By James Slater: Also in action on today’s big card in Tokyo, Japan, was “Golden Boy” Jorge Linares, the former WBA super-featherweight champion. Facing the once-beaten Venezuelan was veteran former super-feather and lightweight champ Jesus Chavez of Mexico. Unfortunately for the paying fans, the fight was no real contest, with the younger, fresher and much faster man beating the 37-year-old up on his way to a 4th-round corner retirement victory.
Linares is now 30-1(19) and he has won three in a row since that disastrous night against another Mexican, in Juan Carlos Salgado in October of last year; who took Linares’ WBA 130-pound belt via a shocking 1st-round stoppage win. Chavez is now 44-8(30). “El Matador” has now lost four fights on the bounce, two inside the distance.
Golden Boy Promotions had huge plans for Linares before the Salgado loss, and he has regrouped well enough since that heavy, but quick defeat. Having won his last two bouts up at lightweight, including a useful points win over Rocky Juarez in his previous fight before today, Linares could well become a world champion all over again. Gifted, powerful and fast, the 25-year-old will get himself a big fight at 135-pounds as long as he continues winning.
For Chavez, though, the end surely arrived today. Chavez’ last meaningful win came way back in 2005, when he TKO’d the late Leavander Johnson in the 11th-round to win the IBF lightweight title (it was due to the injuries he picked up in this fight that Johnson sadly and tragically passed away). Since then, Chavez has won just two out of seven, and he has taken some punishment in his career. The Mexican quit on his stool against Australia’s Michael Katsidis in April of 2009, and he then lost decisions to David Diaz and Humberto Soto.
Last night’s corner retirement officially came due to a shoulder injury Chavez suffered, but he was never going to win the fight anyway. Looking to be done, at anything resembling top level anyway, “El Matador” will hopefully now walk away and risk his health no further.
If it is time to say goodbye to Chavez, we must wish a happy retirement to the man who was one of the toughest and most crowd-pleasing lower-weight fighters of the past ten years or so. Chavez may never make it into The Hall of Fame, but those people who saw him rumble with the likes of Erik Morales, Carlos Hernandez and the great Floyd Mayweather Junior will not forget him.