It shouldn’t take a genius to work out on what side of the Mexico/Puerto Rico rivalry fence that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr sits, with the legend’s son claiming he doesn’t like WBC middleweight champion, Miguel Cotto, and that predictably, Saul Alvarez will emerge the winner of next month’s Las Vegas title clash.
The younger Chavez took to criticising Cotto’s decision to contest 160 lb title bouts at lesser catch-weight, as well as suggesting the Puerto Rican’s world title outings have not been as competitive as they should be in terms of the opposition, also claiming that the youth of his countryman, Alvarez, will be a decisive factor in deciding next month’s mega-fight.
“I pick Canelo [to win] because he’s a Mexican, he’s younger and I don’t like too much…Cotto,” Chavez said to fighthubtv.
“He fights not good fighters, all catch-weights. He fights where the people [already] know who is going to win. He needs to fight [people] like Canelo, like Lara, Andrade. All these fighters are better than this guy (Cotto).”
It was perhaps lost on Chavez that he contested his very last fight, against Marcos Reyes in July, at a catch-weight, though perhaps the controversial Mexican had been smoking something to deal with the pain of the hand fracture sustained in that fight, and the ensuing surgery he endured, not to mention ludicrously calling into question the quality of opposition the 34 year old future Hall of Fame Inductee has faced over his long career.
The Mexican’s credibility took for many what was an irreversible hammer-blow back in April of this year, when he quit on his stool after nine rounds against Chicago-based Pole, Andrzej Fonfara, prompting a severe examination of his desire and dedication from many fans, who simply cannot be convinced he is anything other than a spoilt rich-kid and undeserving of the opportunities he has been given in the wake of his father’s name.
The flip side is of course, he has still had to fight his way up in the spotlight. It can’t have been easy being his father’s son but maybe he should have chosen a different career path?
The 29 year old recently wrote that he would looking to be back in the gym toward the end of this month, under the guidance of trainer Robert Garcia, who he hooked up with in a last ditch effort to turn his public image and career around.
“He doesn’t get the credit,” Garcia said earlier this year. “He’s a much-better fighter than many people think. He has not just the potential to compete with, but to beat all those great champions.”
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