By James Blears
WBC President Jose Sulaiman, has lambasted a suggestion that Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, might contest his "final" farewell fight against Arturo Gatti in Atlantic City.
Former World champion in three weight divisions Julio Cesar Chavez, 108-5-2, who’s recognized as the greatest Mexican fighter of all time, dictated his boxing adios to his homeland, with a unanimous decision against his old foe Frankie Randall last year in Mexico City’s Plaza de Toros.
However this then spawned a series of US adios bouts. Julio’s promoter Bob Arum has announced that the next adios bout is in Phoenix on September 17th. Then there are plans for him to bid farewell to Texas and Chicago. But Don Jose has drawn the line at the mere whiff of a suggestion of an Atlantic City clash with Arturo Gatti as the grand finale.
Don Jose didn’t pull his verbal punches in saying: "What bothers me is that this would be an open exhibition of a human being to be hurt or killed. I have kept my mouth shut, if they are going to have Chavez fight against boxers, who would find it difficult to hurt him. But to put him against a pro who is at the top of his career would be a crime. Anyone involved in boxing knows that something could happen."
And Don Jose said that cool heads have to prevail in this issue, because Julio Cesar Chavez possesses an admirable, yet wildly willful impractical lion hearted never say die courage. He put it this way:
"If you offer Vitali Klitschko to Julio for good money, he would take it. That’s how he is. He cannot find differences for anything."
"When he is fighting he understands. Just look at him. Every single punch that is thrown lands on Julio. And when the bell sounds and he’s walking to his corner, he’s like a shadow. He’s just a shadow of Julio Cesar Chavez, who was the best Mexican boxer ever."
"It was enough three or four years ago, but he’s still there. He’s finished. He should not fight anybody any more. He should devote his time and his efforts to build his son, because his son Julio Jr, has the making of a great champion for the future. He has great potential and extraordinary technique."
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has already fought 20 times, stopping fifteen of those journeymen in an unblemished record. These bouts have been specifically designed to teach him his craft in carefully graduated stages.
Don Jose is convinced that Julio Jr, can be a world champion in his own (won) right. But the principle of chalk and cheese most certainly applies. He said:
"I would not say he could be a Julio Cesar Chavez like his Father, because a Julio Cesar Chavez FATHER was born once, and there will never be another one like him. But I think his son has even more ability. Why? Because Julio Sr had a big heart and big punch and this devastating attack to the liver that no one could take. They would go down."
"But Julio Jr, has a very good technique. He throws all his punches with excellence. If he uses his left hand more, and learns how to use this jab, then he would be a different fighter. "
"They are trying to make a copy of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, and that should not be. Julio Jr is much taller, and has the ability to counter punch and box defensively. And he can punch! So he can be a very complete boxer."
"The body of Julio Jr is different and consequently, the length of the arms and his height give him more options than his Father. His Father was limited because of his height. He was a short fighter, so he had to go inside. He could not fight at long distance, because he was not an excellent boxer. Rather he was a tremendous puncher."
In spite of his stylistic observation, Don Jose admires the way Julio Jr is being ring developed with caution and with wisdom.
He commented: "He’s being brought on very well and carefully. He’s learning a lot. From one fight to the next, he looks different. He looks a more mature fighter."