go for a world title.”
Paul has mostly fought non-boxers and feasted on MMA fighters but Chavez is at least an experienced boxer and has a recognizable name to help make a big event.
But he hasn’t been relevant in years, has been in and out of rehab and bogged down by problems outside the ring. And although he is a former WBC middleweight titleholder, Chavez has not had a notable win since defending that belt against Andy Lee in 2012.
He also has a penchant for quitting, which he did against Daniel Jacobs and Andrzej Fonfara; has boxed only once since 2021 in a six-round decision over MMA fighter Uriah Hall (who was in his second boxing match) on the Paul-Mike Perry undercard last July; and will be fighting about 40 pounds heavier than when he was at his best at 160 pounds 13 years ago.
Mexico’s Chavez (54-6-1, 34 KOs) is also 39, albeit an improvement from Paul’s last opponent, when he easily routed 58-year-old Mike Tyson, who came out of a nearly 20-year retirement and got whipped in their heavyweight blockbuster in November.
Still, Paul (11-1, 7 KOs), 28, of Puerto Rico, said of Chavez, “He’s coming in prepared. They’re saying this is the hardest he’s ever trained.”
Chavez didn’t seem to think much of the compliments. Asked if he thought Paul, the social media influencer, popular YouTuber and former Disney actor, was any good, he ripped him.
“No, I don’t think he’s good. I think he tries, he trains hard, but he’s not a good fighter,” Chavez said. “He’s definitely not a good boxer. If he were a good boxer, then everyone else on this stage would be a legend. I don’t think he’s a good boxer, and everybody knows that.”
Zurdo vs. ‘KO Doctor’
In his last fight in November, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez battered Chris Billam-Smith in a unanimous decision to unify the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. Before the bout could be finalized they both had to agree that if they won they would next defend against WBA mandatory challenger and two-time titlist Yuniel Dorticos.
Now that time has come for Ramirez, a former super middleweight titleholder and former light heavyweight title challenger, who will take on the biggest puncher of his career in Dorticos, who is aptly nicknamed the “KO Doctor,” in the Paul-Chavez co-feature on Saturday.
Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) has been somewhat inactive but has won three bouts in a row, albeit against lesser opposition, since losing the IBF title by majority decision to Mairis Briedis in September 2020. Dorticos will be coming off a one-year layoff and a first-round knockout win against journeyman Alan Campa. Dorticos accepted a financial payment to step aside to allow Ramirez-Billam-Smith.
“I promise even the angels will shake because the ‘KO Doctor’ is back,” Dorticos said through an interpreter. “(Ramirez has) fought big guys, but he’s never fought anybody like me.”
Dorticos, 39, a Cuban defector fighting out of Miami, downplayed his age as well.
“On paper it might say I’m 39, but I feel like a young man,” he said. “I am absolutely grateful for this opportunity, but on (Saturday) everybody will know who the ‘KO Doctor’ is.”
Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs), 34, a Mexican southpaw, is 3-0 since moving up to cruiserweight, having handily outpointed Joe Smith Jr., Arsen Goulamirian to win the WBA title, and Billam-Smith to also claim the WBO belt.
A win over Dorticos would create a variety of options. One is a unification with lineal/IBF champion Jai Opetaia that has already been discussed. Paul also has said he would like to Ramirez him for the title eventually — a long shot, granted — should he beat Chavez in the main event.
Before any of that big business, Ramirez figures to have his hands full with Dorticos but is confident.
“Saturday night, I expect a war,” Ramirez said. “I expect he comes really prepared. We’ll see why Zurdo is the champion, unified. I’m prepared for Doctor KO.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to keep my belt, defend my title, and move forward. He’s a great challenge. He’s a former world champion. I’m just glad to be here and I will keep my belts. That’s all.”
Norman-Haney talks
A week after WBO welterweight titlist Brian Norman Jr. traveled to Japan and brutally knocked out Jin Sasaki in the fifth round to retain the belt for the second time on June 19, discussions are already in high gear for his next defense against former WBC junior welterweight titlist and former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Bill Haney, Devin’s father and trainer, has been making noise about the fight on social media. Among his posts in recent days: “I’m on my job looking for this tough guy named Brian Norman Jr. If you see him or his dad, tell them Devin Haney is looking for him.”
He didn’t need to look far as both sides are negotiating their end of the deal with SELA, the subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund that bankrolls Riyadh Season events run by Turki Alalshikh.
If the fight is finalized it would take place this fall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, both sides told Fight Freaks Unite.
Decatur, Georgia, native Norman (28-0, 22 KOs), who at 24 is the youngest active male world titleholder, was eager to accept Haney’s challenge.
“Brian Norman is in 100 percent and were looking forward go getting a deal done,” Jolene Mizzone, Norman’s manager, told Fight Freaks Unite.
Haney (32-0, 15 KOs), 26, of Las Vegas, lost out on a fall rematch with Ryan Garcia when Garcia was upset by Rolando Romero on May 2 on the same card on which Haney outpointed Jose Ramirez in the co-feature.
Then Haney turned his attention to a welterweight fight with lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez. Haney signed for the fight, which was also ticketed for Riyadh, but at the last minute Lopez declined to sign even though he had agreed. That left Haney looking for yet another notable opponent.
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked three bouts from Saturday’s DAZN PPV card: the Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. cruiserweight main event; Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez’s defense of his unified cruiserweight title versus mandatory challenger and two-time titlist Yuniel Dorticos; and lightweight Floyd Schofield against Tevin Farmer. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from Anaheim, California, for the MVP/Golden Boy card on Saturday (DAZN PPV, 8 p.m. ET): Jake Paul 199.4 pounds, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 198.4; Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez 199.8, Yuniel Dorticos 198.6 (for Ramirez’s WBO/WBA cruiserweight title); Raul Curiel 146.4, Victor Rodriguez 145.2; Avious Griffin 146.8, Julian Rodriguez 146.6; Floyd Schofield 134.8, Tevin Farmer 135; Holly Holm 136.6, Yolanda Vega 136.8; Joel Iriarte 146.8, Kevin Johnson 146.4; Alexander Gueche 124, Vincent Avina 120; Joshua Edwards 226, Dominic Hardy 251.4; Victor Morales 130, Renee Alvarado 129.6; John “Scrappy” Ramirez 119.8, Josue Jesus Morales 121.6.
Per the California State Athletic Commission, official contract purses for the MVP/Golden Boy card on Saturday: Jake Paul $300,000, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. $750,000; Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez $1.5 million, Yuniel Dorticos $300,000; Raul Curiel $125,000, Victor Rodriguez $65,000; Avious Griffin $30,000, Julian Rodriguez $30,000; Floyd Schofield $125,000, Tevin Farmer $125,000; Holly Holm $100,000, Yolanda Vega $22,000; Joel Iriarte $10,000, Kevin Johnson $10,000; Alexander Gueche $8,000, Vincent Avina $14,000; Joshua Edwards $8,000, Dominic Hardy $6,000; Victor Morales $60,000, Renee Alvarado $35,000; John “Scrappy” Ramirez $50,000, Josue Jesus Morales $18,000.
Weights from Quebec City, Canada, for the Eye of the Tiger card on Friday (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET): Christian Mbilli 167.7 pounds, Maciej Sulecki (for vacant WBC interim super middleweight title); Steven Butler 167.6, Jose De Jesus Macias 167.8; Arslanbek Makhmudov 265.8, Ricardo Brown 261.4; Wilkens Mathieu 171.6, Adagio McDonald; Jhon Orobio 139.5, Zsolt Osadan 138.8; Christopher Guerrero 146.7, Sandy Messaoud 145.1; Leila Beaudoin 129.4, Elhem Mekhaled 129.1; Luis Santana 135.7, Eduardo Estela 135.6; Wyatt Sanford 139.6, Mark Andrejev 139.7.
WBC/WBO women’s junior middleweight titlist Ema Kozin will defend against WBC interim titleholder Cecilia Braekhus (38-2-1, 9 KOs), 43, of Norway, who is the former undisputed welterweight champion and one of the best female boxers of all time, on Oct. 4 at Nova Spektrum in Lilliestram, Norway. Braekhus, who claimed the vacant interim belt in her last fight last August via decision over Maricela Cornejo, said it will be the final bout of her 18-year career. “One last fight, one final legacy. October 4th, everything I’ve ever fought for comes to an end,” Braekhus posted on social media in announcing the bout. Kozin (24-1-1, 12 KOs), 26, of Slovenia, will be boxing for the first time in 23 months since winning both vacant belts by split decision over Hannah Rankin in November 2023.
Golden Boy Promotions announced on Friday that it has signed middleweight prospect and Oakland native Amari Jones (14-0, 12 KOs), 23. “Amari is one of the best fighters I have trained since Andre Ward,” trainer Virgil Hunter said. “Amari has all the makings to become a world champion and stay there.” Said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, “At Golden Boy, we hold our fighters to a high standard and Amari Jones meets every one of them. With world-class trainer Virgil Hunter in his corner, the full support of the Bay Area behind him, and the raw talent that’s kept him undefeated, we’re confident no one will be able to avoid him as he climbs toward the top of the middleweight division.”
Show and tell
The prime Mike Tyson had crushed one opponent after another with a series of devastating knockouts, made six heavyweight title defenses and unified the three major belts to become the undisputed champion. But Michael Spinks, the former light heavyweight champion, was still the lineal heavyweight champion, having taken the status in his first win over Larry Holmes but later being stripped of the IBF belt for fighting a lucrative bout against Gerry Cooney rather than a far less attractive mandatory defense against Tony Tucker, who Tyson eventually beat to become undisputed champion. Finally, the Tyson-Spinks showdown was made as the undefeated fighters, both with a claim to the title, met in the richest fight in boxing history at the time.
It is also the fight in which Tyson, whose life and career were in turmoil, famously punched a hole in the wall in his dressing room before walking to the ring. Despite all the problems, Tyson, who was just 21, reached the apex of his legendary career as the “Baddest Man on the Planet.” That version of Tyson, who was 34-0 with 30 KOs going into the fight, may well have beaten any fighter who ever lived. He authored a ruthless 91-second demolition of Spinks, who entered the historic bout 31-0 with 21 KOs but looked petrified on his way to the ring. Tyson pulverized him. Spinks had never been knocked down but Tyson dropped him twice, first with a right to the body and then with a monstrous left-right combination to the jaw to end one of the fastest heavyweight title fights in history. It also ended any debate as to which of the two was the real champion. The mega fight took place on June 27, 1988 — 37 years ago on Friday. Here are two posters from the fight in my collection.
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Photos: Paul-Chavez and Ramirez-Dorticos: Esther Lin/MPV; Norman: Naoki Fukuda; Mbilli-Sulecki: Vincent Ethier/Eye Of The Tiger
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So did Paul win or not?
I think I missed Dan’s explanation of it on the Podcast. How would beating Chavez, Jr get Jake Paul ranked?