By Miguel Rivera
Eddie Reynoso, trainer of Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs), is expecting the best version of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (49-2-1, 32 KOs) when the two Mexican superstar collide on May 6th.
Both sides were negotiating for several weeks and finally reached a deal last Friday. The fight will be carried by HBO Pay-Per-View, and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas or AT&T Stadium in Texas will play host.
An agreement was reached for a catch-weight of 164.5-pounds. Canelo will come up from 154-pounds, where he holds the WBO junior middleweight title. And Chavez Jr. will come down from the super middleweight limit of 168-pounds.
Chavez Jr. returned to the ring last month and won a hard-fought ten round unanimous decision over Germany's Dominik Britsch (32-3-1, 11KOs) in Monterrey, Mexico. It was the first time that Chavez Jr. had made the super middleweight limit since 2014.
One of the biggest worries in the contest is whether or not Chavez Jr. will be able to make the catch-weight limit. There is a contractual clause that would fine Chavez Jr. a million dollars for every pound over 164.5.
Even if Chavez Jr. is able to squeeze down to 164.5, there is some concern that he won't be competitive after killing his body to get down in weight.
Reynoso is not paying any attention to the critics. He expects to face the very best version of Chavez Jr.
"We are really happy with this fight because as a person who is involved in boxing and as Mexican - I'm proud with being involved in such an important fight. It will be one of the most important in the history of Mexican boxing and I think it will certainly be one of the most lucrative for Mexican boxing as well," Reynoso told ESPN Deportes.
"We want the important fights, there are fights that take a little longer, and others that arrive when you least expect them. There is nothing left to do but continue to work and prepare for it as best that you can, because we are anticipating the best version of Junior."
"As always we will take things seriously, we will work much better with the margin of weight that we have, and as always we have respect for our opponent without belittling anyone. It is really a lot more difficult to work against the weight. When there are problems [with weight] it is difficult to maintain a training program, undergo diets, supplements, but now we will work with this margin in another way, much better. We have a person who is advising us. We will do a special job with these extra pounds."
