By James Slater: World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champ Julio Cesar Chavez Junior showed his toughness and heart last night in San Antonio; battling both a determined Marco Antonio Rubio and the fatigue his struggle to have made weight caused him. Big for a 160-pounder, 25-year-old Chavez Jr admitted he struggled to make the weight, yet he dug deep, traded shots with Rubio – the last two rounds of his 12-round UD win being especially thrilling – and came out a clear winner.
Chavez Jr scored what is arguably the biggest and most impressive win of his 45-0-1(31) career and he later told HBO’s Larry Merchant that he will not be moving up to super-middleweight (and he certainly will not be going up to light-heavyweight, as commentator Bob Sheridan suggested on air last night!).
Chavez Jr also said he’d welcome a fight with “real” world middleweight king Sergio Martinez.
“I had a little problem with the weight,” a victorious Chavez Jr said. “After the 7th or 8th-round, my legs were starting to feel it and I was paying the price for just making weight. No [I won’t move up to 168], I just have to be more careful with the weight and I can’t be overconfident with that. I don’t want to battle the weight like I did.
“Yes, sure, if Bob Arum says let’s go [with a fight with Martinez], I’m ready, let’s go, If I fight like I did today, he would win. But I know what I’m capable of and I will prepare and I will win.”
But how much longer can Chavez Jr continue pushing his body so as to make 160-pounds? Will the sheer effort involved in making weight catch up with him in a fight one day? Junior sure looked tired in the championship rounds last night, and had it been Martinez in there with him, a fighter who seems to get stronger the later a fight goes, he could have been in deep. But, as Chavez Jr says, he will prepare better for what would be a huge event of a fight with Martinez.
There is certainly some steel in Chavez’ jaw. Rubio, as we know, can crack, yet he was unable to put a dent in Chavez Jr the way he did David Lemieux. I’d still have to make the man named “Maravilla” a pretty hefty favourite to beat “The Son Of A Legend,” but something tells me Chavez Jr would push Martinez a lot harder than some people think he can.
In other action on the card:
Nonito Donaire SD 12 Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.
Wale Omotoso TKO 6 Nestor Rosas
Ivan Najera TKO 2 David Castillo
Ricardo Valencia UD 4 Jeremy Longoria
Vanes Martirosyan TKO 3 Troy Lowry
Adam Lopez TKO 1 Richard Hernandez
Juan Saucedo KO 1 Jean Colon