Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr says early inactivity vs Jake Paul was a strategy

Unfortunately for Chavez, the boxing world is – for once – looking for an excuse to explain his performance. 

Chavez’s showing on Saturday baffled everybody from media members to Reddit users. He threw just 14 punches in the first three rounds, 10 of which were jabs, and only three of which landed. He was scarcely more active in the middle rounds. Only in the final three rounds did Chavez throw enough punches to make a fight of it.

According to Chavez, his low output wasn’t due to fear of Paul’s power, which he described as “decent.” It wasn’t even due to ring rust, though he said he wants to fight on. 

It was a tactic. 

“I think the strategy is good, like make him tired first three, four rounds, then come back strong,” Chavez told Fight Hub TV. “But I think in the process, [rounds] four, five, six, I lost the fight, because I think I won the last three, four rounds…I need to throw more punches.”

Simply not throwing punches in an attempt to tire out the opponent is a less canonical boxing strategy than, say, trying to hit the opponent in the body (like one Julio Cesar Chavez Snr would do). By the time Chavez Jnr began to let his hands go, he’d ceded too many rounds to recover.

Chavez speculated that inactivity might have impacted his performance, as well as his misguided gameplan. “Maybe more fights, a little more confidence, I need it,” he said. 

This is easier to understand; Chavez’s fight with Paul was just his second since the end of 2021, the other being a six-rounder against Uriah Hall, who was taking part in just his second professional fight. 

Still, given that Chavez is 39 years old and looked as lost in the ring as he ever has on Saturday, another fight may be the last thing he needs.