Can Chávez Jr. Add an Upset to His Saga?

“Youngsters have by no means been superb at listening to their elders, however they’ve by no means didn’t imitate them.” -James Baldwin.

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Having a father who’s a nationwide hero could be difficult. When your father is arguably the best boxer within the historical past of Mexico, and also you enter the household enterprise, the load of expectations is immense.

On June twenty eighth, Julio César Chávez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KO) will tackle social media individual turned boxer Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KO) in Anaheim, California in Paul’s newest step up in competitors.

Whereas Chávez Jr. has title recognition, this isn’t fairly the step up in competitors that Jake Paul will make it out to be. Paul is certainly going through a former world champion and “somebody who Canelo couldn’t knock out”, however since 2015 (or when Jake Paul was ending up filming the film Dance Camp), Chávez Jr.’s document is simply 6-5.

In a means, it’s becoming that Julio César Chávez Jr. is on this place to defend boxing’s honor in opposition to Jake Paul, the social media star who has infiltrated boxing as efficiently as he has social media algorithms. Chávez Jr. was born in a boxing-crazed nation and fathered by a legend of the game. Whereas Chávez Jr.’s profession has been disappointing, Chávez Jr. will turn out to be a people hero in some circles if he can decisively defeat Jake Paul.

The boxing public has watched Chávez Jr. develop up; he and his brother, Omar, got here to the ring with their father in direction of the top of his profession. How did we get up to now with Julio César Chávez Jr.?

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Julio César Chávez Jr. was born on February sixteenth, 1986, when his father was the reigning WBC tremendous flyweight champion. Being a young person is hard for anybody, and Chávez Jr.’s teenage years had been no exception. As he tells it, from the age of twelve, “[My dad] would take older, larger, stronger youngsters who had been both hanging out within the streets or working on the grocery store for a $3 or $5 wage and pay them $20 to combat me. In the event that they received, he gave them $50. Combating me was the most effective job within the neighborhood.” Along with spending time using Mexico’s youth, his dad was in a high-profile relationship with actress Salma Hayek that finally led to the divorce of his mother and father.

Chávez Jr.’s official novice profession was primarily a cash seize. He had simply two novice fights, each proven on Mexican tv, in opposition to Jorge Paez Jr., a fellow Mexican son of a world champion. Chávez Jr. had his first skilled combat in September 2003.

In 2004, his first full yr as an expert, he fought eleven instances. Chávez Sr. had twelve fights every in his first two full years as a professional, 1981 and 1982. Simply over twenty-five months into Chávez Jr.’s skilled profession, “The Son of the Legend” was preventing as soon as each thirty-two days, amassing a 23-0 document with 18 knockouts.

One-time coach Freddie Roach characterised Chávez Jr.’s early model this manner: “He was attempting to be like his dad. He was slightly bit awkward with it. He isn’t like a pure athlete like his dad was and if you taught him one thing, he sort of needed to study it slowly. He needed to do it again and again.”

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In November 2009, following his win over Troy Rowland, Chávez Jr. received suspended for utilizing a banned diuretic to assist make weight, and the win was overturned and dominated a no-contest. It was not the final subject that Chávez Jr. had with substance abuse, one other means by which he has adopted in his father’s footsteps.

Within the lead-up to his February 2012 win over Marco Antonio Rubio, Chávez Jr. received arrested in Los Angeles on expenses of drunk driving.

Regardless of the constructing turmoil, Chávez Jr. didn’t endure his first defeat till September 2012 in opposition to middleweight Sergio Martinez. The combat was a memorable one, with Martinez dominating the primary eleven rounds till Chávez Jr. improbably rocked Martinez, scoring a knockdown and almost snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

It was paying homage to when Julio César Chávez memorably knocked out Meldrick Taylor with two seconds left in a 1990 junior welterweight title unification combat he was getting outclassed in. Chávez Jr. couldn’t imitate his father and full the unbelievable comeback. Chávez Jr.’s combat in opposition to Sergio Martinez was the final time he fought for a world championship. After the combat with Martinez, Chávez Jr. was fined and suspended after testing optimistic for hashish.

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Upon coming back from his suspension, Chávez Jr. moved as much as tremendous middleweight for his September 2013 combat with Brian Vera. He weighed in at 172 kilos, effectively above the 168-pound restrict. He defeated Vera on factors that night time and once more in March 2014 in a rematch.

At that time, Chávez Jr. took a break from boxing and returned 13 months later in opposition to Andrzej Fonfara at mild heavyweight. Chávez Jr. was dominated by Fonfara and suffered the second lack of his profession. The combat ended when Chávez Jr. didn’t come out of his nook after the ninth spherical.

Decided to get again within the win column, Chávez Jr. fought once more just a few months later in opposition to Marcos Reyes. Chávez Jr. received, however not earlier than the bout needed to be altered to a 170-pound catchweight the night time earlier than as a result of Chávez Jr. couldn’t make the contractually obligated weight of 168 kilos.

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Subsequent up was the best profile and highest-grossing combat of Julio César Chávez Jr.’s profession. The bout aptly passed off on Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2016 when he fought Canelo Alvarez. Cinco de Mayo weekend will normally characteristic a combat with the highest Mexican boxer. When Canelo Alvarez and Julio César Chávez Jr. agreed to face off, it appeared like an intriguing matchup. Two massive names with family enchantment and contrasting types confronted off in a combat billed because the Mexican Showdown. On combat night time, this was not what transpired. Chávez Jr. placed on a pitiful efficiency in opposition to Canelo, touchdown simply 71 of the 302 punches he threw and dropping each spherical on all three scorecards. The pay-per-view generated almost 1.2 million buys.

Chávez Jr. didn’t return to the ring for one more twenty-seven months. When he did, Chávez Jr. made fast work of Evert Bravo (26-14-1), successful in simply ninety-eight seconds. Inexplicably, for his subsequent combat, Chávez Jr. was matched up in opposition to the rugged and proficient Daniel Jacobs.

In December 2019. Daniel Jacobs pulverized Chávez Jr., who stop on his stool following the fifth spherical. The group in Phoenix, Arizona, was not proud of Chavez Jr. and confirmed it by raining trash and beer down into the ring in a chaotic, embarrassing scene.

To make issues even worse for Chávez Jr., he was suspended following the loss after he refused to take a pre-fight drug take a look at. That was the final combat that Chávez Jr. had in opposition to a top-level boxer.

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Within the final 4 years, Chávez Jr. has boxed simply thrice, with two of these bouts coming in opposition to profession mixed-martial artists. In a match in opposition to his solely frequent opponent with Jake Paul, Chávez Jr. misplaced a 2021 choice to Anderson Silva. Chávez Jr. received again into the win column later that yr in opposition to Peruvian David Zegarra. Whereas Zegarra is primarily a boxer, he’s at present in the course of an eleven-fight dropping streak.

In January 2024, Chávez Jr. entered a residential remedy program after he received arrested in Los Angeles on three felony gun possession expenses. In line with police, he unlawfully possessed two AR-style ghost rifles.

In his most up-to-date bout, Chávez Jr. defeated Uriah Corridor final July. Chávez Jr. weighed in at 197.75 kilos earlier than the combat, the heaviest of his profession. Following his factors victory over Corridor, the gang booed Chávez Jr. when he referred to as out Jake Paul.

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Julio César Chávez Jr. was born right into a tough place. Julio’s brother Omar additionally adopted in his father’s footsteps and have become an expert boxer. Omar didn’t attain the highs or lows that his brother has in his profession. Omar’s boxing profession has been notable for 3 separate retirements and a playing habit.

In July 2015, Chávez Jr. wrote an article for The Gamers Tribune that’s fascinating to learn almost ten years later. It reads partly:

I wouldn’t be the boxer I’m at this time with out my father… However think about for a second that he’s not my father. He’s nonetheless a legend within the sport and one of many biggest in historical past, however we don’t share the identical title. Would you continue to examine me to him? Would you place my document and my accomplishments subsequent to his and say I’ve underachieved? If he’s not my father, is {that a} honest comparability?

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So, how does Julio César Chávez Sr. see his son faring in opposition to Jake Paul? Final month, the elder Chávez stated, “I haven’t seen [Chávez Jr.] practice at this degree for a few years. If he retains this up till the combat, there isn’t any means Jake Paul goes to beat my son.”

Name that wishcasting, delusion, or no matter you need, however Julio César Chávez Jr. will attempt to not disappoint his father, for higher or worse.