Jake Paul acknowledged his upcoming fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will be a step up from his previous opponents, but the former Disney star said on Wednesday he would embarrass the Mexican in the ring and make him quit.
Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) has mainly boxed mixed martial arts fighters and a 58-year-old Mike Tyson since making the switch from YouTube influencer to professional boxing.
His fight with former heavyweight champion Tyson last November was streamed live on Netflix, and while it was a huge letdown for fans, it drew an audience of some 60 million households worldwide, according to the company.
"This is his toughest fight to date, and I'm going to embarrass him and make him quit like he always does," Paul said of Chavez Jr (54-6-1, 34 KOs), who last held a major world title in 2012.
"This guy is a great fighter, and I want to test myself against the best in the world."
'HE'S OVERRATED'
Chavez Jr said he feels "refreshed and renewed" heading into the June 28 bout at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and aimed a dig at Paul's record.
"Jake is crazy. I think he’s overrated. He hasn’t fought anybody in his life. On June 28th, he’s going to see what’s up," he added at the press conference at Avalon in Hollywood.
The 39-year-old's father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, said he had never seen his son train as hard or be as focused for the upcoming fight.
"With all due respect to Jake Paul, there is no way that Jake Paul can beat my son," said Chavez Sr, who won world titles at three different weights and is one of Mexico's most revered boxers.
Paul is likely to face his most hostile environment yet in the ring, with many at the press conference confident that fans of Chavez Jr would be out in full force to support the Mexican.
Mark Solis of San Dimas, California said he wanted to see Chavez Jr knock out the American.
"I am not a fan of Jake Paul. I think he's fake," said Solis.
"True boxing is, you're warriors. You're going to go out there to battle. And that is what Julio Jr is going to do."
Gabriel Northway described Paul as a "disruptor" and anticipates another victory for the 'Problem Child'.
"Not that it'll be easy, but I think Jake has what it takes to get the win," he added.
Sports marketing analyst Bob Dorfman said Paul's love-him-or-hate-him quality is part of his appeal.
"People still love boxing, and they still love him," he said.
"And a lot of people may watch just to hope he loses. You've got people who are fans and people who are kind of anti-fans and want to see him get his comeuppance.
"So in that sense, it'll be a big draw."