I'm a Sugar Ray Robinson fan, but Chavez Jr beats him every which way...
...and stops him inside ten at 160 pounds.
I must admit, I was unsure as to the outcome of this fight for a long while, probably getting too wrapped up in Robinson's legend status and forgetting that the sport has developed greatly and the athletic gulf between the different generations is astronomical. What finally swayed me was how, after having some criticism levelled at him for a relatively uninspiring performance against Matt Vanda, Chavez Jr rebounded to totally outbox and befuddle Vanda in a dominating and highly impressive fashion. To me this shows a degree of adaptability that, for all his wonderful attributes, I don't think Robinson ever fully displayed.
Okay, sure, Robinson bounced back after losses to LaMotta, Fullmer Turpin and Basilio, but I don't think any of those guys were quite on Vanda's level, who, despite the two losses to Chavez Jr, is as sure a thing as sure things go for selection to the Hall of Fame. Also, and not for nothing, Chavez never lost to guys like LaMotta and Fullmer in the first place. You know a fighter is something a little bit special when he's being criticised after winning a wide decision, right?
Speaking of Randy Turpin incidentally, as we're all aware this is a man who Sugar Ray Robinson lost to in a world title fight. Yes, that's right, Randy Turpin, the English bricklayer by trade. All the while, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has been routinely beating Mexican taxi drivers, an altogether tougher breed.
Finally and also in favour of Chavez Jr, it's rare you find two all-time great level fighters campaigning in the same weight at the same time - and rarer still that they actually put it on the line and face one another! - but that's exactly what we have at the moment in Chavez Jr and John Duddy. This, for me, was a pick em fight, and the sort of win that cements supersuperstar staus on a young fighter like Julio Cesar Jr. Compare this to Robinson, who only ever fought one guy you could make an argument for being a better than average fighter, and in that fight, against Willie Pep, Robinson basically clowned around against an old, shot Pep, who I believe also had eye problems at the time. Clown around like that against a killer like Chavez Jr and it's all over red rover.
But at any rate, like I said, this is Chavez's fight to lose. Freddie Roach formulates the perfect strategy to expose Robinson's weaknesses and Chavez Jr. puts it into practise like he's not actually human but some sort of unimaginably advanced NASA supercomputer or something. Robinson is game, down on all three cards but continuing to plod forward round after round, but he begins to tire around the ninth and finally goes down to a weak looking, albeit pinpoint accurate left hook with plenty of time remaining in the round. He bravely motions to his corner that he's okay to continue, but his legs immediately betray him and he's content to cover up as Chavez Jr prances forward, winding up bolo punches and displaying what can only be described as a complete offensive repertoire. Big right hand connects, followed by another and yet another - he's making Robinson look silly now! Jab to the body, left hook upstairs, right cross, left uppercut, body, head, body, body, body, head, how much more punishment can Robinson take from a murderous puncher like this? Not much is the answer, as Chavez feints a jab only to detonate an overhand right directly onto Sugar Ray's getting brittler by the second chin. He crumbles through the ropes, evoking memories of his first fight with LaMotta - only this night, he's not getting up and he's not walking out of the ring under his own volition. Ninth round KO, meaning the outcome is the same no matter whether this is scheduled for 12 or 15 rounds. The girls in bikinis all mob Chavez Jr in the centre of the ring. LIKE A BOSS!
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