Chavez Jr: My Father Must Understand He Isn't My Trainer

By Keith Idec

It is beyond difficult for Julio Cesar Chavez to keep his opinions to himself when it comes to his son.

As the most prominent Mexican champion in boxing history, the legendary Chavez believes he knows what’s best for the mercurial former middleweight champion. It has caused tension between father and son in the past, particularly when the elder Chavez attended his training sessions on a daily basis.

Chavez Sr. respects Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, one of Mexico’s most successful trainers, and how his son’s new trainer has helped him prepare for his Mexican showdown with Canelo Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) on Saturday night (HBO Pay-Per-View; $69.99 in HD). Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC) still indicated during a conference call Monday that his outspoken father could pick his spots more appropriately when it comes to offering his advice.

“I like my father to be around,” Chavez Jr. said through a translator. “It’s OK when he’s around. But it’s just important for him to understand that he’s not my trainer. Sometimes we don’t always transmit instructions the way we would like for them to come out [during training], but I have my own trainer.

“I picked Nacho Beristain, who’s a great trainer, one of the best in the history of boxing. But I will say that a lot of what I learned in boxing I learned in watching my father as a little kid. I grew up watching him my whole life, and I’ve learned a lot of what I know from watching my father.”

Beristain has worked diligently to tighten Chavez Jr.’s defense during their first training camp together. He also pushed Chavez Jr., who’s infamous for his inconsistent training habits, and didn’t hesitate to criticize him during a camp in which the younger Chavez had to display tremendous discipline.

“The reason that I chose Nacho is because I think that he is a great Mexican trainer,” Chavez said. “And I think that he has the correct character that matches with me. I saw something in him, some type of connection, that I felt he would be very good for me.

“It wasn’t easy making adjustments, like anytime you have a new trainer. It was a difficult transition sometimes. But I felt that throughout the camp, he taught me a lot of things, some things that I changed in my boxing that I think are gonna help me the day of the fight. That was the reason I chose him.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.