With all the constant talk surrounding a potential super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture. An otherwise slow summer has been overshadowed by the possible contest even more and it is easy to forget that there are other fighters who deserve attention and other fights on the horizon. And the respected trainers of the two talented pugilists, Freddie Roach and Roger Mayweather, have other fighters to attend to.
Yesterday the Examiner was informed by Welterweight hopeful Rashad Holloway that Roach had exited Los Angeles and was on his way to San Antonio, TX for this weekend?s Top Rank card at the Alamodome. Also traveling with the mild-mannered trainer were two of his latest charges, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and young prospect Jose Benavidez.
Chavez Jr. sports an impressive 41-0-1 record with 31 knockouts and is the son of the legendary father with the same name. Young Chavez is a recent transplant to Roach?s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and those inside the gym have pointed to his progression in his short time at the facility. Chavez’s last fight, a ho-hum decision over Troy Rowland on the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto undercard, was extremely uneventful and it was obvious that a certain element was lacking in his game. Perhaps the move to the Wild Card was just what the Sinaloa, Mexico fighter needed.
Chavez will likely find himself in a dog fight this weekend as he goes up against once-beaten John Duddy from Northern Ireland. The bout figures to be a trench war as both men are tall and rangy bangers who will be there to get hit. Duddy’s only loss is an April 2009 split decision to Billy Lyell and he has since won three contests in a row.
It?s hard to think of a prospect with as much promise as Benavidez, whose perfect 6-0 record has seen him display tremendous skill and tenacity well beyond his 18 years of age. The lanky native of Phoenix is campaigning at 140 pounds and fought three of his first four fights in Las Vegas, Nevada, impressing audiences by showcasing his offensive arsenal and dispatching overmatched foes with ease.
Benavidez has stated time and time again how beneficial training with Roach at the Wild Card has been and will look to carry his momentum into this weekend?s bout with Providence’s Josh Beeman. After their first fight together back in January, Roach claimed that Benavidez is a future world champion and so far those proclamations seem realistic.
On the other side of the spectrum, June 24th is a big day in the career of prospect Jesse Vargas, who trains out of Floyd Mayweather?s personal gym on the West side of Las Vegas. Vargas is coming off of a 6th round TKO over Arturo Morua on the undercard of Mayweather?s dominating victory over Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand last month. Vargas will meet veteran Ernesto Zavala at Club Nokia in Los Angeles this coming Thursday night.
I spoke to Vargas last month about his learning curves in the sport and everything he has taken in from being around the Mayweather clan. Vargas? 10-0 record with 5 knockouts is a reflection of all the nuances he has learned so far in his young career and the 21-year old was quick to give credit to Roger for much of what was instilled in him.
?I?ve learned a lot over the years from Roger,? Vargas stated. ?The list will just go on if I have to explain what I learned from Roger. From Floyd well of course I learned that if you want to be the best you have to learn from the best. I always pay attention to Floyd and try to learn what I can from him.?
Despite all of the controversy surrounding the Mayweather family, Roger is still a simple man in many regards and loves to keep to himself and stay in Las Vegas. From all reports the trainer is slightly opposed to traveling out of state but you can expect to find him this Thursday night at Club Nokia assisting Vargas.
