Jake Paul can’t escape the reality that his boxing career began as a pivot from YouTube, nor the criticism that many of his victories have come against aging MMA fighters and past-their-prime boxers. Tommy Fury handed Paul his sole loss, despite being dropped in the final round. So when Jake Paul agreed to fight former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., many already had a good idea how it would play out. Chavez, now 39 and clearly past his peak, seemed like another winnable name on Paul’s resume. And once the fight began, that assumption quickly proved true.

Jake Paul controlled the first eight rounds with ease, while Chavez Jr. mounted a late rally in the final two rounds. But the surge was too little, too late, and The Problem Child walked away with a unanimous decision victory, arguably the biggest win of his career. So while it certainly boosts his case for higher-profile matchups, the win was met with skepticism rather than celebration. Critics pointed to Chavez Jr.’s decline, and once again, Claressa Shields didn’t hesitate to add her voice to the growing backlash.

Following the June 28th card at Honda Center in Anaheim, Claressa Shields took to X to share her thoughts on the event. “What in the uproar is going on 😂😂😂 I enjoyed the fights this weekend. Now the main event…. Ehhh… but the rest of the fights were a great watch. My lil 59.00 wasn’t a waste,” she posted, offering a mix of humor and critique. And among the flood of responses, one comment from IBleedBoxing stood out: “You still never said whether you think that Jake Paul fight was real or not.” Now, Paul didn’t let the accusations slide. Posting on social media, he said, “All the boos are words, and actions speak louder than words, so all of you can shut the f— up.” And that’s exactly when The GWOAT offered her pointed take on the night’s headliner.

Responding with a hint of sarcasm and brutal honesty, Claressa Shields wrote, “Imma be honest! I don’t think Jake is rigging his fights. He’s just picking opponents that look good on paper and that he knows he can beat with his level of skills. His win over Chavez Jr I believe, has ranked him as a cruiserweight contender 🤷🏽‍♀️.” Coming from Shields, who’s had her fair share of tension with Jake Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions, this remark felt more like a cleverly veiled jab than outright praise.

Despite past friction, Shields chose her words carefully this time, perhaps due to her upcoming fight on July 26th against Lani Daniels at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. With focus fully on her own bout, Shields clearly isn’t looking for distractions or unnecessary drama. Even Ryan Garcia backed Paul when he said, “You can’t say Jake’s fights are rigged. It’s getting ridiculous. He’s just winning. May not be against the people you want or are qualified to give him a challenge but it’s just bc he’s popular. He has 11 pro fights. He’s on a similar path as most pros.” 

Moreover, the calculated restraint may also stem from caution, especially after the backlash veteran broadcaster Piers Morgan faced for speaking out about similar topics.

Jake Paul threatens veteran journalist over Chavez Jr. fix claims

The incident stems from Jake Paul storming out of an interview with Piers Morgan in the days leading up to his bout, after the 60-year-old British commentator criticized Paul’s choice of opponents. Following Jake Paul’s unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Morgan took to X with a scathing review. “BREAKING: I had a better fight with Jake Paul on Thursday than the unwatchable farce that took place tonight,” he wrote. “The guy’s lining his pockets with buckets of $$$$ – but he’s killing boxing with this boring staged bullsh-t against older fighters way past their prime.” Naturally, the comments drew a sharp response from MVP’s co-founder, Nakisa Bidarian.

“This claim is baseless and irresponsible,” Bidarian fired back. “Last night’s fight vs. Chavez Jr. was a fully sanctioned 10-round cruiserweight bout, officiated by the California State Athletic Commission with official judges. No staging / rigging —just hard work and a legit win.” He further went on to accuse critics of damaging the sport’s integrity. “To say otherwise not only undermines the integrity of the sport, but is defamatory and causes reputational damage to MVP, Jake Paul, and the Commission. Enough is enough. We will be exploring all options, including legal action, to hold accountable those spreading such deliberate and harmful lies.”

Jake Paul too echoed that sentiment with a personal warning of his own. “After years of letting it slide as just ‘haters being haters’, I have asked my team to vigorously go after anyone who makes up lies about my boxing career,” he said. “Expect to get served you pigs.” Meanwhile, Claressa Shields, who has had her own share of public spats with the 12-0 boxer, has opted to tread carefully ahead of her upcoming bout. Anyway, after Jake Paul’s latest win, who do you want to see him fight next?