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Chavez’s Toughest Test
By Nat Gottlieb - Courtesy of HBO.com
Comparisons to his father have dogged Chavez Jr. since the
day he put on gloves. So far, the reviews haven’t been all
that favorable. But then what Mexican boxer in the last two
decades could ever matchup with the legendary Julio Cesar
Chavez? Not even future hall of famers Marco Antonio
Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez could pass
that test. Perhaps the bar should be set lower: simply
becoming an upper tier fighter and champion and retiring
from a solid career.
In fighting the unbeaten champion Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10
KOs) on June 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Chavez
has a chance to not only show he belongs in the ring with a
quality fighter, but is deserving of a big money fight in
the fall against Miguel Cotto. The pressure on Chavez
(42-0-1, 30 KOs) couldn’t be higher.
“I don’t know if there have been many sons of great fighters
who equaled their fathers,” says HBO analyst Larry Merchant.
“They’re always compared against their father’s very high
standard, and that is difficult to live up to. Most of the
fathers overcame extreme poverty and had a certain kind of
hardness because of that. Sons had it a lot easier growing
up, and even though they lived in the gym, they didn’t have
that kind of hardness inside. They’re able to get to a
certain level, able to make some money, but the question
remains, will the son also rise?”
Zbik clearly is the best fighter Chavez has faced so far.
Since turning pro at 17 after a brief amateur career, Chavez
has been getting on-the-job training, being fed a long
succession of fighters with just a marginal chance at
beating him. The only opponent resembling a step up was John
Duddy, against whom he won a unanimous decision last year in
what was far from a breakout fight. Despite having a solid
29-1 record at the time, Duddy was always something of an
overhyped journeyman, and this year he announced his
retirement.
“Chavez is a protected fighter,” Merchant says. “Whether he
is good enough to compete at the highest level remains to be
seen. Zbik is better than the boxers Chavez has fought so
far. Top Rank (his promoter) must think that fighting before
a favorable home crowd against a guy without a lot of power
will give him a good chance to win. Top Rank evidently has
decided to find out if he is going to be a fighter, if he
belongs at the prime time level.”
Whether Zbik represents prime time, is open to debate. The
German’s competition has been only slightly better than
Chavez’s, and all of his fights have been in his native
country. Zbik’s last five opponents had a combined record of
128-7, two were undefeated, but none would be considered
upper echelon. What Zbik does have going for him is he’s a
very polished and skilled fighter, with an extensive amateur
background and a solid defense. He moves around the ring
more like an American than a typical stand-up European, has
fast hands, a crisp jab and good chin. Perhaps most
importantly, he is a precision puncher who wastes few shots
and rarely leaves himself open for counter punches. That
could prove to be a problem for Chavez, whose defense
remains suspect, even after a year under new trainer Freddie
Roach.
In some ways, the 25-year-old Chavez has yet to develop a
coherent and constant style. Where his father was known for
his relentless aggression, Chavez Jr. seems still to be
figuring out just what kind of fighter he is. In some ways,
that makes him the perfect lab rat for Roach, who took a
very good Manny Pacquiao and turned him in a great fighter
and future Hall of Famer. “I can’t say what kind of effect
Roach will have, but the fact that he took him on must mean
he thought he has some possibilities,” Merchant says. “And
also it’s a good pay day for Freddie. Interesting enough,
Chavez is his father’s son but doesn’t fight like his
father. Earlier in his career there were times he fought too
much like his father, and people felt that wasn’t a good
style for him, given his physical differences. He needed to
fight a style that was more suited to him.”
Chavez and Roach apparently are in the process of developing
one based on his physicality. Whereas his dad was only 5-7 ˝
with a 66-inch reach, Chavez is six feet with arms seven
inches longer. He is a tall, lanky kid with a boyish face,
and likes to box from the outside and counterpunch. What may
have hampered his development was his failure until recently
to find a division he felt comfortable at and didn’t have to
struggle to make weight. His first 35 fights were at
lightweight and junior welterweight, his next six at junior
middleweight, and now he has fought his last three at 160.
Zbik is something of an audition for Chavez, with Cotto
scheduled to be at ringside. “The boxing talk is if the kid
wins, they’ll put him in with Cotto, another fight between a
Mexican and Puerto Rican, a tradition with a lot of history
that should generate serious bucks,” Merchant said. “Before
they can put him in with Cotto, in order to be credible he
has to fight somebody like Zbik, who at the least is
credible.” Zbik is also auditioning, with an eye on making
his mark in the U.S. His stated goal is to land a fight with
Sergio Martinez, and beating Chavez would be the first step
toward that showdown.
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