Sometimes, for the next generation of world title wannabes, following in the footsteps of a famous fighting father can prove too big a burden to bear. For others, it can provide a ticket to fame and fortune.
On the face of it, despite having won 39 of his 40 professional contests to date, the 23-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez jr is no light-middleweight superstar in the making, having been made to look ordinary by also-rans.
Yet Chavez jr, son of the idolised three-weight world champion, has already elbowed his way into the rareified air of pay-per-view, and spoken with a straight face about imminent showdowns with the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley.
His next fight, due to be announced this week, is unlikely to feature a future Hall of Famer in the opposite corner, but it will not stop tens of thousands of fans turning out to support him just as they did his father.
“I want Pacquiao next,” Chavez jr stated ambitiously after watching the Filipino’s two-round destruction of Ricky Hatton. Chavez’s best win to date was a less than conclusive points verdict over previously unbeaten Luciano Leonel Cuello.
Chavez jr has already called out welterweight champion Shane Mosley this year. Last year, after Oscar De La Hoya had retired on his stool against Pacquiao, Chavez jr scented the chance to avenge the two losses suffered by his father.
“He used my dad,” Chavez jr said. “He beat a Julio Cesar Chavez who was at the end of his career and he used my father’s name to build everything that he now has. I would be very pleased to take that fight.”
The often painful history of fathers and sons in boxing suggests Chavez jr would be wise to tread carefully. He need look no further than the experience suffered by Marvis Frazier, son of the legendary Smokin’ Joe.
Marvis never had anything like the irresistible force of his father, but it did not stop he and his dad dreaming big dreams. After just 10 professional fights, they took the foolhardy decision to challenge world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes.
Holmes, who was unbeaten in 44 fights, had the greatest respect for Frazier snr, to the extent that he urged Marvis’ father and trainer not to take the fight. Frazier responded with a torrent of criticism in Holmes’ direction.
Holmes responded: “Out of sentiment I told Joe not to let Marvis get hurt, because I am going to try and kill him. I’m not going to win any popularity contests. I’m just going to go out there to take Marvis’ head off.”
Holmes did as he promised, knocking Frazier flat in the first round. Still, Frazier snr had not learned his lesson. Three years later he got his man a shot at Mike Tyson. This time his challenge lasted a mere 30 seconds.
Still, at least Marvis managed to win enough fights to become a legitimate heavyweight, if not a contender. Others failed to come anywhere even close to keeping the magic in the family.
Roberto Duran’s eldest son, Roberto jr, plodded through five wins and one no-contest. After scraping a split decision over debutant Jose Govea in his third pro fight in 2001, Duran jr shrugged: “So I am not my father. I do the best I can.”
Duran jr retired after losing his seventh fight on points to Nicasio Sanchez in 2004. Hector Camacho jr is still fighting, but out of the top-level light-middleweight picture after suffering three costly defeats.
Ronald Hearns, son of the legendary ‘Motor City Cobra’ Thomas Hearns, didn’t exactly help ease the hype when he turned professional under the ring nickname ‘The Chosen One’.
He certainly chose his opponents carefully, racing to 21 straight professional wins before he was knocked out in the ninth round of a fringe title meeting with Harry Joe Yorgey in March this year.
Famous daughters have fared rather better. Laila Ali, regarded as one of the first true superstars of the women’s sport, beat Jacqui Frazier-Lyde in a match steeped in family history in 2001. Both won world titles.
The same could not be said of Irichelle Duran, another less-than-great sibling of ‘Manos di Piedra’, who turned professional in the inevitable blaze of publicity before promptly losing two of her first three fights and retiring.
Now it is the turn of Chavez jr to try to cut through the hype. And despite using his rather artificially boosted status to call out some of the sport’s biggest names, he at least seems to appreciate the position he finds himself in.
“There is a lot of pressure on me because of my name, because of who I am,” says Chavez jr. “But the expectations have been there the whole time. People expect me to be great every time. I just expect to do my best.”
