By Jake Donovan (photo by Rafael Soto)
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. turned in what has to be regarded as the best performance of his career on Saturday night, pounding out a well-earned unanimous decision over John Duddy in their 12-round middleweight eliminator at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Chavez Jr. was 160 lb. on the nose, while Duddy came in slightly lighter at 159 lb. for the bout, which served as the televised main event for a four-fight pay-per-view telecast.
Chavez, anxious to show off everything he’s learned under the tutelage of new trainer Freddie Roach, fought and his desired distance in the opening round, working the jab and also dropping right hands whenever Duddy attempted to creep in close.
Duddy remained unnerved, bouncing back well in the second round to take the fight to Chavez. Right hands landed while Chavez was pinned to the ropes, and the Irishman also enjoyed success with the same punch in center ring later in the round.
With the fight seemingly even on the cards, Chavez Jr. went back to his roots in the third round. He continued to throw – and often land – the right hand that Roach demanded, but also found time to dig in his heels and launch his left hook downstairs. A classic left-right later in the round caught Duddy flush in center ring and drew a rise out of the partisan crowd.
The balls-to-the-wall shootout everyone anticipated finally broke out in the fourth, with Duddy teeing off early before Chavez Jr. took over midway through the round. Chavez Jr. had success throughout the round, but early one was taking four to land one. With his jab pumping, he was able to swing momentum back in his favor, landing flush as Duddy was slow to respond, though the Irishman had his share of moments in the final minute of the round.
Chavez Jr. carried over the momentum into the fifth, his best round of the fight to that point. Duddy remained game, but was unable to adjust to his opponent’s jab, often setting up straight right hands that landed flush and went unanswered for the most part.
More of the same threatened to transpire in the sixth before Duddy came back with a right hand that hurt Chavez Jr. at center ring. Duddy unloaded immediately thereafter, but was unable to dole out the type of punishment that could turn the tide back in his favor.
It would ultimately prove to be his undoing.
As was the case earlier in the fight, Chavez Jr. refused to allow the worst moments of the previous round to spill over into the next. The young Mexican went to work in the seventh and eighth, the point at which he permanently remained in control of the fight. The foundation was laid for some very big moments to come, including a monster left hook at the close of the eighth round.
Sensing his man was still buzzed, Chavez Jr. sought closure in the ninth. It didn’t quite come, but he punched and brawled his way to what should’ve been viewed as a clear 10-8 round. Duddy was on rubber legs for much of the frame, beginning with a combination a minute in that had the entire crowd up on its feet. Chavez Jr. continued to tee off for the remainder of the round, speaking to the vastly improved endurance and conditioning that has come with his recent change in training habits.
What was keeping Duddy upright was anyone’s guess, nor was there any quit in the Irishman. Despite his greatest efforts, his legs were slowly but surely betraying him. Chavez Jr. twice rocked him with left hooks at separate points in the tenth, a round in which he also returned to his body attack.
Duddy’s corner kept it honest in between rounds, letting him know that a knockout was the only way he was winning the fight. It was also the outcome Chavez Jr. had in mind as he kept up the intensity, loading up with every power shot. A monster right hand had Duddy all but out towards the end of the round, but somehow managed to stay up and drag himself back to his corner at the bell.
With only three minutes remaining and nothing at all to lose other than the fight itself, Duddy spilled every ounce of whatever he had left into closing as strong as he could. Chavez Jr. was a bit more subdued than was the case in previous rounds, maintaining a high guard while in search for the best possible way to close the show.
Neither fighter would get the knockout they desired, though not for a lack of trying. They spent the final 30 seconds trading in close quarters at center ring, much to the delight of the crowd who offered a standing ovation at fights end.
Scores were a bit all over the place, but all going to the right guy in the end. Tallies of 120-108, 116-112 and 117-111 were turned in for Chavez improves – in every sense of the word to 41-0-1 (30KO) with the win.
Duddy falls to 29-2 (18KO), ending a modest three-fight win streak and left to ponder where to go in the future. The popular Irishman was brought along as a ticket seller, particularly in the New York area, but lacks the type of wins that suggest his career should ever be taking seriously.
Most of the same could be said of Chavez Jr, though Saturday night’s win clearly changes that dynamic. Not just the win itself, but that the young Mexican turned in easily the most complete performance of his career.
The fight was his first since serving a six-month suspension after testing positive for a banned diuretic following his 10-round middleweight bout with Troy Rowand last November.
In a strange way, the suspension was a blessing in disguise. A series of events created enough of a shakeup to where Chavez Jr was able to be put in position where a win here puts him in line for – if he wants it – a crack at lineal middleweight king Sergio Martinez.
Also on the table is a shot at a 154 lb title if he wants it, including a discussed showdown with newly crowned titlist Miguel Cotto.
Plenty will argue the fact that Chavez Jr has so many options, but he still had to win on Saturday night to get there. For the first time in his career, he can finally counter that he earned his keep.
TELEVISED UNDERCARD
Former three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera made his return to the ring after a 15-month absence, overcoming a slow start to wear down and surge past Adailiton De Jesus en route to a unanimous decision. Scores were 100-90, 98-92 and 99-91.
It wasn’t exactly vintage Barrera, though that of course was to be expected. At age 36 and in his 21st year as a prizefight, Barrera and his own team have all but admitted that this will be his final lap, with the goal in mind to become the first Mexican fighter ever to capture a major title in four separate weight classes.
Better performances than tonight in order to get that done are a given, as the only major goal for tonight – besides winning – was to knock off massive amounts of ring rust. But with plans to pursue a lightweight belt, Barrera will actually have to make weight. The contracted limit for this fight was 138 lb, but he showed up 3 lb. heavy at Friday’s weigh-in and came out of pocket to pay De Jesus a little extra to have the limit modified for the sake of moving forward with the fight.
It was the heaviest that Barrera has weighed in his career, though the extra baggage didn’t appear to slow him down. De Jesus was persistent in spots, but was clearly affected once Barrera was able to settle into a groove and dial in with body shots.
De Jesus often complained of low blows, with several of the complaints prompting inept referee Wilfredo Esperon to warn Barrera for shots that appeared to be borderline at worst.
Nevertheless, Barrera was able to overcome the overzealous nature of the third man and treat the night as business as usual. Having been on the sidelines since his cuts-induced five-round technical decision loss to Amir Khan last March, Barrera was able to put in much needed rounds against a taller opponent, providing a starting point on which to build for however much future he has left in the twilight of his career.
With the win, Barrera improves to 66-7 (43KO). De Jesus falls to 26-5 (21KO) with the loss, snapping a four-fight win streak in the process. All five of his losses have come outside of his native Brazil.
Raul Martinez scored an impressive seventh-round stoppage over Gabriel Elizondo in an all-San Antonio showdown between fighting friends. Martinez dropped Elizondo in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds en route to forcing a stoppage at 2:00 of the seventh round.
Martinez improves to 27-1 (16KO), scoring his third straight win and one of the most impressive victories of his still young career. With the win, he looks to work his way back into title contention, having fallen way short against Nonito Donaire in a failed title bid last April.
Elizondo falls to 22-4-1 (10KO), as he is now winless in his last four contests.
The televised opener saw Texas-based Mexican brawler Tomas Villa breathe new life into his career, proving to be too much to handle for Salvador Sanchez in their eight-round featherweight scrap.
Scores were 77-75, 78-74 and 79-73 for Villa, who finds his way back into the win column as he improves to 23-7-4 (14KO). Sanchez, the fighting nephew of the late Hall of Fame former featherweight king of the same name, falls to 19-4-2 (9KO), snapping a nine-fight win streak.
The show was presented, produced 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 .
