Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Handed Stiff Penalty from NSAC for Positive Drug Test

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was fined $900,000 and suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test after his September 2012 bout with Sergio Martinez (per ESPN.com).

The stiff penalty was handed down because it was the second time Chavez Jr. tested positive for a banned substance after a fight—Chavez Jr. tested positive for the diuretic furosemide in 2009. The fine is 30 percent of Chavez Jr.’s $3 million dollar purse from the Martinez fight and the fine is from the original fight date fight date in September, making the suspension last until mid-June.

Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs) has the skill and the power to be a superstar in the sport—and to make sure his career doesn’t end because of the drug test aftermath, he would be wise to get the rematch with Martinez lined up for September as his first fight back.

Chavez Jr. has to give his all in that bout and training camp, as the world saw a unmotivated, somewhat lazy Chavez Jr. in HBO’s 24/7 reality series leading up to the Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KOs) bout. Instead of training in normal daytime hours, Chavez Jr. trained in the late night hours, often past midnight.

Giving his all in the rematch with Martinez is a must for Chavez Jr., as another loss would severely hurt his career. Chavez Jr. had a ton of momentum heading into the first bout with Martinez after knocking out Andy Lee in June of 2012.

The lackluster showing had many wondering if Chavez Jr. was serious about the career he had worked so hard to build up.

Listening to his trainer Freddy Roach would be a smart move this time around, as it seemed that Chavez Jr. did what he wanted to do, not what Roach asked him to do.