Julio Cesar Chavez Jr Embraces The Canelo Alvarez Endorsement

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs) is on cloud nine, especially with Canelo Alvarez (63-3-3, 39 KOs) vouching for him in his upcoming fight against Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs).

However, ‘La Leyenda Continua,’ who will face the YouTuber turned boxer in Anaheim, has no time to celebrate, as speculations continue to rise about the fight being staged, an allegedly common fixture in Paul’s fights. Chavez Jr. vehemently refuted these claims, calling the fight an “activation.”

Talking to the LA Times en Español, Chavez Jr. seemed confident in his skillset and on the notion that Paul will have a hard time trying to beat him.

“We are preparing to the fullest, thoroughly, to arrive better than ever physically, well-focused. We have to be 100% for the fight,” he said. “He’s not going to beat me. I’m a better boxer than him.”

Alvarez had recently shown his support for Chavez Jr. during the presser for the Terence Crawford fight. Mincing no words, Alvarez had stated that he hoped to see Chavez Jr. beat Paul during the fight.

Chavez Jr., undoubtedly thrilled to hear the vote of confidence from his former opponent, mentioned that it was “important to listen to” Alvarez, as the champ is aware that he is a better boxer than Paul.

Notably, Chavez Jr. had fought Alvarez in 2017 on the Cinco De Mayo weekend. However, he lost to Alvarez via decision.

Meanwhile, voices have been anything but hushed while speculating about the fight potentially being a setup. Chavez Jr., on the other hand, clarified that the fight is anything but fake. In fact, it could even be a possible steppingstone for an Alvarez rematch.

“I don’t lend myself to that kind of thing. The fight is normal and that’s all I can tell you,” he said. “It’s like an activation. There is the opportunity to fight for the world championship, even a rematch with Canelo.”

“He Knows It’s Not An Easy Fight”

Paul, being his nonchalant self, isn’t letting Alvarez’s support for Chavez Jr. affect him in any way. He even blatantly dismissed Alvarez’s endorsement as a mere sign of respect and stated that Chavez Jr. will most definitely “retire”.

“It’s definitely a sign of respect from Canelo, but he showed me the utmost respect by turning down $100 million not to fight me,” Paul said. Notably, Paul was in talks for a fight with Alvarez before he picked Crawford as an opponent.

 “He knows it’s not an easy fight.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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