Fight Pick & Preview – Chavez Jr vs. Vera II:
When I think about the Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Brian Vera rematch, scheduled for March 1st in San Antonio, I can’t help but think the ordering of the names is wrong. Traditionally, top billing in a rematch goes to the guy who won the last fight, and while Chavez has the win on his record, everyone knows Brian Vera won the fight in reality.
So, in the spirit of fairness, for the remainder of this article I will refer to the fight as “Vera vs. Chavez II.” After all, with Chavez getting a rematch in the stinkiest boxing state in the Union, that gesture of mine is likely to be the only fair thing about this fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (47-1-1, 32 KOs)
- 6’1″ tall, 73″ reach, 27 years old
- Mexican
- Former (fake) WBC Middleweight Champion
Chavez has undeniable talent. Even at 168 lbs, he is a big, strong, tough, powerful guy, and he is very good at hurting people. These are the assets of a solid puncher, and if Chavez isn’t quite the puncher his father was, on a good day he is still world class. The problem is that Chavez is pampered and lazy, so he doesn’t always does his best to ensure he enjoys good days in the ring.
Brian Vera (23-7, 14 KOs)
- 5’11” tall, 73″ reach, 32 years old
- American
Vera’s loss count makes him an easy one to dismiss, but I consider him more fringe contender than mere journeyman. He has good boxing ability, decent power, and no real deficits. His problem is that he isn’t a truly world class fighter on any level, but with his basket of solid, above average assets, he can pose a serious problem for most fighters if given the chance.
Let’s consider that Vera is 1-1 with Andy Lee; he edged Sergio Mora twice; and he stopped the appreciably smaller, but still very gifted boxer Serhiy Dzinziruk. Let’s just say he had a run of bad times between 2008 and 2010, and that those bad days are increasingly behind him. Vera was just the sort of guy to give a very rude shock to a complacent, flabby, overconfident Chavez last September.
Fight Analysis
The plain fact is that the sloth-like Chavez was more interested in smoking dope than training for Vera last time around. He was barely able to reach 172 lbs in his emergency, last minute dehydration, weighed in at 186 lbs the night of the fight, and looked predictably horrible as a result. The night was ripe for an upset win for Vera, which was in fact what happened, no matter what the crooked judges said about it.
This time around, two things argue against Vera being able to win revenge for September’s robbery. First, the fight is in Texas, so the judges will give Chavez the win if it gets to the cards. We might even see the referee flagrantly protect Chavez. Texas is just that kind of place when it comes to the fight game.
Second, Chavez is highly unlikely to slack off in training again. If he does, he must want career suicide. I wouldn’t put such idiocy past Chavez, except that a very fat payday is waiting in the wings against Carl Froch. All that money is very motivating, and Chavez knows he won’t get it if he either loses or wins in another stinkfest. He needs to win clearly, convincingly, and without the help of dirty officials to collect down the road.
Vera vs. Chavez II Prediction
Vera will start game, spurred by his convincing non-win in the last fight. Yet this time Chavez will have gas in his tank, and the result will be Chavez walking down and breaking down Vera.
Prediction: Julio Chavez in an uncontroversial UD10 over Brian Vera
