There?s a saying that ?rules are meant to be broken.? If that?s the case, Chavez and his promoter are doing nothing less than what?s expected of them?
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In anticipation of Saturday?s fight at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, between former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and middleweight contender Bryan Vera (23-6, 14 KOs), the long-awaited Return of the Son of the Legend is big news.
These have been tough times for Chavez Jr. He not only lost his first fight, which was also his last fight. He was allegedly training in his living room. He was filmed snacking in his underwear. And there was the marijuana bit, about which much was made, with enough handwringing and self-righteous posturing to make a TV evangelist blush.
?I am coming off a loss,? said Chavez during a recent teleconference call, ?and I want to show everyone what I am capable of doing. I worked real hard and I am looking forward to getting in the ring to show everyone that I am back. Of course I want to regain the position where I was before the loss against Martinez.?
That may not be as easy as it sounds. The bubble hasn?t exactly burst, at least not yet, but the bloom is off the rose.
Chavez?s has had problems making 160 lbs. Rather than fight at his natural weight, and foregoing the advantage of dwarfing his opponents, Chavez has been allowed to dance around the issue, however unsightly it may appear.
The fight with Vera was originally supposed to be at 163. When that didn?t work out, the fight was moved up to 168.
?I think it is time for me to move up to 168,? said Chavez. ?That is the goal we have been working on for this fight. We want to do the best that we can to get near that weight. I just felt that at 160 my health was not going to be good. I don?t think people realized how hard it was to make 160 and how much I had to sacrifice to make 160. Health-wise I think that 168 is good for me and I would like to continue my career at 168. This is not a championship fight but I will be close to 168 for this fight.?
With the fight just three days away, Chavez weighs 173, so the stipulated weight has been moved upward a third time, or maybe a fourth time, with perhaps a fifth time to follow by the time fight night rolls around.
The bout has also been scaled back from the original 12 to 10 rounds, to accommodate Chavez?s girth and lack of stamina.
There?s an old saying that ?rules are meant to be broken.? If that?s the case, Chavez, who has justly been accused of being pampered, and his promoter are doing nothing less than what?s expected of them.
Touch gloves, and may the man who weighs the most win.
