Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 12:26AM By Chuck Johnson
Photo by Ed Mulholland
As the son of a boxing legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight-by-fight has stepped out of his father’s shadow to command a spotlight of his own.
Chavez didn’t disappoint Saturday night in defense of his world middleweight title, showing himself as a boxer as well as a big puncher in stopping Peter Manfredo Jr.
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 2:09PM Is Julio Chavez Jr. the real deal? Can he take on the latest contender? Fans seem to think so, with a whopping 80% of Facebook poll respondents calling a victory for Mexico's favorite son. On Twitter, the response was more varied, where @S_renay went so far as to call a 10th round TKO for Manfredo. Here's a sampling of what you had to say:
- Chavez by KO by round 8. Chavez has too much power for him. - @PrinceofOlympus (Twitter)
- Manfredo is not a chump guys the only thing can manfredo gonna have is ring rust that can be a huge factor in that fight – Ivan A. (Facebook)
- Chavez Jr is gonna smash manfredo jr – Michael R. (Facebook)
- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision. Manfredo's past his best...which was never that good anyway.... - @SweetBoxing_com (Twitter)
- If goes to a decision I won't be surprised if the win goes to Chavez. #ChavezManfredo... But I do hope it's a great fight. - @xmanjarrezx (Twitter)
- Mandfredo should expose this kids weakness ... – Keith A. (Facebook)
- Manfredo - like a Billy Lyell plus - will show a lot of heart and win... but not on the cards. Chavez UD. - @Zandman75 (Twitter)
- I see Chavez Jr outworking Manfredo, but would like to see Pride of Providence win, just cuz Chavez Jr been babied for so long fighting tuna can scrubs. – Kenneth M. (Facebook)
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 9:43AM By CompuBox
Ever since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. turned pro in 2003 observers have wondered whether he's truly world class or if he's the product of marketing and maneuvering. Sure, his 43-0-1 record is glossy and several performances have shown he has grit, but does he have the skills to deal with fellow titlists Gennady Golovkin, Daniel Geale and Dmitry Pirog, much less Sergio Martinez?
That's where Peter Manfredo Jr. comes in, for he's good enough to separate the wheat from the chaff. He's skillful enough to beat those of equal pedigree and below but fails when the level is raised. Does Chavez have the goods to get past Manfredo, or will "The Pride of Providence" show that the jig is up? Their CompuBox histories offer the following clues:
> Read more CompuBox analysis of Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs Peter Manfredo, Jr. on HBO.com
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 3:33PM By Kieran Mulvaney
In the wake of Manny Pacquiao’s controversial win over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday, promoter Bob Arum underlined the old boxing adage that ‘styles make fights.’ He reminded media at the post-fight press conference that George Foreman thumped Joe Frazier both times they fought, Frazier went nip-and-tuck three times with Muhammad Ali, but Ali took apart Foreman. So what, if anything, does that mean for the Pacquiao-Marquez rivalry, any upcoming HBO clashes and, down the road, a possible Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather superfight?
Photo Credit: Will HartThe third fight underlined what had been well established by the previous two: that Marquez and Pacquiao have each other’s number. Marquez is sufficiently effective to nullify Pacquiao’s strengths, but his style in doing so is unlikely ever to be enough to render him an obvious winner. He is at his best when his opponent comes at him, enabling him to return fire with counterpunching combinations. That can disrupt his foe’s aggression, but sometimes a reliance on sitting back and waiting for your opponent to make his move first, no matter how effective, can make it difficult to clearly elevate yourself over him, at least in the eyes of the judges.
Photo Credit: Ed MulhollandWhat can the ‘styles make fights’ dictum tell us about upcoming HBO matchups? Frankly, that the bouts may be more closely-fought than is immediately apparent. Both Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Saul Alvarez enter their contests as big favorites over Peter Manfredo Jr and Kermit Cintron respectively. But both Mexican fighters are more comfortable against opponents who are there to be hit and willing to exchange, and while Manfredo does not have the quick hands of Sebastian Zbik, who gave Chavez all he could handle recently, he doesn’t have clay feet like Andy Lee, whom JCC Jr sent into retirement last year. And if Alvarez can have early-round problems against blown-up welterweight Alfonso Gomez, he could be in a world of hurt against Cintron – who, as Alfredo Angulo can testify, can be surprisingly dangerous when allowed to box and move. Conversely, Cintron has been known to fold mentally under pressure of the sort Alvarez brings. It all promises genuine intrigue …
Photo Credit: Ed MulhollandMarquez is a counter-puncher. Mayweather is a counter-puncher. But they are different sides of a similar coin. Marquez thrives on being attacked and responding with flurries; Mayweather seeks to stymie his foe’s offense entirely and pick his man apart with lightning-fast solo punches. Will that have the same effect against Pacquiao as JMM’s counter-combinations? As the dust settles over the coming weeks and months, we should learn whether or not we will soon have the chance to find out for sure, the only way that matters: In the ring.
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 3:19PM By Hamilton Nolan
Is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a good fighter?
In one sense, the question seems preposterous. He's 43-0 with 30 knockouts at the age of 25. His genetic pedigree, as evidenced by that name, is as good as it gets. He's trained by Freddie Roach, the best in the business - who, as a rule, does not train bad fighters. And, perhaps most pertinent to the big shiny TV fight at hand, he is, for lack of a better comparison, the Justin Bieber of Mexican boxing. The man has fans. There's no denying that.
Read the rest of the Chavez Jr.-Manfredo Jr. preview at HBO.com
