By Robert Aaron Contreras
The main event of DAZN’s latest broadcast was full of garbage. Literally, as crushed beer cans cluttered the ring after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (51-4-1, 33 KO) seemed to have blatantly quit following the end of the fifth round against former world champion Daniel Jacobs (36-3, 30 KO). The peanut gallery who helped fill the Talking Stick Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night were not hesitant to show Chavez their disappointment when referee Wes Melton waved off the contest.
The bout was supposed to represent the super middleweight debut of Jacobs, 32, who weathered a vigorous opening couple rounds from Chavez, 33, before the Mexican star customarily imploded.
“It necessarily wasn’t my debut at super middleweight cause—this is so disrespectful,” Jacobs said, standing in the ring as more incoming trash interrupted his post-fight interview. “This is the biggest opponent of my career. I wanted to make sure I could take the punches. To me he was a cruiserweight. Even his jab was heavy. Physically, he was the bigger man and it showed.”
Through the first two rounds, Chavez’s punches were forceful, matching his intimidating appearance: towering over Jacobs, filling out his overweight frame (weighing in well over the contracted 168-pound limit at 172 pounds). Stalking, Chavez pitched looping shots at his opponent. The power punches strayed downstairs in the second period, carrying an extra trace of lethal injection. Forceful right hands toward Jacobs’ head masked pendulum left hands slapping the American’s midsection.
The third frame saw Chavez lose steam. Jacobs remained in orthodox stance. He fired straight right and lefts, chipping away at his man’s dome. Chavez occasionally walked Jacobs down but was met with a flurry of body blows. The blitz from Jacobs forced Chavez to wrap up.
A doubling jab opened the fourth round for Jacobs. Chavez prodded with his off-hand but his offense severely slowed. The crowd took notice and was audibly frustrated. As if on command, Chavez plowed forward and drove Jacobs to the corner. The smaller boxer quickly switched stances and countered with southpaw jabs before side-stepping out of danger, delivering a left hook as he swung his body clockwise. Jacobs also did well fighting out of more tie-ups. Though Chavez found time to complain about elbows out of the break.
In Round 5, Chavez waded in. But no punches followed. Jacobs remained active, especially his jab and long strikes to the body. But at the 1:15 mark of the round, Jacobs circled to the outside, jabbing, wherein Chavez ducked a punch and leaned over into an overhand right. It was the biggest blow of the fight. But Chavez made no effort to capitalize on the score. More spearing right and left crosses secured the inning for Jacobs.
With a small nice under his left eye, Chavez went back to his corner in distraught. The DAZN broadcast claimed to have heard him cite a broken right hand. He told his corner he was done for the night and it was over. Heckling rolled in. Deservedly so.
Marking the second time in his privileged career Chavez has quit on a phantom injury, he is not to be trusted. Not to make weight, not go out on his shield. He’s a murderous puncher. A son of a fistic immortal. But no real boxer.
It was Jacobs’ first win since 2018, bouncing back from a clear points loss to Canelo Alvarez in May. Unable to master the top of the middleweight class, a successful foray into the super middleweight ranks is what Jacobs had in mind this weekend. Instead he got Chavez, and because of that forced to wade through the junk and debris that typically follows him.
Julio Cesar Martinez wins flyweight title
Julio Cesar Martinez (15-1, 12 KO won the WBC flyweight title over Cristofer Rosales (29-5, 20 KO) in the ninth round of a violent outing.
Martinez would have already had the belt if not for a late punch in his dominant effort over Charlie Edwards in August. He secured the gold for good with another menacing body assault. This one over another notable fighter in Rosales, who held that same belt years ago.
It was a highly entertaining battle. The first two rounds appeared to be even, as both fighters poured it on. Rosales was aggressive early on, even stunning Martinez in the second period. Down the stretch however he would feel the brunt of the division’s newest stud, a switch-hitting pocket monster.
Martinez, 24, of Mexico City, fought through a cut near his eye to hack away at the 25-year-old Rosales. He doled out a real lashing in the seventh round and it looked like he might be able to keep alive his perfect streak of never seeing past the eighth round.
But Rosales broke that streak, conceivably doing his best work in Round 8. Martinez’s attack though didn’t let up and everything came to a wrap in the ninth stanza. In the final moments of that fateful round, Martinez stepped in with wide left hook to the body and a subsequent shoveling right hand that froze Rosales, leaving him open for an unanswered follow-up pelting upstairs before the referee stepped in the middle of the two.
Martinez has now won 15 straight. The only loss on his record came in his pro debut back in 2015. He was dealt a split-decision loss and has yet to taste defeat again. Rosales has dropped two of his last three.