By Jake Donovan

Among other things, long overdue in the career of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was a knockout and an explosive performance.

He delivered on both fronts; becoming the first fighter to drop and stop fringe contender Jason LeHoullier, turning the trick at 2:43 of the opening round Saturday night at El Palenque de la Feria in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.

Both fighters weighed at the junior middleweight limit of 154 lb.

The bout was supposed to headline the previous edition of Latin Fury earlier this summer, only for Chavez to pull up lame due to a rib injury suffered during training. The show went on without this generation’s Chavez, who was forced to wait another seven weeks before returning to the ring for his rescheduled bout.

He wasted no time getting going, which is uncharacteristic of his normal fighting style. LeHoullier proved an inviting target, his loose guard easy prey for Chavez Jr’s jabs down the middle. Both fighters circled to each other’s right looking for openings, LeHoullier trying to establish his own jab while Chavez Jr targeted the body.

LeHoullier threatened to make it a boxing match, before a well-placed left hook to the body by Chavez Jr forced him to stand and trade more than he desired. Another left hook upstairs would provide a trivia bit moments later, as LeHoullier was sent to the canvas for the first time in his career.

He beat the count, and attempted to punch his way back into the fight. The effort proved futile, as he never fully had his legs under him.

Chavez went on the attack, pummeling LeHoullier on the ropes to the point of the ringside physician demanding the fight be stopped. Referee Ruben Carrion went into spectator mode for several seconds before finally jumping into to rescue the New England boxer.

It was a much needed statement in the career of Chavez Jr, viewed by many as frustrating and a joke by the rest. This year in particular has been disappointing, with the mid-summer injury slowing down his activity rate, fighting for just the second time in 2009.

He now moves forward with a knockout win, his first in his past four fights as he improves to 40-0-1 (30KO).

LeHoullier falls to 21-2-1 (8KO), who suffers his second straight loss, having been inactive since dropping a decision to Harry Joe Yorgey last summer.

The expected non-answer was offered by Chavez Jr when asked what opponent out there he believed would take his career to the next level.

“Next up is John Duddy,” said Chavez Jr, believing that he will be facing the Irishman in December, though prior reports have suggested both appearing in showcase bouts before colliding next year. 

Regardless of when they fight, whatever comes beyond that seems irrelevant to the young Mexican for the moment.

“After that… I fight whoever they put in front of me.”

Fight he will have to if he plans to fulfill his dreams of being the one to carry his proud nation on his shoulders, though even he realizes the task to be a long-term goal.

“I would say the wrong thing if I say that I WILL be the next great Mexican champ, but that is the future plan. I’m ready and looking forward to bettering my career.”

So, too, is everyone else in the boxing world.

For now, explosive knockouts like this will do.

TELEVISED UNDERCARD

Bantamweight contender Alejandro Valdez (22-3-2, 16KO) overcame a knockdown, shady officiating and all sorts of controversy to score one of the year’s bigger upsets with a third round stoppage of Fernando Montiel (39-3-1, 29KO).

Full report can be found here: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=22171

Strange scoring was offered up in Donnie Nietes’ strawweight title defense win over Mexico’s Manuel Vargas. Full report: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=22170

Z Gorres is for the moment a man without a weight class, although the Filipino now owns a three-fight win streak thanks to a sixth-round injury stoppage over former bantamweight titlist Cruz Carbajal. Full report: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=22167

The pay-per-view telecast was presented and independently distributed by Top Rank Inc.
 
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .