However, even his most fervent advocates believe he still has a long way to go to prove he's worthy of the endorsement of knowledgeable, die-hard fight fans.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has made bold statements about not him not being afraid of Sergio Martinez and wanting to create his own legacy outside of his father's yet most in the sport believe he has yet to step-up to the plate and deliver.
And while Chavez Jr has wins over Sebastian Zbik, Peter Manfredo and Marco Antonio Rubio, his critics will continue to castigate the WBC Middleweight Champion until he stops avoiding Ring Champion Sergio Martinez and red hot contenders like Andy Lee (27-1, 19 KO) and Peter Quillin (26-0, 20 KO).
Top Rank's Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's promoter, told MySanAntonio last week in reference to a possible Martinez vs Chavez bout:
"We're not going to be irresponsible about this... Just because some guys in the press wouldn't mind seeing Julio get (beat). But we're not in the business of seeing Julio get beat. He'll fight Martinez when he's ready to fight Martinez."
Many believe Arum's desire to earn as much money as possible for Top Rank and Chavez far surpasses any desire he has to please fans. And while earning large sums of cash and pleasing fans often go hand-in-hand, there's usually a risk element involved. As a result, promoters are known for being creative in finding ways to generate cash while minimizing those risks – much to the chagrin of fight fans.
From a purely business standpoint, if Julio Cesar Chavez Jr can already earn millions fighting better-than-average opponents like Peter Manfredo and Marco Antonio Rubio, why should he take much bigger risks by fighting sizzling up-and-comers or boxing's elite?
General consensus says that notion will only get the young Chavez so far. Eventually, his reputation will be so tarnished that he'll become a caricature of himself to the avid fight fan. He's the son of the great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr so as long as he has a world title and continues to win, he'll always make 'some' money but will never reap the financial spoils of the Cottos, Margaritos, Klitschkos, Mayweathers and Pacquiaos. If he takes the easy, safe route, he'll never be a PPV fighter or a true megastar of the sport and his legacy will suffer.
Should Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, sometime soon, take a stand against Bob Arum and his father and demand to fight the sport's best on the biggest stage in boxing?
Floyd Mayweather Sr on Chavez Jr
Elite fight trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr has been around the sport of boxing a long time. He was a top 10 welterweight himself in the 1970s and trained numerous top fighters through the years such as his son, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. He knows the sport inside and out as well as anyone in the fight game.
When asked about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, an unimpressed Floyd Sr replied, "Julio Cesar Chavez Jr is still a paper champ. He [hasn't] really fought anybody yet. He's the champion. He's got the belt. He's supposed to be fighting the best."
Mayweather Sr fought at a time many hardcore fans consider the heavyweight division's 'Glory Days.' There was a wealth of talent in the heavyweight division and all of the top fighters fought each other, sometimes back-to-back. Reminiscing, Floyd Mayweather Sr said:
"Man, fighters fought back in those days. You had the best fighting the best. Now they just milk it, you know. They're ruining boxing. Even his father (Chavez Sr) fought anybody that got put in front of him."
Chavez Jr's DWI
Hours before the start of last night's bouts, ESPN broke the story on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) which occurred just thirteen days prior to last night's bout. The news hasn't sat well with some fans and Floyd Sr had some choice words about the incident.
"Hey, let me tell you something... He didn't just decide to drink that one night, believe me. You think he just decided to all of a sudden drink right before the biggest fight of his career? He's been drinking all along man."
Although there have been no known reports of Chavez Jr having an alcohol problem, there have been accusations about his alleged laziness and lack of motivation, even from his trainer Freddy Roach. If Floyd Mayweather Sr is correct in his assumption, behind-the scenes alcohol abuse may explain his purported lack of motivation.
Alcohol is a depressant because slows the central nervous system. It can also negatively impact sleep patterns and cause nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness for days after consumption. In addition, alcohol also interferes with lactic acid breakdown and can result in increased soreness after exercise.
Does alcohol play a role in Chavez's well-publicized struggles to make weight? Alcohol, especially beer, has a lot of calories and causes the body to retain water and added weight that's not easy to shed. Hence, the 'beer belly.'
Mayweather believes that Chavez Jr has the physical tools to succeed in boxing.
"All he needs to do is fight somebody. Fans want to see a real fight. If he steps up and fights Martinez then I'll respect him but he's gotta show me. And I ain't talking about 5 years from now when Martinez is 40 something years old."
Should Top Rank be applauded for their handling of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr? They have brought him along steadily and built him into to the champion he is today.
How will Top Rank direct his future?
Will Julio Cesar Chavez Jr be content on earning a few million dollars for fighting trajectory opponents or will he step-up to fight the best and earn tens or hundreds of millions in doing so?
Will the 25 year old Champion retire from boxing as a fighter who never reached his full potential or will he become a legend and carry the proud tradition that was built by his father, the great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr?
Photos by Adrian Hernandez, MyUniversal Sports.com
