Ranking the Best Opponents for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s Next Fight
Being Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. means routinely having to say you're sorry.
The oft-controversial son of a Mexican legend returned Saturday night in El Paso, Texas—three months to the day after an upset TKO loss to light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara—and pounded out a unanimous 10-round decision over rising middleweight Marcos Reyes in a bout on Showtime.
The match was initially contracted with a maximum weight of 170 pounds, but Chavez was eight-tenths of a pound over at Friday's weigh-in, which necessitated a behind-the-scenes deal from the two camps in order to go ahead with the main event fight at the Don Haskins Center.
It's hardly the first time Chavez has had run-ins with the purist side of the sport, particularly since he was dethroned as WBC champion at 160 pounds by Sergio Martinez in 2012.
He missed weight and was ultimately awarded a dubious decision over Brian Vera in 2013. He then returned to convincingly defeat Vera in a rematch in 2014 before imprudently picking Fonfara, a former title claimant at 175 pounds, as his return opponent after a 13-month post-Vera hiatus.
Nevertheless, he was the boss throughout against Reyes, a 27-year-old Mexican who debuted at 153 pounds and had spent the bulk of his career closer to 160 before scaling a career-high 168.4 for Chavez.
Trainer Robert Garcia, who worked Chavez's corner for the first time, told FightHype.com that he was looking for two more tune-up fights before the end of 2015 before pursuing the big matches his new man seems perpetually in the mix to get. That said, we went ahead and lined up five higher-profile candidates we believe would make good foils if and when Chavez gets himself ready for a prime-time return.
Click through to see our choices and feel free to chime in with your own in the comments section.
5. Badou Jack
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It could be the start of something big for Badou Jack.
The once-beaten protege of Floyd Mayweather Jr. became a world title claimant at 168 pounds with a majority decision defeat of Anthony Dirrell three months ago in Chicago, and if he's able to successfully defend the title next month in Las Vegas, a potentially lucrative trip to the cash register may await.
Chavez told Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com that Jack's imminent match with George Groves is one he'll be paying particular attention to, with the hopes of engaging its winner and ultimately becoming the first Mexican to win a title in the weight class.
"That's what I want to do. I want to go for the (WBC) belt," he said. "I want to fight for the world championship this year. ... My intention is to go for my second world title, and also to become the first Mexican to win a super middleweight championship."
4. James DeGale
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Two years ago, a Chavez fight would have been a coup for James DeGale.
But these days, it may be far more meaningful for Chavez.
The 29-year-old London native became the IBF's top dog at 168 pounds with a defeat of Andre Dirrell on May 23 in Boston, which could provide the Mexican with precisely the bull's-eye target needed to make a match worthwhile.
The two nearly came to blows in 2013, when DeGale was campaigning for a WBC title shot against then-champion Sakio Bika. In fact, promoter Mick Hennessy told Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail at the time, "Chavez is a big name for the WBC and we would love for James to have a big fight against him."
It never happened.
Instead, DeGale spent 2014 defeating Gevorg Khatchikian (TKO 11), Brandon Gonzales (TKO 4) and Marco Antonio Periban (TKO 3) and eventually got the shot against Dirrell for the IBF title that became vacant when since-retired Carl Froch was unable to defend. Meanwhile, Chavez defeated Brian Vera for a second time in 2014 and is again being forced to rebuild after losing to Andrzej Fonfara in April.
3. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
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It wasn't all that long ago. Mid-March, in fact.
"A matchup between Canelo (Alvarez) and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would do crazy numbers," gushed ThaBoxingVoice.com's Mario Mungia. "If it were held it Mexico it would shatter any attendance record to the point that it would be virtually unbeatable."
Of course, it was less than a month later when Andrzej Fonfara cleaned Chavez's clock and set the plans for the all-Mexican showdown on the back burner. But now that JCC Jr. has returned to the spotlight—sort of—with the defeat of Reyes, it makes sense to at least throw the proposition out there again.
Of course, Chavez is struggling to make 168 pounds, and Alvarez has a rumored date with middleweight champion Miguel Cotto penciled in for later this year, but if each man passes the interim tests in front of him, don't be surprised if this one regains momentum come 2016.
"As far-fetched as it seems today, there are some reasons to hold out hope," Mungia wrote. "The main reason is that the sport of boxing brings out a desperation like no other sport and where there is a will there is a way. Add a couple million dollars to every pound between Canelo and Chavez Jr. and the math starts to make sense."
2. Andre Ward
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This week's weight struggles notwithstanding, it would seem Chavez's future is at 168 pounds.
And if he's interested in pursuing the best fighter in the weight class, the road leads to Andre Ward.
A former Olympic gold medalist who's now unbeaten in 28 pro fights, Ward was considered a top-three pound-for-pound commodity by most observers prior to a long stretch of inactivity—his defeat of Paul Smith in June was his third appearance since 2011—and he's been a fixture on HBO as an analyst when he's not plying his trade in the ring.
The fanfare and TV zeal haven't followed, though, and he's probably not the destination if the aim is for the most exciting fight rather than the top super middleweight street cred. Ward called Chavez's name out in 2013 as a potentially tough proposition, but the reality is, acumen aside, that Ward needs Chavez more than Chavez needs Ward.
"Me and Andre Ward is more boxing but it’s great for boxing because he won a gold medal and he’s one of the best fighters in the world," Chavez told Boxing247.com (h/t Sky Sports) during fight week.
1. Gennady Golovkin
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Gennady Golovkin is an unbeaten middleweight titleholder who has fans, media and a cable network foaming at the mouth for his next appearance in the ring.
And Chavez, during the run-up to the Reyes fight, had obviously caught the fever, too.
"Me and Golovkin would make a war, the way we fight for the fans," he told 247Boxing.com (h/t Sky Sports). "I see in the last Golovkin fight against Willie Monroe, that he was a little tired in the third and fourth rounds and I think the guy needs to look for better opposition. Now at 160 he don’t have opposition."
The matchup delivers everything to all parties. Golovkin gets a chance to add a truly accomplished name to a record full of largely anonymous victims. Chavez gets a chance to stack himself up against one of the hottest names in the sport. And HBO gets to cash in on both Golovkin's emerging hype and the enthusiasm of a hardcore Mexican fanbase that's likely to return to the Chavez camp.
Pick the weight, and it's a match made in premium cable heaven.
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