The ‘Problem Child’ returns to action for the first time since November this weekend – but is facing calls that his fight with Chavez Jr is ‘fixed’
Jake Paul has once again been hit with ‘fix’ claims ahead of his return to the boxing ring later this month.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer is set to return to action next weekend and will take on former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Anaheim. The highly-anticipated showdown will be contested at cruiserweight – with Chavez Jr coming into the dust-up off a win over former UFC middleweight contender Uriah Hall.
Paul has not fought since defeating Mike Tyson on points last November. Since making his professional debut back in 2020, the 28-year-old has been criticised by many for ‘fixing’ his fights. The American is once again at the heart of ‘fix’ claims ahead of his return to competitive action.
Professional Boxing Coach Daley Perales recently weighed in and offered his verdict on Chavez Jr’s fight with Paul. Perales seemingly shared a post of the Mexican fighter preparing for the contest on his official Instagram page – with the caption: “Chavez has not been motivated for a very long time. But this fight looks like it has woken him back up. He looks healthy and locked in. If the right Chavez turns up then he wins. If the right Chavez turns up and losses, then it is a fix.”
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This is not the first time Paul has been hit with such allegations. Following his victory over Tyson, a friend of the boxing legend allegedly claimed that the scrap was rigged. In an interview with the Mirror US, former NFL star Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones said: “I truly think the fight was rigged because if you look at the first round, Mike hit him with a couple and it looked like he told him to slow down.”
“Did I think his feet were all the way there? No, I didn’t. He was a little wobbly on the feet. I like Mike Tyson. I love Mike Tyson. I love to see a real fight with Mike Tyson.” After several fans bought into the theory, Most Valuable Promotions were quick to issue the following statement: “Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions — contractual or otherwise — around either fighter.
“Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations) boxing rules. It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer — an organisation that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson — would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”
During a press conference earlier this year, promoting his fight with Mike Tyson before it got cancelled, Paul had his say on the topic of his fights being potentially ‘rigged’: “A lot of people are doubting me, a lot of people are saying if Jake wins then the fight is rigged because of how great he looks.
“Age is just a number, he’s a killer and he’s a warrior. He’s been doing this his whole entire life so it’s second nature to him. I’ve been doing it for four years and I’ve been doing it at a super-high level but I’m going to prove I can out-box Mike Tyson. I’ll be the one doing the killing.”