The narrative might have been entirely different had Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. managed to take down Jake Paul. Heading into the June 28 bout at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Chavez’s last win had come against Uriah Hall, following an almost three-year hiatus from the ring. Despite the layoff, many believed the former middleweight champion would be Jake Paul’s toughest test yet. But The Problem Child, who boldly vowed to “embarrass” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, delivered on that promise and walked away with a statement win, one that not only boosted his credibility but also earned him the No. 14 spot in the WBA cruiserweight rankings. As for the son of a Mexican boxing legend, the question now is: where does he go from here?

Like any skilled promoter, Jake Paul did his part to build up Chavez Jr. before the fight. He labeled him “a great fighter,” called him “a very tough test,” and maintained that Chavez Jr. was “coming in prepared.” While few in the boxing world would describe Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. as great by any modern standard, Jake Paul’s framing helped sell the bout. Interestingly, the 39-year-old’s loss hasn’t sparked heavy criticism; instead, much of the reaction has come from those defending him, especially within his former camp.

Yesterday, SportBox TV Official shared an Instagram post titled, “EDDY REYNOSO ON JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.” The caption featured words of support from Canelo Alvarez’s longtime trainer, Eddy Reynoso, who defended the 39-year-old boxer following his defeat to Jake Paul. “Stop criticising [Julio Cesar Chavez] Jr. It’s not at all boxing. It’s not at all about winning or losing a fight. He is already winning the most important thing which is to continue growing as a human being and staying healthy. Congratulations, Julio, you are an example of improvement. 👊👊.” While it is true he lost to Jake Paul, he did improve on his last performance. And importantly, he came back from addiction, depression, and a brief prison stay to put up a brave front, like Reynoso explained. That is a growth you have to appreciate.

The 12-1 boxer dominated much of the fight using his jab against a disengaged Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who spent the early rounds following Jake Paul around the ring without throwing much offense. Paul landed 140 of 482 punches (29%) thrown, with most of the damage coming from his jab, connecting on 65 of 302 (21.5%) thrown across the 10-round bout. Though Chavez Jr. showed signs of life in the later rounds, it was too little, too late. Ultimately, Jake Paul walked away with a unanimous decision victory, arguably the most significant win of his career so far.

“It was flawless,” the 28-year-old declared post-fight. “I think I only got hit 10 times.” While Chavez Jr did land more than 10 punches, his overall output was disappointing for a former middleweight world champion. He connected on just 61 of 154 punches (39.6%), with only nine punches landed across the first five rounds. Moreover, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. rallied briefly in the final two rounds, landing a few heavy hooks on a visibly fading Paul, but the YouTuber-turned-fighter held on and continued to trade until the final bell. And while Canelo’s team offered words of empathy and encouragement, Teddy Atlas was far less forgiving in their assessment.

Teddy Atlas rips Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. after Jake Paul loss

In a recent episode of his YouTube show The Fight with Teddy Atlas, the legendary trainer didn’t hold back in his assessment of Julio César Chávez Jr. following his loss to Jake Paul. Atlas and his co-host broke down what they saw as the difference between physical survival and psychological surrender. The co-host pointed out that “the mental side or the shortcomings of Chávez did show in this fight,” and Atlas was quick to agree.

Drawing from the wisdom of his late mentor, Cus D’Amato, Atlas labeled Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. as what he called a “game quitter.” He explained, “He didn’t try to win… that’s a game quitter.” According to Atlas, this term doesn’t imply a lack of courage. “He’s got heart. He’ll go in there. He’ll take punches. Sometimes honestly, he’ll take more.” But as Atlas emphasized, absorbing punishment isn’t the same as fighting with the intent to win. “He didn’t have the wherewithal, the confidence, the discipline to do what he has to do to win,” Atlas explained. “It starts with belief. Not skill. Not will. Belief.”

In one of the episode’s most striking comparisons, Atlas drew a parallel between Chávez Jr. and Mike Tyson during his first bout with Evander Holyfield. “Your beloved Tyson was a game quitter in that fight,” Atlas stated. “He took awful punishment. He showed tremendous heart… but he didn’t try to win.” Atlas made it clear he wasn’t accusing either fighter of physically quitting, but rather surrendering mentally; the intent to win simply wasn’t there. With that said, do you think Julio César Chávez Jr. has more fights left to offer fans? And if he does return, who would you like to see him face next?