YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is just weeks away from facing former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. However, even with that bout looming, he seems intent on disrupting Jai Opetaia’s path to undisputed cruiserweight glory. Riding high on two consecutive knockout victories, the 29-year-old Aussie has made it clear—he’s only interested in special fights.

His sole aim seems to be squaring off against other division champions—WBO and WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez, and WBC title holder Badou Jack. This has caused an issue between Opetaia and ‘The Problem Child.’ Why? Well, last month, the Cleveland native confirmed that he was seeking a fight against Jack for the latter’s title. And now, Ramirez, who will lock horns with Yuniel Dorticos on June 28th on Paul’s undercard, also seems to be on his radar. 

However, when asked why Opetaia wasn’t on his list, Paul told Fox Sports Australia, “I’m like Megan Fox from the Transformers movie – everyone wants me.” Claiming there’s not enough time to fight them all, Paul suggested that a potential fight against Opetaia could still happen, adding, “I would for sure entertain a fight with him.” Regardless, Paul’s sight for now appears to be firmly set on Jack and Ramirez, as he made the title shot revelation. 

He was asked to rank the cruiserweight champions. “I would say Zurdo and Jai are tied for number one,” he said. “But all three are formidable opponents, and we’re in conversations with Zurdo and Badou as potential opponents for next year.” If Paul ends up fighting Jack or Ramirez, it will get him the title fight he has been dreaming about, giving him the opportunity to legitimize his career in the sport. 

Although it’s worth mentioning that ‘El Gallo’ was chasing fights against Canelo Alvarez and Gervonta Davis earlier this year. Despite his best efforts, both fighters collapsed after Canelo signed a deal with Turki Alalshikh, and Davis produced a majority decision draw against Lamont Roach Jr. This raises the question: Who exactly is Paul trying to fight, as he throws fight offers every which way? 

“At any given point in time, we’re negotiating or talking with five to six fighters to see who is down and ready to fight and make a date happen,” Paul said. Even though Paul claims there’s a line of boxers ready to fight him, “I’m going to get to all these names as the stars align.” But before turning his attention elsewhere, Paul must first take care of business against Chavez Jr. later this month. 

In the lead-up, one of Paul’s former opponents has issued a stern warning to the former champion.

Mike Perry on Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Ahead of Jake Paul’s upcoming clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., former opponent Mike Perry shared his thoughts on the matchup. Having faced Paul himself, Perry highlighted the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s unorthodox but effective style. “It was different, it was weird,” Perry told Bloody Elbow. “He would catch me when I was off balance… it’s not like the punches were hurting my head so much.”

Perry emphasized that Chavez Jr. might fare better due to his traditional boxing background. “Chavez is a more formal boxer. I do better when I can do more of an MMA striking style and make it dirty,” he explained. While acknowledging Paul’s power and size, Perry added, “He doesn’t have terrible power… he was able to knock me down. But Chavez is a little closer to his size.”

He concluded, “Jake has some good skill, he’s got a great team… and those things make big differences.”

That said, if Jake Paul ends up fighting either Badou Jack or Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, he could be stepping on Jai Opetaia’s toes. While nothing is confirmed yet, it’s worth noting that Paul hasn’t truly faced a boxer in their prime, aside from Tommy Fury, who handed him his only loss. Whether Paul can finally back up his big talk remains to be seen. Do you think he’ll actually step into the ring with Jack or Ramirez?