There is an entire world of possibility awaiting Julio Cesar Chavez
Jr. if he demonstrates the ability to reach out and jab it. The 24-year-old son of the Mexican former world champion by the same name, Chavez (40-0-1, 30 knockouts) will end a seven-month absence on June 26 when the middleweight (160 pounds) steps into the ring at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tex., opposite 30-year-old Ireland-native John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) of New York.
In victory, promoter, Bob Arum, said that he could eventually match Chavez against newly-crowned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) titlist Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), who dethroned Brooklyn's Yuri Foreman (28-1, eight KOs) to earn a fourth title in his third weight class on June 5 at the new Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.There is also the potential for Chavez to be in line for the WBC junior middleweight crown vacated by Argentinian-born Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs).
The top two contenders to the vacant WBC crown, in order, are Chavez and former world welterweight (147 pounds) king Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) -- the latter of whom knocked out Martinez in the seventh round in February 2000.
But Margarito has been mentioned as a rival for seven-division welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) as well as for a rematch with Cotto, whom he knocked out in the 11th round in July 2008.
That leaves as a potential Chavez opponent, England's 33-year-old Ryan Rhodes (44-4, 30 KOs), the WBC's third-ranked 154-pound mandatory.
Rhodes has won nine straight -- seven by knockout -- with three straight stoppages.
Could Chavez could face Rhodes for the WBC title in lieu of a bout against Cotto or Margarito?
"Absolutely," said Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions. "That's all possible."
But not so fast.
"That's really premature. First of all, we have to see just how much he has improved with [new trainer Freddie Roach,] and we'll see that when he's in against Duddy. And he's not a cinch to beat Duddy," Arum said of Duddy, who is coming off of a March 13, split-decision win over 23-year-old Michael Medina (28-2-2, 18 KOs), of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mex.
"But certainly, if there is tremendous improvement, and he's able to beat Duddy, then Chavez is a great opponent," said Arum. "A match against Cotto would be Puerto Rican in Cotto against a Mexican in Chavez. That would be a huge matchup."
Chavez, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mex., will meet Duddy as part of Top Rank Promotions' Latin Fury 15: La Furia De Mexico pay per view event, having last fought on Nov. 14, when he earned a 10-round, unanimous decision victory over Michigan's 34-year-old Troy Rowlands (25-3, seven knockouts).
The victory over Rowlands was overturned into a no-contest after Chavez was determined to have tested positive for the banned diuretic, Furosemide, by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
"Chavez would fight Cotto at 154," Arum said of Chavez, who completed a seven-month suspension that ended on June 14. "[Strength and conditioning coach] Alex Ariza and Freddie say that he can make 154 easy. I have no idea whether he'll go for the WBC title, but for me, with Chavez, it's one step at a time."
A three-time Trainer of the Year, Roach also works with WBO welterweight titlist, Pacquiao, WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) champ, Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), and, unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan (28-0, 17 KOs).
Roach agreed that Chavez "can make 154," adding, "He might have a little trouble, but he can make it healthily."
Chavez will be making his second appearance as a middleweight when he meets Duddy, and his first fight under Roach.
"We've been together a month now, and he's come a long way in a month. But I would like him to have this fight with Duddy and then maybe another fight before a title fight. So I think that he's at least one more fight away from a title fight," said Roach.
"I would like him fight Duddy, and then, take one more fight and get a little more comfortable with him and me being together," said Roach. "He's working on some new moves and trying them out, but we're not there yet. It's going to take more time. I'd say give me eight weeks of training camp with him and I think he'll be there."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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