Chavez Jr. could sack Roach and replace him with Beristain

12/19/201212/18/2012 ESB

chavez422 By Jeff Sorby: Trainer Freddie Roach’s bad luck could be about to get even worse, as fightnews.com is reporting that Roach might possibly get the sack by former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The replacement, if it happens, will be Nacho Beristain, the trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez.

It’s a move that would make sense for Chavez Jr. because there wouldn’t be the language issue by switching to the Mexican Beristain. It would also make training easier because Chavez Jr. wouldn’t have to travel to Los Angeles, California to train with Roach. Chavez Jr. could stay in Mexico and trainer there with Beristain.

It’s a logical move and I can understand why Chavez Jr. might want to do that. Also, Beristain has the hot hand right now with his fighter Marquez’s recent impressive 6th round knockout win over Manny Pacquiao. I doubt that Beristain would be under consideration if Marquez had been the one knocked out.

Chavez Jr. receives suspension

09/14/201610/10/2012 ESB

By Rob Smith: Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. received the first part of his suspension yesterday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana for his fight last month against Sergio Martinez. This is a temporary suspension until the Commission can sit down and decide on the young 26-year-old Chavez Jr’s case either at the end of this month or next month, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada Commission, said to ESPN “He [Chavez Jr] had a license to fight in Nevada and we suspended it pending a hearing. Chavez had no objection to it. He wasn’t going to fight again this year anyway…I can’t imagine the suspension will be any less than six months.”

Sergio Martinez named WBC Fighter of the Month for September for win over Chavez Jr

09/14/201610/06/2012 ESB

By Marcus Richardson: Sergio Martinez’s win over WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last month on September 15th has earned the 37-year-old Martinez WBC’s Fighter of the Month for September. Saul Alvarez was given Honorable mention for his win over Josesito Lopez on the same date.

Martinez’s win was extra special though as he wasn’t fighting someone a division or two below him like Alvarez was with Lopez. Martinez was actually out-sized by the 180+ pound Chavez Jr. in this fight and yet was still able to dominate him with ease for 11 rounds before having to hang on in the 12th to preserve the win after getting careless and knocked down by the young 26-year-old Chavez Jr.

Martinez never flinched as he got back to his feet and kept firing away with his own power shots until the bell rang. That little bit of drama helped Martinez because now boxing fans are interested in seeing a rematch between him and Chavez Jr. Had Martinez not been dropped then there would be demand for a second fight between them.

Chavez Jr. denies smoking marijuana

09/14/201610/05/2012 ESB

(Photo credit: Adrian Hernandez) By Rob Smith: In an interesting development former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) is now coming out after nearly three weeks to comment on his positive marijuana test result for his last fight against Sergio Martinez last month on December 15th. Believe it or not, Chavez Jr. is saying that he never actually smoked the marijuana that he tested positive for. Instead of smoking it, Chavez Jr. says he drank with his tea.

Chavez Jr. said this as quoted by the Record.com.mx “In California it is legal cannabis (marijuana), so I was told, it would help me sleep and relax, and when I checked with the doctor told me that the only problem was the smoke, so I made a tea or few drops … and that’s what I took, but I have never smoked marijuana…I have problems with nerves…I am not a drug addict.”

A doctor? So we’ve got another fighter that is under the doctor’s care for a banned substance. We had IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson come and say he was under a doctor’s care when he tested positive for synthetic testosterone while training for a rematch with Amir Khan.

Sulaiman doesn’t want Chavez Jr. vs. Martinez immediate rematch

09/14/201609/29/2012 ESB

By Marcus Richardson: If WBC president Jose Sulaiman gets his way there won’t be an immediate rematch between former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) and newly crowned WBC champion Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) in early 2013. Sulaiman says that the WBC doesn’t allow immediate rematches for one-sided fights like the September 15th fight where Chavez Jr. took a real pounding in losing by a lopsided 12 round decision to the 37-year-old Martinez.

Sulaiman said to fightnews.com “The WBC is not in favor of immediate rematches, unless there is overwhelming public demand due to some unusual circumstances in the first fight. The fight was one-sided…There was no unusual circumstances to necessitate an immediate rematch.”

Of course there wasn’t. It’s painfully obvious that this is just an opportunity for Chavez Jr., Martinez and Top Rank to make a lot of money in a rematch that could take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas. It’s not a fight that’s in high demand but rather a fight that would do well because all of Chavez Jr’s fights do well. Id venture to guess that Chavez Jr. could fight at the Cowboys Stadium against pretty much any middleweight in the division and the fight would pack in at least 40,000 fans and do well on HBO pay per view.

Chavez Jr. receives small fine from WBC for positive drug test

09/14/201609/26/2012 ESB

By Rob Smith: Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) is getting off without much punishment from the World Boxing Council for having tested positive for marijuana for his last fight against Sergio Martinez on September 15th. Chavez Jr. will receive a $10,000 fine and will be asked to attend a rehabilitation treatment class by the WBC.

As far as suspensions go, the WBC won’t be suspending Chavez Jr. at all despite this being his second drug offense in addition to a DUI incident earlier this year.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman said on the World Boxing Council website “As president of the WBC, I have got in touch with the Board of Governors, and we have decided to fine him $10,000 USD. That money will be donated to an institution for children who suffer from cancer. We also are asking Julio to attend a rehabilitation center and want official confirmation that he’s so doing…The WBC won’t suspend Julio Cesar for an undefined time, because that is not going to help him.”

Chavez Jr.’s actions leave much to be desired

09/14/201609/24/2012 ESB

By Emilio Camacho, Esq. In life, some people have it better than others. For various reasons, not everyone has the same opportunities and access to resources. In this respect boxing is no different.

In boxing, having the right equipment, training facilities, nutrition, sparring partners, and money to cover personal expenses while training, can make a big difference in the performance of an athlete. This is an aspect of a boxer’s performance that is not readily apparent during the match.

On the one hand, Sergio Martinez represents one aspect of this idea. Martinez has stated that, in the year 2000, after paying all expenses, he made about $900 for fighting Antonio Margarito. Martinez was already in his third year as a professional boxer. He has often recounted how difficult it was to live and train with such a low budget while trying to compete at a world-class level. To this extent, it is remarkable that he has been able to reach the highest level of the sport. Today, Martinez is able to afford high-level training camps, nutritionists, quality sparring partners, and even a personal tailor to promote his image. In short, Martinez made it to the highest level under significant adverse conditions that often break the boxing career of many others.

Musing over Maravilla

09/14/201609/23/2012 ESB

By Ted Spoon: Rating fighters before they’ve retired is a good crack. When boxers add another chapter to their legacy the fanatics usually pipe up, involuntarily summoned to criticize or praise. And with these two extremes accounting for 90% of support it can make you feel obligated to say something that could be interpreted as objective.

Sergio Martinez is, at the time of writing, at that tender junction having just turned back another challenge. With the bout not yet adequately arranged in time we can’t be sure of its worth. The defeated could go onto do nothing of note, consequently reducing its significance, or, conversely, he could go onto achieve great things, polishing the victory with each successive win.

A good way to get our bearings would be to say from the offset that Sergio is certainly not in the same company as a Marvin Hagler or Marcel Cerdan. Of course, that’s hardly a ‘diss’. The Argentinean is closer to a Tony Zale with the opportunity to nudge himself into a higher consensus.

“Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr: Why, Oh Why?”

09/14/201609/20/2012 ESB

By Marc Livitz – “Say it ain’t so”, says Mexico.

After witnessing one of the most memorable displays of sheer guts and chutzpah in recent boxing memory, someone just had to spill the coffee even though the warning to mind the hot water was in plain view.

Provided the just surfaced reports are correct, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. hopefully has Plaxico Burress on speed dial. Signs are pointing to a failed drug test following this past Saturday night’s grandiose contribution to pugilistic lore.

There are momentary lapses of reason and there is also outright stupefaction at its finest. If the son of the legend from Culiacan did in fact test positive for marijuana, then a bit more is explained in terms of some of his punches sailing wider than a Buffalo Bills missed field goal, as well as his impressive pain threshold.

Those from the nation of sky high aren’t usually the most combative of chaps. Nevertheless since ESPN graciously gives us “Friday Night Fights” each year, then perhaps boxing can have its own rendition of “C’mon, Man!”.

We don’t even have to wait for HBO to replay the fight this coming Saturday evening.

Chavez Jr. tests positive for Marijuana, rematch with Sergio Martinez may be delayed

09/14/201609/19/2012 ESB

By Michael Collins: Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) has allegedly tested positive for Marijuana in his drug test following his 12 round unanimous decision loss to Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) last Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chavez Jr. now faces a possible suspension of up to a 1 year as well as a possible forfeiture of his entire $3 million purse for the Martinez fight, according to RingTV.

If the positive drug test is confirmed for Chavez Jr. then his rematch with Martinez might not happen until well into next year if even then. Chavez Jr. tested positive for a Diuretic in 2009 following his win over Troy Rowland. Chavez Jr. received a 7 month suspension for that fight.

It’s likely that Chavez Jr’ will receive a longer suspension if the positive Marijuana tests are confirmed. Chavez Jr. also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol earlier this year on January 22nd, one week before his title defense against Marco Antonio Rubio. Chavez Jr. performed well in that fight despite the alcohol related infraction.