"Later this summer" - Stephen Espinoza reveals that Jake Paul is targeting a return to the ring

Stephen Espinoza has revealed that Jake Paul is looking to return to the ring in the summer.

'The Problem Child' has been out of the ring since December 2021, where he rematched Tyron Woodley. He defeated 'The Chosen One' via knockout, in what was his third victory of the calendar year. The YouTuber-turned-boxer previously defeated Woodley in August and Ben Askren in April.

After such a hectic year that saw him become one of the biggest names in boxing, Paul has decided to take a bit of a break. However, according to Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza, we'll see him near the end of the summer.

In an interview with FightHubTV, Espinoza noted that Paul had a busy 2021, and that's the reason for the layoff. He also revealed that the 25-year-old is likely to be back near the end of the summer. He said:

“Jake had a pretty busy year last year with three big events. We’re discussing with him if there’s a fight later this summer or a little bit later. He’s definitely anxious to get back in the ring. He’s got a lot of other business going on, took a little time off. But we’re engaged."

Watch Stephen Espinoza's interview with FightHubTV below:

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Jake Paul is targeting a fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. next

Jake Paul's heard the criticism that he hasn't fought an established boxer yet, and he's ready to change that.

'The Problem Child' isn't set for an opponent for a return to the ring. However, there's been various names thrown out there, such as Tommy Fury, that would make sense for Paul. That being said, he doesn't want to face 'TNT' next.

No, instead, he would like to face a former champion. Paul discussed his fighting future on Boxing with Chris Mannix, and revealed that his ideal opponent is former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The two sides have reportedly been in talks over the last few months.

Jake Paul said:

"It's interesting. I like that fight a lot because it silences the critics, you know? He was a former world champion and I know I can beat him. And you look at his record, it's like 50 wins or something and I don't even know the losses but it's a good record. So that challenge excites me and I'm down. This is what people don't understand, even after I knocked out [Tyron] Woodley, people said, 'fight a real boxer'!, Guys, I tried!..."