By Gav Duthie: Any sportsman heading into the same field with a successful father behind him has it tough. If your father was one of the greatest ever to do it, then it’s twice as hard.
In truth, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, in his own right, has been a success, but because of his father, his achievements pale in comparison. 53 wins from 60 boxing bouts, a WBC world champion, and in general, a good career.
Everything he does, though, is scrutinized; the party lifestyle, the marijuana, his laziness to train, and his latter career have been a meme and a warning story more than a boxing career.
Chavez Jnr career
It’s easy to forget how good Jnr was. When he fought Sergio Martinez, he was 46-0-1. Even at that stage, we knew he was nowhere near his father’s level but was on course to be one of the most successful boxing sons ever alongside the likes of Guty Espadas Jnr (Espadas Snr) and Corey Spinks (Leon Spinks). Since that loss, or in fairness even in preparing for that loss, Chavez has been on a downward spiral.
Just think, in the first 9 years of his career, he fought 48 times. In the last 10 years, he has fought 12 times. In the last decade, an awful display against compatriot Canelo Alvarez as well as embarrassing losses to journeyman Mario Cazares and, more importantly, 46-year-old UFC legend Anderson Silva has left his career in tatters.
The worst thing about the last loss was that it wasn’t even a surprise. UFC had been trying to infiltrate boxing with the likes of McGregor-Mayweather, but Silva is the first to really successfully win.
That loss was only 7 months ago, and it seemed like the world had turned its back on Chavez Jr. Was there any point in continuing. The only shot at redemption was a world title and that is so far away that it’s not even an option. We live in a different world now, however, so maybe there is another way.
Jake Paul
It is a world of youtube, Instagram, TikTok where people like Jake Paul can make more money in a year from boxing than 5 current world champions put together. Where a top YouTuber is more famous than leading Hollywood actors and sportsmen. In the boxing community, Jake Paul is a novice, but in the wider world, he is bigger than any world champion in the cruiserweight division.
A new legacy?
If Chavez Jnr could beat him, as has been mentioned, he becomes a success story again overnight. As a boxing fan who beats Jake Paul doesn’t mean that much to me. I don’t mind him; in fact, I would give credit to any boxing novice considering taking on Chavez Jnr in their 6th professional contest. Some people, however, hate his infiltration into the sport the money he has made and can’t wait for him to lose. If Jnr were to do it, he achieves a new reputation in himself in a new world, and it would be seen by many as a win for boxing against social media.
If Jnr were to take this fight and lose, it would be a disaster, so it is a huge risk, but if there is anyone fight that he needs to forget about his father’s legacy, train as hard as he can to get the job done, as ridiculous as it sounds, this is it.