by James Slater: Julio Cesar Chavez Junior is not the only son of the legendary Chavez Senior that is attempting to carry on the family fighting tradition. This Saturday, in Chihuahua, Mexico, Omar Chavez, Julio’s 18 year-old son, boxes as a pro for the eighth time. Currently unbeaten at 7-0(6) the youngster has a busy year planned.
After Saturday night’s bout against the 12-23(10) Jose Luis Lopez, a 36 year old veteran of the fight game, young Omar has a further two fights scheduled – for the months of April and May, respectively. A light-welterweight who stands at 5’8,” Chavez is, like his father and brother, a good body puncher. In his last but one fight, against Miguel Camacho, on the under-card of Chavez Junior’s bout with the talented Jose Celaya, Omar despatched his man with some body punching his father would have been satisfied with. Then, a mere fourteen days later, the teenage Chavez was back in the ring and taking care of Ivan Garcia in only two rounds.
Obviously, Omar is being matched carefully, but so far he looks to have the stuff necessary to make it as a decent pro – at the very least. He has yet to face a fighter with a winning record, however, so there is clearly a lot of work ahead of him at this stage. But the youngster, who, like his light-middleweight brother had virtually no amateur fights to really speak of, is going about things the right way in keeping extremely active.
At his current rate of a good four or five bouts a year, Omar will be well into double figures as a pro before he has turned twenty one years of age. So far, all his fights have taken place in Mexico, and it is unknown if he can follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a marketable name in the United States, or if he will even fight there any time soon. From what this writer has seen of Omar, the young man looks like a guy who is naturally powerful and who enjoys fighting. Which shouldn’t really come as any surprise when one considers who he is the offspring of.
It seems fighting, and fighting very well, is something that just comes naturally to both of the two sons who inherited the most famous surname in Mexican boxing history. Before too long, Julio Junior may not even be spoken of as the best prospect of the two, either.