It
was a blistering night at the Sun Bowl in El Paso Saturday evening as
Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. 46-0-1 (32) silenced his critics once again
by administering a thorough beating to the ever durable but clearly
overpowered Irishman Andy Lee 28-2 (20) to capture the WBC
Middleweight Title. Chavez, Jr. has come into his own over the years,
growing into an extremely rugged and powerful Middleweight and honing
his craft to become a more solid and tactically sound fighter.
Questions have surrounded the son of boxing legend and iconic figure
Julio Cesar Chavez 107-6-2 (86) and his capabilities in terms of
maintaining the Chavez boxing lineage and namesake while carving out
his own niche in the sport. His latest demonstration of a momentous
career progression at the cost of Andy Lee’s physical well-being
was on full display in Texas, as a pro-Chavez, Jr. crowd were in
favorable attendance to cheer on their hero in unison with every
damaging blow that he hammered into Lee’s frame.
With
his greatness is question and the weight of his father’s incredible
career looming over his shoulders as a reminder of what he must live
up to, Chavez, Jr. answered the call against Lee by silencing an
early push by the Irish Middleweight to start the bout with
incredible vigor. Lee maintained a quickened pace early in the
contest and utilized a stiff jab that seemed to keep the constantly
forward rushing Culiacan toro at bay, at least momentarily anyway.
But the Mexican luminary wouldn’t allow Lee to stave off his attack
for long, as it didn’t take much time before the boxer under the
tutelage of celebrated trainer Emanuel Steward started to fade fast
during the bout and lost the steam and durability required to last
against a determined and powerful Chavez, Jr. Once he established
himself on the inside, Chavez, Jr. began to drop the hammer on his
opponent with brutal power shots that sapped the strength and very
will from Lee. Finally, Andy Lee had more than enough. His game but
dejected spirit became completely removed from the fight and he had
no answer for Chavez, Jr’s virtual destruction when at 2:21 of the
7th round, referee Laurence Cole had to step in and stop a battered and
bloodied Andy Lee from taking anymore punishment.
In
his latest smashing victory, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. has punched his
way into an anticipated showdown with Argentinean Sergio Gabriel
“Maravilla” Martinez 49-2-2 (28) on September 15th later this year at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada,
on a date that conflicts with another megafight scheduled between
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez 40-0-1 (29) and “Vicious” Victor Ortiz
29-3-2 (22) at the MGM Grand that same evening, a fight that will
come to fruition should Ortiz beat Josesito Lopez 29-4 (17) this
upcoming weekend. A strong Middleweight who is ranked number one in
the world rankings as well as his home nation of Argentina, Martinez
could pose some serious problems for Chavez, Jr., even with the
dominant statement that the younger fighter just made by demolishing
Lee decisively. A southpaw, Sergio Martinez has taken out a few
notable top names in the division such as Kelly “The Ghost”
Pavlik 39-2 (34), Paul “The Punisher” Williams 41-2 (27) (Hang in
there Champ we’re all pushing for you!), and Kermit “El Asesino”
Cintron 33-5-1 (28) during his career.
Julio
Cesar Chavez, Jr. has solidified his position in the Middleweight
division as a serious threat and tough competitor at this point.
Since linking up with Freddie Roach he has a newfound redirection in
the sport that is a good look for him and is translating into the
ring well. While Chavez, Jr. showed a good beard against Andy Lee,
Martinez is a far more threatening challenger in the squared circle,
a boxer who has stinging one punch power that could easily turn out
the lights on “The Legend Goes On” should he take Sergio Martinez
lightly. The older but physically more than capable 37-year-old
Martinez, who started boxing professionally at the age of 20, will
not become gassed against Chavez, Jr. as Lee did and will have wicked
bombs of his own to deliver back in the face of an attack from the
prodigal son. Some critics are saying that even if Julio Cesar
Chavez, Jr. is “100 percent ready to fight” that Sergio Martinez
will batter him. The boxing world will just have to wait until
September 15th to get the answer to that poignant question when both fighters slug
it out for the answer.
The
boxing media has been very wrong time and time again about Chavez,
Jr. and the direction his career has been heading in. They counted
him out against Andy Lee, yet Chavez, Jr. drilled Lee’s body with
signature body shots that paid dividends in their bout and allowed
Julio to shut down Lee effectively in the end. The idea that he could
possibly live up to his father’s accomplishments in the ring is an
incredible and almost impossible expectation for anyone to put on the
26 year old Champion. Whereas boxing is most surely running though
his veins given his blessed bloodline, Chavez, Jr. has been making
his own name in the sport, proving his detractors wrong every time he
engages in his craft and silences their judging words with every
thundering blow that shakes his opponents to their core. While he may
not be his father, Chavez, Jr. is definitely his father’s son and
has nothing to be ashamed of. He is a young Champion who looks ahead
to the horizon of his own legacy and what destiny he must fulfill. We
can only sit in wonder and admiration to see what he does next and
who else among the boxing media ends up eating their words. Jason can be reached with your questions, concerns, gripes, moans, complaints, insults or kudos at BoxingWarrior@hotmail.com. Your feedback is appreciated as always. Stay honest and keep punching.
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