Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. wasn?t always a walking punchline. There was a relatively short period of time where he moved like a real fighter and reacted like a real fighter?maybe a fight or two here and there, a few months of seriousness scattered throughout a 14-year pro career, a few minutes from a handful of fights. But there were hints and brief revelations of the man beneath the man who carried the genes of a legendary great.
He wasn?t ever a no-hoper like younger brother Omar, who, early in his career, literally yelled ?ouch? and instinctively turned his back on the fight when hit flush by a low-level club fighter. Julio Jr. had the raw ability to become a good, if not great, fighter.
He just never became anything more than he was?An impatient, unfocused, hijo de papi who did what he did, professionally, because he COULD and not because he HAD to or even because he LIKED to. Born with a famous name that worked for him like a master key to a dollar/peso printing press and distracted beyond belief by the rich boy Mexican party circuit, he was destined to fail as a fighter because, no matter how much raw potential he had, he just never WAS a fighter.
Despite some good, strong moments sprinkled throughout his career and a huge jump start on every ?regular? fighter not benefiting from a name brand, Julio Jr. never got very far as a boxer. There was a gift wrapped WBC middleweight title and a few decent wins over solid guys like Andy Lee, Peter Manfredo, and Marco Antonio Rubio, as well as a dominant twelfth round versus Sergio Martinez that saw him drop the Argentine stylist after being utterly shutout the previous eleven rounds. That?s about it.
And now he?s coming back.
This Saturday, August 10 in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco, Julio Jr. will be returning to the ring for the first time since an embarrassingly passive performance in a May, 2017 All-Mexico catchweight showdown with Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez. The now-33-year-old Jr. is once again promising that, this time, he?s ready to start taking his career seriously.
?We are going to offer a great fight,? Chavez said. ?The problems have been left behind, we have worked very hard so from this fight we can win back the confidence of my promoters?and based on the work and results, aspire to secure a new opportunity to be the champion of the world.?
This upcoming 168 lb. contest against Colombian punching bag Evert Bravo will offer him every opportunity to score a highlight reel knockout for the Chavez Jr. ?He?s Back? sizzle reel. Bravo is 1-3 in his last four bouts, 2-4 in his last six, and just two months removed from a four-round KO of 0-1 Luis Gonzalez in front of a couple dozen people at Master Pub in Giradot, Colombia.
Julio Jr., backed by Zanfer Promotions, claims that this comeback is more about pride than money or fame.
?I?m not playing around anymore as I know I did sometimes,? Chavez asserted, ?especially after the fight with Sergio Martinez when I stopped thinking 100 percent about boxing. That?s why I know it?s time to resume my career.
?I know that I haven?t given my best. I believe and I?m convinced that I can give more and that we have still yet to see the best of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I?m not a rookie. I?m 33 years old, but I?m not finished either and I know I have four or five more years left to prove what I know, what I am and what I have, because now I?m going to focus totally on boxing and win a second world championship.?
Reportedly, streaming service DAZN has already expressed interest in a Chavez Jr.-Daniel Jacobs bout for later this year and the perpetually cash-hungry WBC is rumored to be looking for a way to strap a belt on his waist ASAP.
For what it?s worth, Jr. looked extremely fit and sharp at a public workout Wednesday in San Juan de los Lago?s downtown Plaza de Armas, working while his famous father and well-regarded veteran trainer R?mulo Quirarte looked on. Also, for what it?s worth, thousands of locals flocked to see El Hijo de la Leyenda, causing the entire downtown area to be shut down.
And while the hardcore boxing set will stomp on and laugh off yet another comeback from the second generation fighter?perhaps rightfully so?Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.?s return to the ring and the money and attention he will get for it, should be teaching us all a lesson about what the boxing business is really all about.
The business is about showbiz and salesmanship, not merit. In a best case scenario situation, merit runs hand in hand with marketability, but ?best case scenarios? are becoming rarer and rarer in the sport. Most of the time, boxing stardom (and the money/fame that goes along with it) is determined by nothing more than name value.
This is the reason Adrien Broner can keep getting seven-figure paydays despite being nearly seven years removed from a world class performance and why Amir Khan will retire a richer man than Juan Manuel Marquez.
Forget whether he succeeds as a fighter, the Chavez Jr. comeback will be a money-making success and lots of people will be tuned in?including those most vocal about not wanting anything to do with it.
