https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfN-6LPG0Js
Now the dust has settled slightly on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s (48-2-1,32ko) comprehensive beating at the hands of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara (27-3,16ko) at the weekend, I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for the son of the Mexican legend. I’m not so sure it’s good.
After Saturday, and a showing that can only be described as poor, it seems obvious that a proposed career swansong for British 168lb boss Carl Froch against Chavez in Vegas has now 100%gone by the wayside. It’s a shame, as pre-Saturday night it was a fight that I thought could have been competitive and entertaining. It had the potential for war.
Though if that version of Chavez walked into the ring, even at 168, there is only one winner for me. And besides, there’s very little chance of it happening now.
At 175lb, I’m not sure quite how highly I rate Fonfara, who over 9 destructive rounds forced the visibly smaller Julio to quit on his stool, unable or unwilling to answer the bell for the 10th in their 172lb catchweight bout.
Adonis Stevenson, who is starting to look more and more unconvincing lately, beat him a year ago and I’m convinced Kovalev (the standout man at 175) destroys both of them. For me Fonfara is more on the level of a guy like Jurgen Braehmer,(46-2, 34ko) the WBA (reg) champion and a fight between them may be intriguing.
Yet back to Chavez, it was one of the first times I’ve seen him as the smaller man. For a long time he has used his own size to bully smaller fighters, especially down at 160. It was also not a fight that Chavez Snr reportedly wanted for his son and it has all ended up being something of a bloody nose for Showtime, whose rivals HBO Chavez used to appear on.
Perhaps the most standout thing from fans is the notion that Chavez quit, a SIN by the standard of Mexican boxing fans especially, who pride themselves on their spit and sawdust, never-say-die attitude. One of Mexico’s best, featherweight Salvador Sanchez would have been turning in his grave. Ruben Olivares, the famous Mexican bantamweight would have been shaking his head. Even Joe Goosen looked pissed when Chavez talked of his leg being injured.
It seems that nobody is buying into any excuses from Chavez, who has a reputation for under-training and slacking. The unflattering comparisons with his father, that he oft whines about the unfairness of, look extremely fair in comparison to his attitude and performance in some of his big fights. He is not in contention for comparisons to his father in terms of innate talent.
When he tested positive for weed after the Martinez fight, it confirmed what you need to know about a kid who can’t be the man his father was. Maybe he should have chosen a different career if the criticism gets to him so much? If I was say the child of say, a legend like Jimi Hendrix, maybe I’d learn the guitar, but not make it my career, you know?
A tweet from former contender winner Sergio Mora, that has summed up the feelings of boxing fans and especially fellow fighters in general was telling of the feeling towards Chavez, who was greeted to jeers and boos come the fight’s conclusion. Mora said;
“My trainer would literally hit me in the head with the stool before he ever let me QUIT sitting on it”
Gabriel Rosado, now boxing in BKB’s “Pit” wrote;
“I’m not surprised #ChavezFonfara”
On fan groups and social media, the panning of Chavez has been almost universal, especially from large sections of his own hispanic community. References to Brian Vera 1 have been frequent.
Perhaps the worst thing about it all though was the fact he actually believed that he WON the fight!!
As a writer I like to see both sides of every coin, but if there is anybody on the planet that can agree with Chavez in that regard, then they must be as stoned as he is.
Even in his post fight interview with Jim Gray, he was asserting that he thought he was winning the fight, especially after Fonfara was deducted a point! If that crowd in California, who were largely supporting HIM, didn’t give him the message with their outright hostility then nothing will. He should have listened to his Dad.
Even when Jim Gray started pointing out how he was constantly naughty with the head and how behind he was, he only came across as deluded, despite though I admit, at least conceding Fonfara was too strong for him. Not a good sign mind you.
Fonfara wasn’t troubled by his punches as he also attested to in his own post-fight interview and will now hopefully be closing in on a re-match with WBC champ Adonis Stevenson by winning this lightly regarded WBC international strap.
As for Chavez, he needs to get back down to 168 and stay there. This catch-weight nonsense is all probably Haymon’s doing and seems to be becoming more frequent than I remember of late.
He can’t play with the boys at 175 who matter anyway. But after this his reputation is in tatters. He got a ridiculous split of the purse against Fonfara and if he does want big money fights, despite his HUGE PPV draw in America, he is going to have to back track a little in his demands.
Regardless, he is now with the master of career protectors in Al Haymon, so maybe he should take some of his esteemed “advice”.
Did anybody else notice in Fonfara’s post-fight speech he was being urged to thank the elusive Haymon? Who happens to be his “adviser” also. (He actually forgot to thank him btw!)
Maybe the rematch is what we WILL get? Chavez wants it, at yet another damn catch-weight (170) which is going to be harder for Fonfara to boil down to. Secure every advantage hey? I wouldn’t be surprised if we did see it in all fairness, but what I do know for sure is that Chavez needs to slink off for a while, lick his wounds and let all this heat die down before he even DARES think about a next move.
The boxing public are not forgetful people. We always remember but we can always be forgiving of a fighter. Well I can, at least. Yet after everything we saw Saturday, everything we know about Jr, and everything our hearts tell us, I think it’s going to take a long, long time for that heat to die down.
Thanks for reading
Twitter @undilutedpoison