It was truly a sad sight for Julio César Chávez Jr. to lumber around the ring chasing after YouTuber-turned fighter and lose via unanimous decision.
Notably, that loss to Jake Paul only served to underscore the chasm between his career and the towering legacy of his father, Julio Sr.
The elder Chávez was a six-time world champion across three weight classes with a record of 107-6-2. He was a hallmark of Mexican resilience, known for his relentless pressure, granite chin and iconic victories against the likes of Meldrick Taylor and Héctor Camacho.
In contrast, Chávez Jr.’s latest debacle highlights the struggles that have defined his career: inconsistency, lack of discipline and an inability to live up to their pedigree.
JR. This Last Rounder knows only too well the burden that a mere suffix to your name carries. My father was a brilliant trial lawyer, a Dean of a law school, a legal mogul revered and respected by his peers. Though I have tried to carry on his legacy, I know I have not been able to fill those big shoes, but even though I may have faltered, still I have not in any manner shamed or disparaged his legacy.
In the case of Chavez Jr., his career has been marked by drug test failures and weight issues. It did not help matters of course, when a few days after the fight, he was arrested by ICE in California, with the Department of Homeland Security alleging he was in the US illegally and linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, claims his attorney disputed.
THE FIGHT. Chávez Jr., entered the ring with a record of 54-6-1 (34 KOs) but was a heavy underdog against the younger, more active Paul, who improved to 12-1 (7 Kos).
Chavez started sluggishly, landing zero punches in the opening round and only 21 of 63 thrown over the first seven rounds, according to CompuBox. Paul dominated early with a crisp jab and body shots, building a commanding lead on the scorecards.
Chávez Jr. showed signs of life in the final two rounds, landing an uppercut and right hook in the ninth and pressuring a fatigued Paul in the 10th, but it was too little, too late. It was actually a typical Chavez Jr performance, one that is marked with a lack of sense or urgency and inertia.
SHADOW. This loss reinforces the narrative of a fighter who has never fully escaped his father’s shadow. His father had a hunger to him that was forged in poverty, culminating in moments like his dramatic 1990 stoppage of Taylor.
Chávez Jr., despite holding the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012, has been plagued by lapses in focus and professionalism.
His reluctance to engage early with Paul echoed past criticisms of his lack of drive.
I truly felt bad for his father was ringside looking on as his son was outworked and outfought. Prior to the fight, he had opined that there was no way Jake could beat his son.
In fairness to Paul, I think he has morphed into a legitimate fighter despite being criticized for facing past-their-prime opponents.
All told, there is that unbridgeable gap between Jr. and Sr., all the more exacerbated by the fact that sons are expected to mirror their fathers’ greatness in a brutal, unforgiving arena.
LAST ROUND. It’s on Auntie Myrna Gopico-Orozco who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!