Boxing

Teddy Atlas Admits Jake Paul Is 'Great' After Boxing Win

Boxing legend Teddy Atlas had high praise of Jake Paul after his June 28 win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Grant Young|
Jun 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jun 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Jake Paul improved his professional boxing record to 12-1 (7 KOs) after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision during their June 28 bout at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Nobody who watched the fight can deny that Paul was deserving of the win and dominated Chavez Jr. throughout the first eight rounds (until Chavez Jr. picked up the pace in the final two rounds). However, given how polarizing Paul is, many within the boxing community continuously try to discredit what he has done, both inside of the ring and with his business decisions outside of it.

One person who hasn't poked holes in Paul's success is the legendary Teddy Atlas, who praised Paul in several respects during a July 1 segment of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas.

"I'll tell you what [Paul] is great [at]. He's a great matchmaker," Atlas said. "He's a great matchmaker... When you bring the money, you get the choice of having the advantage. When you're the one whose name is attached to the promotion, and you're paying everyone... guess what? He gets to choose the advantages! He gets to make the choices of what the deal's gonna be."

When speaking about Paul's performance, Atlas said, "I want to give credit to Paul in this way: Yeah, he's a good [matchmaker], yeah, he picked his spot again. But there was danger at the end. He survived the danger... He showed me his legs aren't bad, he's got good judgement of stepping out of range, he showed me good reactionary skills that are getting better. He even showed some decent defensive skills."

Atlas later added, "I've gotta give [Paul] real ultimate credit for: I think his best punch is his jab. I know he's got a good right hand, he's got power in the right hand... but his jab is his best punch."

Props to Atlas for being willing to praise Paul in this way, despite the criticism he may receive for doing so.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.