Canelo May Face Chavez Jr Next Spring
By: Sean Crose
Thought Julio Caesar Chavez Jr was done as a relevant figure in the sport of boxing? Guess again. Believe it or not, there’s talk – apparently serious – of Chavez facing Canelo Alvarez next May. This after Chavez just beat one Dominik Britsch last weekend on the little known beIN network. As they say, name recognition goes a long way in this world. That simple truism is exceptionally pointed when it comes to boxing, a sport where fighter like Mike Tyson continued to bring in huge numbers well after his heyday. And, make no mistake about it, Canelo-Chavez would be a huge affair.
The match, should it happen, looks to go down on Cinco De Mayo weekend, which would make the all Mexican affair all the more poignant…and lucrative. This is one of those instances where the interest factor trumps the quality factor. The two biggest Mexican boxers on the planet facing off? Who cares if one has made a mess of his own career? Let’s face it, it’s understandable why this fight would have a wide appeal. Chavez, for all his flaws, can be exciting. As, of course, can Canelo. Say what you will, it’s doubtful this bout would be a snoozer.
Yet, as Dan Rafael of ESPN points out, there’s a legitimate issue to be worked out here regarding weight. Canelo has never fought at 160 lbs, yet Chavez has moved up to the super middleweight division. There’s also the matter of Chavez’ well questioned discipline, which many feel has made his career less than stellar. It’s safe to assume the son of the legendary Julio Caesar Chavez Sr would show up in top form for a Canelo bout, but there’s always that wild card when junior is involved. No one wants to see the man looking less than his best, after all.
Of course, boxing being boxing, there’s no guarantee this fight will even occur. Big fights, for whatever reason, appear to be as difficult as the moon landing to pull off in this day and age. Still, with a GGG match looming in Canelo’s future (this author has faith the red haired star will meet the Kazakh in the fall), there are worse matches for the man to engage in. As for junior, well, everyone likes a guy who pulls himself back up by the bootstraps. Never mind a win, a solid, impressive, hard fought showing against Canelo would return a lot of good will.
Besides, in the ring no one really knows how things will turn out.