Peter Manfredo Jr.: record, next fight and profile →
The people promoting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s career in the United States would prefer that the WBC middleweight champion doesn’t take what they perceive as an unnecessary fight Sept. 24 somewhere in Mexico.
A source close to featherweight contender Yuriorkis Gamboa has advised BoxingScene.com that WBC champion Jhonny Gonzalez rejected a "lucrative six figure deal" to face Gamboa on September 10 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The source reached out to BoxingScene in response to an earlier story where Gonzalez made numerous statements regarding his willingness to face Gamboa in September.
It may be hard to fathom but Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is now a champion following his gritty victory over Sebastian Zbik earlier this month in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Recently in Mexico City the 25-year old from Sinaloa officially received his WBC belt from WBC president Jose Sulaiman and spoke about the importance of his new crown.
Guadalajara, Mexico - WBC President Jose Sulaiman was ringside for Saul Alvarez's twelfth round stoppage of Ryan Rhodes on Saturday night. Don Jose took some time to explain the situation with the WBC middleweight championship. Marco Antonio Rubio, the WBC's top challenger, and WBC Diamond champion Sergio Martinez, are both trying to fight the recognized WBC champion at 160-pounds, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
BoxingScene.com spoke to legendary Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum regarding the futures of newly crowned WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. In June, the 25-year-old Chavez (43-0-1, 30 KOs) of Culiacon, Mex., dethroned Germany's 29-year-old Sebastian Zbik (30-1, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision and appears to be in line to meet 30-year-old contender Peter Manfredo (37-6, 20 KOs) in the fall.
Promoter Lou DiBella had what is not a horrible idea. He wants to place the Sept. 24 potential bout, between Peter Manfredo and WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., in Providence, where local boy Manfredo might stir thousands of ticket buyers to come out to the downtown Dunkin Donuts Center.
Two days ago, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum advised BoxingScene.com that Peter Manfredo Jr. and Darren Barker were the two frontrunners to face WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on the tentative date of September 24. On Monday, promoter Lou DiBella secured Barker for a showdown with Sergio Martinez on October 1. That leaves Manfredo as the last man standing in the Chavez sweepstakes.
Over the past few days BoxingScene.com has reported that Darren Barker and Peter Manfredo were the leading contenders to face WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
BoxingScene.com caught up to Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, to get the latest on the newly-crowned WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Having dethroned Sebastian Zbik (30-1, 10 KOs) on June 4, the 25-year-old Chavez (43-0-1, 30 KOs) has a voluntary defense of his belt that he will likely make against 29-year-old Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KOs) or 30-year-old Peter Manfredo (37-6, 20 KOs), the latter of whom has won seven straight bouts, including four by knockout.
Promoter Lou DiBella is very receptive to a possible fight between Peter Manfredo Jr. (37-6, 20KOs) and the new WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0, 30KOs). Top Rank's CEO, Bob Arum, has named Manfredo as one of the three frontrunners to face Chavez Jr. in the fall. Unbeaten Brit Darren Barker and mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio are the other two possibilities for the 25-year-old Mexican champion.