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Jake Paul has confirmed he wants to face former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in his next fight.
Paul took his professional boxing record to 5-0 with a spectacular knockout victory over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in their rematch in December.
While Paul has received praise for his improvement in the sport, some have questioned the calibre of his opponents and the fact he is yet to face a legitimate boxer in the ring.
The American appears determined to address that criticism after calling out Chavez Jr – son of Mexico’s legendary three-weight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez.
"I like that fight a lot because it silences the critics,” Paul told The Volume Sports.
“He was a former world champion and I know I could beat him. That challenge excites me and I'm down.
"Even after I knocked out Woodley they were like 'fight a real boxer' and I'm like 'You guys I tried, and he [Tommy Fury] dropped out of the fight two weeks before'.
"I want to fight a real boxer and I'm going to, just have some f*****g patience."
Chavez Jr won the WBC middleweight title in 2011 with a majority win over Germany's Sebastian Zbik but would lose the belt the following year after an unanimous decision defeat to Argentina’s Sergio Martinez.
He would later lose to compatriot Canelo Alvarez in 2017 but was able to take the four-weight world champion all 12 rounds in a fight in Las Vegas.
Chavez Jr has since suffered three more defeats, including an embarrassing split-decision loss to former UFC champion Anderson Silva in June.
He last fought little known Peruvian fighter David Zegarra in December, winning via the judges’ scorecards, and now holds a professional boxing record of 53-6-1.
Chavez Jr has claimed to have been offered £2.2m to face Paul, and says he will refuse a purse and retire from boxing if he loses to the American.
“Jake Paul and his people contacted me regarding a fight,” he told Fight News in December.
“I said ‘yes,’ but then again Lupe Valencia, who is with Paul now and used to be with me a few years back, said they offered me $1m-to-$3m dollars (£744,000 - £2.2m) plus pay-per-view.
"When it’s a fight that can sell millions and can break records because he is popular and I have a name, I’m a former world champion, so I made it clear that it has to be a 50/50 split for me to take the fight.
“Take into consideration that I have to go all the way up to 190 pounds. Jake Paul is a big guy and weight matters, so it’s a risk.
"Their people may want to see me lose and take advantage, but he doesn’t know how to box. I know I can knock him out."
Paul was originally due to face Tommy Fury instead of Woodley in December before the British fighter pulled out of the bout through injury.
Fury had hoped to rearrange the fight but Paul says he is no longer interested in fighting the Brit.
“He wants the payday. But I said it before, I don’t wanna take the fight with him, he doesn’t deserve it,” Paul told The Volume Sports.
“I’d rather fight Tyson Fury. I’ll fight his brother or his dad before I’ll fight Tommy.”
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Rory O'Callaghan