Some of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s biggest fights have come against the scale, but the second-generation fighter didn’t have issues making the cruiserweight limit ahead of his 10-round clash against Jake Paul on Saturday.
Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) weighed 199.4 pounds, while Chavez (54-6-1, 34 KOs) tipped the scales at a career-high 198.4 pounds on Friday ahead of their fight at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Paul and Chavez faced off without incident for MVP and Golden Boy’s co-promoted event, which will stream on DAZN PPV beginning at 5 p.m. PST.
Chavez came into the weigh-in having missed weight in high-profile fights (and losses) in recent years against Anderson Silva and Daniel Jacobs, and other times before that, in a career that started in 2003.
Chavez has been competing as a cruiserweight since 2021, and the besmirched boxer is 8-4 dating back to 2012, when he was an undefeated middleweight title holder at the time. But at 39, a faded Chavez is promising a rejuvenated version of himself to regain respect with a turn-back-the-clock-like performance.
Paul, meanwhile, is looking to use Chavez as a stepping stone to get ranked and chase a world title run.
In the co-main event, WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs), from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, weighed in at 199.8 pounds, while Miami-based Cuban challenger Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) weighed 198.6 pounds.
Ramirez seeks to cement his status in the division with his first stoppage win in the weight class as a possible unification fight looms against Jai Opetaia.
Weights for the rest of the Paul-Chavez Jr. undercard
Welterweights; 10 rounds
Raul Curiel (15-0-1, 13 KOs) 146.4 pounds; Guadalajara, Jalisco
Victor Rodriguez (16-0-1, 9 KOs) 145.2 pounds; Maldonado, Uruguay
Welterweights; 10 rounds
Avious Griffin (17-0, 16 KOs) 146.8 pounds; Chattanooga, Tennessee
Julian Rodriguez (23-1, 14 KOs) 146.6 pounds; Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Lightweights; 10 rounds
Floyd Schofield Jr. (18-0, 12 KOs) 134.8 pounds; Austin, Texas
Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KOs) 135 pounds; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DAZN will stream the preliminary action to its subscribers beginning at 12 p.m. PST, and the non-PPV card will be headlined by former three-division champion and UFC champion Holly Holm, who is making her return to boxing after a 12-year break.
Lightweights; 10 rounds
Holly Holm (33-2-3, 9 KOs) 136.6 pounds; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Yolanda Vega (10-0, 1 KO) 136.8 pounds; Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
Welterweights; 8 rounds
Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs) 146.8 pounds; Bakersfield, California
Kevin Johnson (12-6, 8 KOs) 146.4 pounds; Las Vegas, Nevada
Bantamweights; 8 rounds
Alexander Gueche (7-0, 5 KOs) 124 pounds; Long Beach, California
Vincent Avina (8-1-1, 7 KOs) 120 pounds; Las Vegas, Nevada
Heavyweights; 6 rounds
Joshua Edwards (2-0, 2 KOs) 226 pounds; Houston, Texas
Dominic Hardy (6-3, 4 KOs) 251.4 pounds; Riverside, Illinois
Junior Lightweights; 10 rounds
Victor Morales (20-0-1, 10 KOs) 130 pounds; Vancouver, Washington
Renee Alvarado (34-16, 22 KOs) 129.6 pounds; Managua, Nicaragua
Junior Featherweights; 10 rounds
John “Scrappy” Ramirez (14-1, 9 KOs) 119.8 pounds; Los Angeles, California
Josue Jesus Morales (33-18-5, 14 KOs) 121.6 pounds; Houston, Texas
- MANOUK AKOPYAN
