LONDON–He was the bravest man this side of Antonio Margarito in all of Old Mexico. This man, he showed the grande huevos or huevos grande in a public way.
Now I am wondering if Mexican authorities have located the grave of and excavated the body of ballsy fight judge Rolando Tavares.
You ask me who is he and why might he be pushing up cacti in a forlorn desert?
Last July 12, you see, when two judges hijacked a boxing decision for Son Of The Legend Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Hermosillo, Tavares refused to go on his knees.
One blind or dishonest man called the fight with tattooed American journeyman Matt ?The Predator? Vanda an insulting, 100-90 shutout. The second tiburon edged it closer at 97-93.
But, in reaching for a Profile In Courage and perhaps an early grave, Senor Tavares turned in a 96-95 ballot for the gringo.
I don?t know if Tavares needed any stinking badges to be a judge but you may be sure that come Saturday night in Las Vegas when young Chavez tries Vanda on for size in a rematch that Tavares won?t be judging or there as an invited guest for Top Rank.
Which gets us to the botton line with El Gran Canmpeon?s fighting son. Isn?t it time to declare, going into 39th pro bout, that this expirament is a failure, that young Chavez is a Grade B level boxer at best.
They have kept Junior swaddled in Pampers, confined to his crib, since Day One. I mean, he killed more white boys from the Midwest than mass murderer John Wayne Gacy did although Chavez never buried any under his front porch.
After 38 pro bouts, Chavez is having a second bout with a mediocre talent from Minnesota. The only thing this ?Predator? can prey on is a tattoo parlor.
Vanda?s limited log shows losses to Armando Velardez, Sebastian Demers, Andy Kolle, Kenny Kost, crosstown rival Anthony Bonsante and Martinus Clay?not exactly a junior middleweight Top Ten listing.
Top Forty maybe but not Top Ten.
So Chavez, 37-0-1 with 29 KOs, meets the 39-7, 22 KOs Vanda uno mas tiempo.
God knows I loved and worked with Papa Chavez. I think they made me an honorary MOSS (Mystic Order Sons of the Sagebrush, Culiacan Chapter) member.
But the fun has gone out of the Chavez Junior story. His ring tale has become tedious and uninteresting which is something no one ever said about his father?s career.
Chavez has gone from complete cadavers who he pulverized to life and death struggles with ordinary cats like Vanda.
I hate to insult ring royalty, meaning Julio Senior, but I can?t go in the tank like those two judges did in Hermosillo.
File Chavez-Vanda II where it rightly belongs.
Put it under the ?who cares? column.
I’m more interested in finding out the health and whereabouts of a ballsy bastard named Rolando Tavares.
