Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Will Once Again Train With Joe Goossen

By Steve Kim

There's been a lot of talk about when Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will be stepping into the ring again.

The question is in the wake of his May loss to Mexican rival, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who will be preparing him in the gym for the immediate future?

"I'm back training Julio Cesar Chavez (Jr)," said veteran cornerman, Joe Goossen, to BoxingScene.com.

The two had hooked up when Chavez faced Andrzej Fonfara in April of 2015 where Chavez was stopped in nine rounds at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. It wasn't an ideal training camp as it was held at a resort near Lake Tahoe.

But this time around Goossen believes it will be much more spartan setting at his gym in Van Nuys, California.

"I will tell you - and I firmly believe this - Julio would not have come back to me, he knows my reputation, he knows what I'm all about in terms of what I do expect. We had this conversation a couple of years ago after the Fonfara fight," said Goossen, who's best known for his work with Michael Nunn, Rafael and Gabe Ruelas , Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor.

"Basically, I just believe Julio if he chose me to train him, he knows I'm a serious guy and he has to be serious. He knows it. He came to me with a seriousness I've not seen before.I believe Julio is ready to turn a corner. I really do."

For his loss against Canelo, which saw Chavez Jr. drain down to a catch-weight of 164.5-pounds, he was being trained for the first time by Hall of Fame coach Nacho Beristain.

Chavez Jr. has been through a string of trainers over the years. He's also trained with his uncle for a bit, and Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, and veteran coach Robert Garcia.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com