Garcia: Chavez Jr. Has Personal issues, Roach Can't Solve Them

By Radio Rahim

Veteran trainer Robert Garcia confirmed that he is no longer training former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who is reuniting with his former coach, Freddie Roach.

Roach had trained Chavez Jr. for a few years. The Mexican star broke away from Roach, and longtime promoter Top Rank, in 2014. Since that time, Chavez has gone through a string of trainers while battling weight issues and recovering from various injuries suffered during camp and in fights.

"Chavez Jr. is a great kid and a great person. We are still good friends. I'm okay with his decision. I'm okay with his decision because I know that it has nothing to do with boxing, nothing to do with me not being able to train him. It's personal issues that he's got and I totally support him," Garcia told BoxingScene.com.

"He was very generous to hand me a nice check for the time that I spent with him, the last month or so. We shook hands and we're still friends. I'll always be there to support him, because I'm his friend and not only his trainer."

"Very few of us know [Chavez's problems]. And I believe that I became one of those persons that he trusts and he believes in and when it comes to training he made his decision, but as a friend very few of us know his issues and I'm not going to reveal anything."

Can Roach fix these issues? Garcia believes not.

"Look, Roach is a great trainer. I would be stupid to say the opposite," Garcia said. "But Roach is not going to be the trainer [to fix these issues] because he has health issues, he has other fighters....he's not going to be spending a whole day with Chavez. He will see him in the gym and they will do great in the gym, but Chavez's issues are outside of the ring and not inside the ring."