Chavez Jr.: After Fonfara I Will Go Down To 168-Pounds
Mar 18, 2015 • 7:20 AM ET
By Jake Donovan
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is ready for a triumphant ring return, following what will be a 13-month hiatus by the time April 18 rolls around for his showdown with Andrez Fonfara.
The bout—which takes place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. and marks Chavez Jr’s debut on SHOWTIME—will be contested at a catchweight of 172 lb.
Don’t mistake the extra poundage as a sign of things come; it merely reflects a transition period for the second-generation boxer and befitting of the best available opportunity for his first fight under new ownership.
“I feel good. I feel fresh again. I know it’s difficult to come off of a one-year layoff. But I stayed in the gym, working on my skills. I’m very confident,” insists Chavez Jr., who will also make his debut under the advisory banner of Al Haymon after breaking free from promoter Top Rank. “This fight is at 172 because after one year off we didn’t want to come down too low in weight. At 172, I feel the activity. I’m ready to win another world title.”
Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32KOs) fights for the first time since his rematch win over Bryan Vera last March. The sequel was necessary based on the controversial nature of the first fight, in which Chavez Jr. won a debatable decision in a fight where the contracted weight was altered at the last minute to accommodate his physical state heading into the fight.
The Sept. ’13 clash with Vera marked the lone time Chavez Jr. had to fight above the super middleweight limit, coming just over a year after his run as a middleweight titlist.
The upcoming showdown with Fonfara (26-3, 15KOs)—a bonafide Top 10 light heavyweight contender—comes under different circumstances, but also serving as a primer for a potential future run at light heavyweight when he’s ready for a full-time campaign at the weight.
“These guys (at light heavyweight) are very strong,” Chavez Jr. noted of the current cast, including World champion Adonis Stevenson and unbeaten three-belt titlist Sergey Kovalev. “After this fight, I will go down to 168 and stay at that weight for one or two years before moving to 175.
“Right now, my body is meant for 168 lbs., I’m not ready for 175. But in 1-2 years I will be ready for 175.”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home.
