Marquez: Canelo Still Has Edge Over Chavez Jr. - Even With Nacho

By Miguel Rivera

Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez became one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport with Hall of Fame trainer Nacho Beristain in his corner.

Marquez's corner because even stronger when he added strength and conditioning coach Angel "Memo" Heredia to his corner.

Now former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will have the same team in his corner - when he steps in the ring with countryman Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on May 6th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight will take place at a catch-weight of 164-pounds. Chavez Jr. has not been that low in weight since 2012, when he was competing as a middleweight. Canelo is moving up from the junior middleweight limit of 154-pounds.

Nacho has created an army of world champions in Mexico, but Marquez is considered to be his greatest student.

Before Chavez Jr. announced that he reached an agreement with Nacho, Marquez had given Canelo to the edge to win. Now that Nacho will be training Chavez Jr. - Marquez's opinion remains the same. 

"My forecast is still the same, but a bit more reserved, because he trained with Memo Heredia for his December fight and now the important issue is that he has Nacho Beristáin. He will help [Chavez Jr.], he will make adjustments... it is a matter of time on whether or not he can change the style of boxing that Chavez is used to," Marquez said on Golpe a Golpe.

"Nacho has the experience, he has the maturity to be able to help Chavez Jr. a lot - but even if you have the best coaches, they will not be able to help you if are not a disciplined fighter. Nacho is a disciplined coach and that injects you a lot of motivation."