“Oh my gosh, what news to wake up to – Jake Paul versus Julio Cesar Chavez!” Barely able to curtail his excitement, Oscar De La Hoya shared the news straight from his bed. The DAZN-streamed PPV card, jointly promoted by Jake Paul‘s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, is scheduled for June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Now, given it’s a Jake Paul fight, typical narratives are bound to emerge. With pun intended, to a few, there’s a slight improvement. After fighting a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion, Jake Paul will now face a 39-year-old former middleweight titleholder. Nevertheless, the Ohioan remains the overwhelming favorite to win the fight. Chavez Jr., who has been through a slew of challenges, both within and outside the ring, including his personal life, is a mere shadow of himself. So he is the perennial underdog. Yet outside the script’s intended arc, there are some who believe that Chavez Jr. has the wherewithal to stage a huge upset. Speaking with Dan Canobbio, Oscar De La Hoya believes that Paul might be in for a tough challenge.

Jake Paul, don’t lower your guard

Without mincing words, De La Hoya said, “I think it’s a dangerous fight for Jake Paul!” He revealed that Julio Chavez Jr. is ‘working his a** off’ in the gym’. When Canobbio probed whether Julio Cesar Chavez’s son is as tough as one may expect, De La Hoya replied, “Hell, yeah.”

“Everything he does is all for show. Don’t get it wrong,” he stated. His parting shot was nothing short of cautionary advice for Jake Paul: “Jake Paul, you better get your a** ready because Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is working hard.” Now, De La Hoya is promoting an event headlined by the son of his opponent, whom he retired back in 1998. So it’s understandable that the former Olympic gold medalist will have to do his bit for the hype.

But it seems even Chavez Jr.’s father, the boxing great, is quite impressed with the junior. Chavez Jr. has been burning the midnight oil to prepare himself for the showdown. While acknowledging Jake Paul’s strength, Chavez Sr. felt that his son had the ability to get the job done. Speaking with Seconds Out, the legend said, “I think everyone has a second chance in life. My son has had it really tough in the past, but I have never seen him so focused as he is going into this fight. If he goes in that focused, there is no doubt in my mind that he beats Jake Paul.”

Optimum optimism

But what about Paul? What’s his take on the upcoming face-off? Speaking with ESPN, ‘The Problem Child’ said, “I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo couldn’t finish… Chávez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and heart of the great Mexican fighters. On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN pay-per-view, I will knock out Julio and make Chávez Sr. proud in ways Jr. never has.”

Per the available reports, set at a 200-pound limit, the Paul-Chavez Jr. fight will be a ten-round affair. The co-main event features unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez defending his title from top-ranked Yuniel Dorticos.

After the loss to Canelo, Julio Chavez Jr. took three years to make a return. But the comeback proved tricky as he met with a string of losses. The last one came at the hands of former UFC champion Anderson Silva. Incidentally, he fought on the Jake Paul-Mike Perry card last July. Facing yet another former UFC fighter, Uriah Hall, Chavez Jr. secured a unanimous win. Now fans will have to see whether he can do the unthinkable on June 28.

What’s your take? Do you think Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. can defeat Jake Paul?