Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Brian Vera
The fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Brian Vera was originally scheduled for September 7th. That fight was postponed due to a cut Chavez Jr. suffered during sparring but many people viewed it as a way to delay the fight because Chavez Jr. wasn't close to making the weight of 168 pounds. This week there was even more drama over the weight with Chavez Jr.'s camp saying the fight would take place at a max weight of 173 pounds, which was news to Vera and his team. Well now it seems everything is settled, this fight originally scheduled as a 12 round affair in the super middleweight division will now be a 10 round fight at a max weight of 173 pounds.
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| This cut delayed the fight |
The career struggles of Chavez Jr. have been very well documented. Most recently he was suspended following his loss to Sergio Martinez because he tested positive for marijuana during the post-fight drug screening. That led to Chavez Jr. being suspended 9 months and fined $900,000 a number that was later reduced to $100,000. It has now been just over a year since Chavez Jr. last fought and it seems his troubles have not been left behind. He had trouble making weight for this fight causing the contracted weight to be changed multiple times, which begs the question, what has Chavez Jr. been doing during his suspension? It doesn't seem like he's been hitting the gym particularly hard. Chavez Jr. has also made some changes in his camp, this time around Freddie Roach will not be his trainer and instead his father Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. will be in his corner and he also has fired strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. Chavez Jr. has said that most of his fights going forward will be in the super middleweight division and that he will only move back down to middleweight to make high profile fights, such as a rematch against Martinez. But with all his troubles Chavez Jr. is still extremely talented. He holds a career record of 46-1-1 with 32 knockouts and those wins haven't come against just anybody.
Chavez Jr. is not given much credit for the level of opposition he has faced but looking at his list of opponents reveals he has been in the ring with some high level talent. He has wins over Sebastian Zbik, Peter Manfredo Jr., Marco Antonio Rubio, and Andy Lee with his only loss coming against Martinez, a fight he nearly won after a dramatic 12th round knockdown. One reason Chavez Jr. has been so successful is his chin. He possesses the best chin in boxing and reacts to punches as if his opponents were wearing pillows for gloves. His style is simple, he comes forward behind a high guard and throws to the body hard and often. Like his father, Chavez Jr. is one of the best body punchers in the sport. He does have a tendency to start slow but usually picks up the pace after the first few rounds. Chavez Jr. will look to keep Vera up against the ropes or in the corners where he can muscle him up as the bigger man and throw vicious punches to the body. There is no doubt that Chavez Jr. isn't in the best shape in the world but he still has the power and talent to dominate this fight, that is if Vera lets him.
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| Chavez Jr. drops Martinez in the 12th round |
Vera will enter the ring as the underdog and a fighter many casual fans have never heard of. But don't be fooled, Vera is a talented fighter with a ton of heart. Like Chavez Jr., Vera has also been in the ring with some of the best including fighters such as Andy Lee and James Kirkland. The difference is that while Chavez Jr. won most of his fights, Vera has usually lost when he stepped up his level of competition. Vera is a veteran of ESPN's Friday Night Fights and this will be by far the biggest test of his career and a win would catapult him to more fights on HBO. Vera holds a record of 23-6 with 14 knockouts and his fighting style can best be described as a poor man's Chavez Jr.. Vera loves to come forward, never letting up on the pressure, and enjoys fighting on the inside. He doesn't have the fastest hands so he doesn't like to fight on the outside. Chavez Jr. will try to keep him on the ropes but Vera will be very comfortable there. Often times Vera doesn't look great in fights and the scorecards are close but he usually finds a way to stop his opponent. One thing is for certain, Vera will not quit and he will not stop throwing punches.
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| Vera nails Lee who he stopped in their 1st fight |
It is often said that styles make fights which is why this fight promises to be so good. Both fighters are aggressive, come forward brawlers who love to fight at close range and always look for the knockout. However long this fight lasts it should be nothing by devastating punches and great displays of toughness and chin. The real question is just how big Chavez Jr. will be when he enters the ring and whether or not Vera can handle the much bigger man. But what also could come into play is the fight being changed to 10 rounds. Chavez Jr. is a slow starter so Vera might be able to put some early rounds in the bank and if Chavez Jr. isn't in good shape at all he may not be able to stay active enough in the late rounds to win the fight. However it plays out it should be fun to watch.
PREDICTION: Although he didn't seem to take his training seriously Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is still the more talented fighter and will enter the ring with a serious weight advantage. I expect Chavez Jr. to win this fight by the way of 9th round knockout.
Adonis Stevenson vs. Tavoris Cloud
The other fight this Saturday night on HBO's split site double header will take place Montreal, Canada. It will be a very interesting fight for the light heavyweight championship of the world currently held by Adonis Stevenson. The man who hopes to take that belt from his is Tavoris Cloud. This bout features to fighters with very different styles so fans should learn a lot about both men.
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| Stevenson KO's Dawson in the 1st round |
Right now the man in the light heavyweight division is Stevenson. He earned that title when he upset Chad Dawson in a stunning 1st round knockout back in June. What made that knockout so shocking was that it came in less than one minute. Yet even with that huge win on his resume, Stevenson is still somewhat of an unknown commodity. He has a career record of 21-1 with a very high 18 knockouts but his level of opposition isn't exactly world class. Besides Dawson the two biggest name boxers he has fought are Don George and Aaron Pryor Jr. who are fringe contenders at best. A big knock against Stevenson is the fact that he was knocked out by Darnell Boone in 2010, a fighter with a career record of 19-21 with only 8 knockouts. Stevenson did avenge that loss but questions still remain about his chin and his talent level. Clearly Stevenson his big time punching power but fans still don't know if he is just a one trick pony. Stevenson isn't the most active fighter, instead choosing to pick his spots to unleash his unworldly power. His best punch is a left hook to the body but he has good power in both hands. One thing Stevenson should improve is his defense. He tends to keep his hands low which will be very dangerous against a skilled boxer like Cloud. Stevenson does move pretty well in the ring, especially for a power puncher and he also likes to fight on the outside where he can use his reach and really extend his punches. Moving well will be something he needs to stay focused on because Cloud does it better than most.
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| Cloud had no answer for the ageless Hopkins |
Cloud is a much different fighter than Stevenson is. While Stevenson is a puncher Cloud is a boxer. Cloud has also faced a much higher level of opposition for a longer time. Cloud's record is an impressive one, standing at 24-1 with 19 knockouts. He has fought the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Gabriel Campillo, Yusaf Mack, and Glen Johnson with his only loss being to the future Hall of Famer Hopkins. Cloud loves to work behind a stiff jab that he sticks out like steel post. Cloud also moves around the ring very well and has a very good defense which could cause trouble for Stevenson who doesn't throw many combinations but instead looks to land one big punch. One thing to take not of however is the performance of Cloud in his last two fights. He is 1-1 in those fights against Campillo and Hopkins and didn't look particularly strong in either fight. He beat Campillo by split decision in a fight many people thought Campillo won and then was utterly out boxed by Hopkins in March. But often times when a fighter losses to one of the best which Hopkins is, they learn a lot about themselves and come back better than ever. While Stevenson will look to end the fight with one big punch, Cloud will look to stick and move all night and put on a boxing clinic.
This fight is a clear contrast of styles between boxer and slugger. Usually in situations like this the boxer has the upper hand but Stevenson seems to posses the type of power rarely seen. Fans will be able to tell fairly early on whether or not Cloud can handle Stevenson's power. If Cloud shows a strong chin he should be able to box circles around Stevenson, however against the power of Stevenson, that is a big "if."
PREDICTION: Tavoris Cloud is clearly the better boxer here and usually I prefer the boxer to the puncher but not this time. Adonis Stevenson has a special kind of power that other guys just can't stand up to. Stevenson will win this fight via 10th round knockout.
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