If Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (46-1-1, 32 KO) defeats Brian Vera (no easy task) on September 28, there’s speculation he could face lineal super middleweight champion Andre Ward next.
Moreover, WBA Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin has also been mentioned as a possibility.
So who is saying this?
It came right from the mouth of Chavez’s promoter, Bob Arum.
In a recent interview with the esteemed boxing website, FightHype, Arum gave fans his preference for Chavez’s next opponent, should Julio defeat Vera.
“It depends on if he’s going to fight 160 or 168. If he’s going to fight 160, the fight I’d like to see him with is Golovkin. If he’s going to be 168, the big fight for him is Andre Ward.”
Why is Ward more likely than Golovkin?
Arum throws fans a possible hint in his following statement:
“You can’t have him fight at 160 going into the fight drained. What am I gonna do? Tell him to go down to 147 and fight Pacquiao? It’s obvious what he can do.”
Interesting… Arum likened 160 to 147 in what was an obvious exaggeration. Nevertheless, it’s no secret Chavez has had trouble making the middleweight 160 lb limit – And for quite some time.
Andre Ward, right, with promoter Dan Goossen Courtesy Goossen Tutor
Ward vs Chavez Jr makes sense In addition to the fact Chavez may have outgrown the middleweight division, Andre Ward, sytlistically, offers a complimentary match-up.
Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum discusses Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s next opponent, post Vera
Actually, styles-wise, its a favorable match-up for both fighters and would likely be a crowd-pleasing affair.
Stylistically, Ward is certainly more amenable to Chavez than the speedy, awkward, high-energy Martinez who boxed rings around Julio the first eleven rounds of their bout last September.
Ward, unlike Martinez, is an orthodox fighter who is rather stationary in comparison to the fleet-footed ‘Maravilla.’ Andre will ‘engage and bang’ on the inside while Martinez is ‘in and out’… Ping, ping.
Also Ward, like Chavez, fights best at medium and close range.
Courtesy of Chris Farina, Top Rank Overrated or not, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is one heck of an inside fighter who, as we saw against Martinez, has a sturdy beard to boot and decent power at close range.
Who is a better fit than Chavez Jr for Ward at the moment?
Ward vs Froch or Kessler? Been there, done that…
Ward vs Robert Stieglitz? North Americans will utter, “Who?”
Ward vs Pavlik? Maybe a few years ago? Isn’t he retired anyway?
Ward vs Edwin Rodriguez? Great fight but, aside from boxing’s hardcore contingent, no one knows who Rodriguez is…
Ward vs Golovkin? Has that bout really matured yet? Gennady, although very good, is not mainstream-enough to generate the revenue to justify the risk (for both fighters). He’s also campaigning as a 160 lb middleweight…
And sure, Ward vs Sergio Martinez would be bigger than Ward vs Chavez Jr but Sergio insists he wont fight any higher than 154 or 160. Chavez vs Ward… It can – and probably will – happen.
All the indicators seem to point to Ward vs Chavez Jr: Like it or not, Chavez Jr will always be a ticket seller so long as he holds his own because he’s the son of a fight legend. Chavez’s probable inability to make 160 lbs Revenue The favorable style match-up Chavez vs Ward will likely produce some good inside fighting and fireworks (Has JCC Jr ever been in a boring fight?) Revenue Chavez’s stellar record (46-1-1, 32 KO) and status as a former middleweight champion add to his legitimacy and, of course, Revenue
A Loss: If Chavez loses but isn’t embarrassed, it wouldn’t tarnish his marketability. There would be no shame in failing to unseat a top 3 pound-for-pound fighter.
Are there other fighters more deserving of a shot at Andre Ward? Answer: Certainly. Robert Stieglitz, for example. But this boxing. Factors such as public interest, fighting styles, a fighter’s availability and revenue usually take precedence over ranking and deservability.
In the end, public interest rolls up to ‘revenue’ and more people will pay more money to see Chavez Jr vs Ward than any of the aforementioned names (sans Sergio Martinez).
