By Bart Barry-

And our king returned on the final days of the
decade to save us.  Exiled 31 months since
a highpaying debacle of a battle for Mexico, Son of the Legend marched on
Phoenix with an army of 12,000 and merely 11 days to go in his decade, to restore
our kingdom with a panache none before him has brought. 

Son of the Legend (VADA ID#:
214371) fought 15 times in his decade, 15 times in 7 1/2 years, 50-percent
more frequently than Money May, mind you, and remained true to himself every
time he blessed a bluemat with his sacred boot. 
Highbrows can argue who was the decade’s best fighter (Roman Gonzalez is
the answer to that riddle), but no one can claim to have been a more apt
metaphor for our beloved sport.

A modern entity whose popularity is fully derived
from his predecessor’s accomplishments, Son of the Legend comported himself
always with an arrogance inexplicable to others.  The way the NHL looks at revenue from Mayweather-Pacquiao
is how 95-percent of the decade’s prizefighters looked at Junior: “Wait, how
much did he make for his pro debut?”

*

We interrupt this homage for some hard reporting.

When Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faced Ireland’s John
Duddy in Alamodome to christen the new decade, June 26, 2010, some questioned
whether a suspended drug cheat had the necessary mettle to wrest from vacancy
the WBC’s prestigious middleweight Silver title.

For years, Chavez Jr. had waged a reign of terror
on Midwesterners – “kicking the Big Ten’s ass” as one scribe put it – and he
promised to do the same to Europeans if given a chance.

“They want to make money off my name and fame,”
Chavez Jr. said, without a hint of irony in his voice.

Chavez Jr. won impressively against Duddy and Lyell
and Zbik, Manfredo and Rubio and Lee – his record stood at an astounding 46-0-1
on Sept. 15, 2012 – and then he went for the real middleweight championship
against an Argentine named Maravilla.  He
lost every second of the fight’s first 34 1/2 minutes before delivering the
most exciting 30 seconds of boxing’s last 15 years.

Chavez Jr. was too exhausted to complete the
upset, of course, but by surprising everyone, he re-adorned his father’s name
with credibility for years to come.

Chavez Jr. collected a big gift decision against
Brian Vera then ratified it massively back at Alamodome a halfyear later before
stumbling a wee bit against somebody named Fonfara.  The people got displeased, failing universally
to credit his subsequent and huge wins against Reyes and Britsch, and demanded
Junior be fed to Canelo Alvarez, who subsequently refused to sit down, even,
between rounds of their sparring session.

Canelo went on to riches in the United States while
Chavez quietly gathered and perfected himself in their native Mexico.  After squaring off against another highly
regarded prospect in Evert Bravo, Chavez treated Las Vegas drug testers with a princely
contempt then commanded a princely sum to finish his decade in a fight with Daniel
Jacobs.

An influencer every step of the way, Chavez Jr. entered
Friday’s ring in Phoenix sporting a blue birthmark-like stain on his otherwise
platinum head.

After missing weight effortlessly at his Thursday
weighin, Chavez Jr. fought five rounds bravely till his nose got broken then
instructed his chief second to end the match. 
When that didn’t happen, Chavez Jr. made the sort of resounding decision
that separates champions from challengers, calling the referee over and stopping
the fight his own damn self.

An unappreciative Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. buried
his face in his hands.

As Chavez Jr. exited the ring Friday, his appreciative
if rambunctious fans in Arizona showered their returned king in gold.

Chavez Jr. departs his decade having defended
titles valiantly in the following divisions: 172 1/2, 171 1/2, 170 3/4, 164,
175 1/4 and 172 3/4.

*

As the decade in boxing draws to a close we are
right to reflect upon what metaphors Son of the Legend affords us.  Rumor was, Junior once cared about his craft,
whatever we opined of him.  His craft was
enriching himself and financially supporting his father’s retirement by doing
something he was not naturally endowed with a power to do.  He tried to escape boxing at nearly every
interval.

No truer moment in his career happened than when
he snapped at his ringside father’s advice from the stool of his Thomas &
Mack Center performance, yelling at him “¡Ya, Ya, Ya!” before collecting 100
more direct blows to the head from Sergio Martinez.

For beginning 2010 as a grifter, making whatever
promises were needed to keep the grift going, enduring massive and traumatic
abuse from his peers, lying to his fans over and again, cheating on drug tests before
simply failing them, scoffing at every traditional discipline, changing the
rules whenever convenient, and finally fleeing in 2019 his own paying customers
as they pelted him with beer and fought one another like savages, “Son of the
Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is boxing’s well-deserved Fighter of the Decade.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Photo By Ed Mulholland

Daniel Jacobs was awarded a stoppage after round five of his scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. quit in the corner, citing a broken nose in front of over 10,000 fans at The Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

The fight actually started off well for the much (and deserved) maligned Chavez as he came out aggressive and working the body of Jacobs. That lasted about a round and a half as Chavez basically stopped punching due to Jacobs starting to get his offense going. Jacobs featured his own body attack and would flick in the right hand. He started getting through with some power shots in the 5th, with one such right hand hitting the nose of Chavez. Chavez started to bleed from his nostrils when he abruptly quit and the fight was called.

Jacobs of Brooklyn, NY is now 36-3 with 30 knockouts. Chavez, who checked in nearly 5 pounds over the 168 pound weight limit is now 51-4-1.

Julio Cesar Martinez stopped Cristofer Martinez in round nine to win the WBC Flyweight title.

It was a high contact fight that had both guys bleeding. After being buckled in the 2nd round, Martinez dominated the fight as he would coming with hard and thudding combinations, mixing it up between the head and body of Rosales. Martinez buckled and rocked Rosales

As Martinez seized control of the fight, Rosales was absorbing a lot of punishment, and the bout was finally stopped at 1:19 of round nine after Martinez landed several unanswered flush blows on the ropes.

Martinez of Mexico is now 15-1 with 12 knockouts. Rosales of Nicaragua is 29-5.

Former Junior Welterweight Maurice Hooker dismantled Uriel Perez in the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

Hooker landed a powerful flurry of punches that sent Perez down in the corner. Perez got to his feet, but was in no condition to continue and the bout was stopped at 2:52.

Hooker, 144.3 lbs of Dallas is 27-1-3 with 18 knockouts. Perez, 141.9 lbs of Mexico is 19-5.

Former world champion Liam Smith won a 10-round unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a middleweight bout.

Smith dominated the action and focused on hard body shots that led him to the victory by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92.

Smith, 159.9 lbs of Liverpool., UK is 29-2-1. Garcia, 155.5 lbs of Weslaco, TX is 42-5.

2016 British Olympian, Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Wiston Campos in a welterweight fight.

In round one, Kelly was cut over his right eye from a punch.

In round ten, Kelly sealed the fight with a right hand that sent Campos to the deck.

Kelly, 150.4 lbs of Sunderland, UK won by scores of 99-90 twice and 98-91 and is now 10-0-1. Campos, 148.4 lbs of Nicaragua is 31-7-6.

Reshat Mati dropped Rakim Johnson four-times in the 1st en route to a stoppage in the opening frame of their six-round welterweight bout.

Mati of New York is 6-0 with four knockouts. Johnson of Indianapolis id 6-9-1.

Raymond Ford stopped Francisco Muro in round one of their scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

Ford dropped Muro with a hard three punch combination that capped by a straight left. Muro was hurt and Ford jumped all over Muro, and the bout was stopped at 1:41.

Ford of Camden, NJ is 5-0 with two knockouts. Muro of Tucson, AZ is 3-7.

Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Doors 3pm

First bell 3.20pm

10 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest

Gabriel Rosado 168.4lbs vs. Humberto Ochoa 166.1lbs
Philadelphia                             Tijuana

Followed by

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Daniyar Yeleussinov 147.9lbs   vs. Alan Sanchez 147.8
Kazakhstan                                         California

From 5pm live on DAZN

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Josh Kelly 150.4lbs vs. Winston Campos 148.4
Sunderland                      Nicaragua

Followed by

10 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest

Liam Smith 159.9lbs       vs. Roberto Garcia 155.5lbs
Liverpool                                 Texas

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Reshat Mati 145.8lbs      vs. Rakim Johnson 146.4lbs
New York                       Mexico

From 7pm

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Maurice Hooker 144.3lbs         vs. Uriel Perez 141.9lbs
Dallas                                                Mexico

Followed by

12 x 3 mins Vacant WBC World Flyweight title

Julio Cesar Martinez 112lbs      vs. Cristofer Rosales 111.3lbs
Mexico                                             Nicaragua

Followed by

12 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest – agreed weight limit: 173lbs

Daniel Jacobs 167.7lbs    vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr 172.7lbs
Brooklyn                                   Mexico

Float

4/6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest

Raymond Ford 125.1lbs  vs.     Francisco Muro 123.lbs
New Jersey                                  Arizona

Daniel Jacobs enters a new chapter in his career tomorrow night and in the latest episode of ‘Born Fighter’ says his early sacrifices as a teenager led to him becoming a two-time World champion hunting two-weight glory, starting with his debut at 168lbs against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night, live on DAZN on US and Sky Sports in the UK.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH DANIEL JACOBS ON ‘BORN FIGHTER’ ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) closed the book on his time at Middleweight in May with a unification clash with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, and the two-time World ruler now embarks on his quest to become a two-weight World champion.

The ‘Miracle Man’ faces Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) with the Mexican star also hunting two-weight World honors, but a relaxed Jacobs told Lauren Gardner that he’s in a great place mentally for the fight as his career moves to a new stage after over 18 years in the game.

“Life is blissful,” said Jacobs. “I’m so fortunate to have made the early sacrifices in my life to be in this position now, to see my son thrive, be in an excellent school and be doing so well in school, that’s all I can ask for as a family man.

“Any time you have inner city kids that don’t have a lot, they look at sports or entertainment as an outlet. For me, boxing found me and I was able to take boxing as my outlet and be the best that I can be. But anyone that is from a place like Brooklyn can vouch for the mindset and mentality that if things aren’t given to you and you have to work for it, you say to yourself that you are going to go out there and get it or stay content with what I have. 

“I was afraid of the streets, I was a Momma’s boy, I didn’t want to be in harms way. I had no teenage life, I have been dedicated to the gym since I was 14. I never partied or hung out with friends, nothing that a normal teenager did. I think that now I make up for that with my friends and family now. 

“I look at the friends I grew up with or people that came from the same neighborhood who didn’t make those early sacrifices, and a lot of them aren’t where they wanted to be, they are on the streets or are dead. I made a conscious decision to stay away from that when I was very young and I am proof that if you make sacrifices early for a goal and keep that goal sacred, you can succeed and live forever like a king later in life. 

“My spirits are high. When you are mentally in the best shape possible going into a fight it will definitely show and now that we don’t have any weight issues going into a fight like we did before, I think the fans are going see the Daniel Jacobs people saw in the amateurs and the early days as a pro.”

Jacobs is the latest fighter featured on season two of ‘Born Fighter’ following the likes of Devin Haney, Billy Joe Saunders and Michael Hunter as the second series focuses on the stable at Matchroom Boxing USA after 11 episodes from the British and Irish stable featuring Katie Taylor, Luke Campbell, Dillian Whyte, Joshua Buatsi and more.

The series will be presented by Lauren Gardner, a familiar face to sports fans in America as the host of DAZN’s nightly live baseball program “ChangeUp” as well as a contributing reporter for DAZN’s boxing coverage. The Colorado native has worked with CBS Sports, AT&T SportsNet, Fox Sports Ohio, MTV2, MLB/NHL Network and ESPN, where she covered NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, College Football, College Basketball and two Super Bowls. The American series of ‘Born Fighter’ will also appear on DAZN 24 hours after premiering on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.
 Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title. The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez. Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia. Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.

A court in Nevada granted Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a temporary injunction which will allow him to fight Daniel Jacobs on Friday night in Phoenix, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Chavez was suspended by Nevada for refusing a drug test.

“It was very important for us, especially for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., to get to this fight against Jacobs without any restriction, so it was very important that this temporary suspension be lifted,” Miguel Leff, Chavez’s lawyer told ESPN. “We will have the opportunity to collect and review the information and when we have everything ready, we will see the case in court, but that will be after Friday’s fight.”

“We don’t represent him, but they got an injunction and he’s no longer suspended,” Promoter Eddie Hearn said. “He’s been licensed to fight in Arizona for some time, but this completely clears up the matter and we look forward to a huge show with over 10,000 [in attendance] on Friday.”

“If someone wants to have a grudge, I mean, that won’t be the first time in boxing someone had a grudge,” Hearn said. “We’ve done everything completely by the book. The fact is, if Arizona didn’t license Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of course, we wouldn’t put the fight on. That’s why we’ve had Gabriel Rosado on the card, signed to stand in, if there was an issue. But Chavez has fought his own battle. It had nothing to do with us. We don’t represent Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. We have a contract with him to take part in a fight with Daniel Jacobs, and if he’s licensed, we can’t just rip that contract up and say, ‘Sorry mate, we’re not going through with the fight.’ The fact is he’s gone to court and won in court, and he’s no longer suspended. We’re doing the fight, and we’re happy to do the fight.

“We’ve done nothing wrong. The argument was, ‘Oh, you’re going to do a fight with a suspended fighter in another state.’ I mean, now, that’s completely, factually incorrect. So in that respect, it puts the matter to bed from a Matchroom point of view. How Chavez deals with it from here, obviously he’s his own fighter, he’s got his own promoter, he’s got his own manager. That’s not really my business. All I know is he’s not suspended in any other state, and he’s licensed by Arizona. Onward we go.”

The Nevada commission declined to comment on the situation. Arizona commission chairman Scott Fletcher told ESPN in a statement that he was aware of the Nevada court decision to grant to the temporary restraining order and that “based on the court’s ruling we are looking forward to a great event this Friday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Both athletes have tested negative [in prefight testing handled by Drug Free Sport] for all performance enhancing drugs, masking agents and illicit drugs and will be subject to additional tests.”

Daniel Jacobs says he’s a happy fighter now he’s campaigning at Super-Middleweight as he makes his debut at 168lbs against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night, live on DAZN on US and Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) closed the book on his time at Middleweight in May with a unification clash with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, and the two-time World ruler now embarks on his quest to become a two-weight World champion.

The ‘Miracle Man’ begins that journey in Phoenix against Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) the Mexican star that is also hunting two-weight World honors, but Jacobs has warned the 168lbs division that the extra weight moving up has made a huge difference to his mood in camp.

“It’s been amazing,” said Jacobs. “I’ve been able to be genuinely happy, to focus only on training and focus only on my skillset and not on the idea of cutting 10 to 15 pounds before the weigh in. So, it’s a big deal for me and I’m happy and I’m looking forward to showing everyone in the world that it wasn’t an excuse last time around. 

“It was the actual fact of me cutting the weight and that would make a difference in the previous fights that I’ve been having. So now you’re going to see, in my opinion, a better version of myself and I look forward to that.

“I’m able to be a lot freer when it comes to putting more food and necessary foods in my body. I don’t have to limit myself and most importantly, I don’t have to go through that weight cut process that always drains me the 48 hours before the fight. 

“I think with this last fight; it really took a toll on me. Obviously, we know the stipulations. I was in a contract with my last bout, so that was a clear indication for me that maybe I need to try and test the waters in 168 pounds just to give myself an opportunity to be myself, to be 100 per cent and camp has been beautiful.”
Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title. The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez. Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia. Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has issued a warning to the World Super Middleweight champions that he’s coming for their titles after he takes on Daniel Jacobs at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday December 20, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK. TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee) Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) takes on fellow former Middleweight king Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) in a crunch clash at 168lbs, with both men gunning for a shot at the clutch of talented fighters with belts in the division in 2020. The 33 year old returned to action with a first round KO in Mexico in August after two years out following his clash with fellow countryman Canelo Alvarez in May 2017, and Chavez Jr believes that a big win over the ‘Miracle Man’ will set him up for a title shot against the likes of Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders. “This is the right fight to get me back to the top,” said Chavez Jr. “It’s a big risk because of the activity he’s had, but I am not a stepping stone for him, I am ready and I need to win the fight and I know I have the skills and the heart to win. “There are a lot of good fighters out there at 168lbs; not big names but strong guys. I feel I can beat them all and with the right decisions I will get there, and that starts with a win over a great fighter like Jacobs. I am a fighter and I take the risks, now I am doing things right. “I think this is my time, and now I need to take the next big step. It’s going to be a good fight for the fans and after that I’ll be ready to win another World title. This feels like a World title fight as Danny is a true champion and so am I.” Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title. The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez. Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia. Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.

Tickets for the Super-Middleweight blockbuster between Daniel Jacobs and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday December 20 go on pre-sale at 10am MST on Wednesday November 12.

Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) moves up to Super-Middleweight in a bid to become a two-weight World ruler having twice been king at 160lbs. Two-weight champion is the same goal for Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) too and that journey starts in the same venue his legendary father closed the book on his storied career in September 2005.

Tickets for the event start at $25 (plus booking fee) and go on pre-sale at 10am MST at https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/19005766D115614C with the codes ‘JACOBS’, ‘CHAVEZ’ and ‘MBUSA’.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am MST on Thursday November 13 at https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/19005766D115614C

An announcement on the undercard will be made next week.

Daniel Jacobs and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will clash in a Super-Middleweight showdown at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday December 20, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK. Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) makes the move up to 168lbs following his Middleweight unification showdown with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas in May, putting his IBF crown on the line against the pound-for-pound Mexican king and WBC and WBA ruler who edged out Jacobs on the cards. The two-time ruler at 160lbs will make the first steps to becoming a two-weight World champion in Phoenix and does so against Mexican fan-favorite Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs). It’s a special night for the former WBC 160lb champion Chavez Jr. as he takes on the ‘Miracle Man’ at the same venue his legendary father closed the curtain on his incredible career in 2005. Chavez Jr. ruled the roost at Middleweight in at the turn of the decade with a record at 160lbs reading as a who’s who of the best at the weight in recent history. The 33 year old returned to action in August with a first round KO win in his 56th pro outing following his own clash with Canelo back in May 2017, and like Jacobs, he sees the Phoenix clash as the first step in adding World titles at 168lbs to his Middleweight crown. “I am thrilled to be making my debut at Super-Middleweight on December 20 against Julio Cesar Chavez,” said Jacobs. “I’ve achieved a dream of becoming a World champion at Middleweight and now I am seeking to secure my legacy by becoming a two-weight World champion. “There are some great fighters and champions at 168lbs and I believe that I will be a different beast up at Super-Middleweight. Facing Julio is a great test for my first fight, he’s a former Middleweight champion like me and he has the same goal as I do – Julio is always in great fight and I am sure that our styles will gel to be a thriller for the fans, and I plan to announce my arrival at 168lbs in style.” “Going against Daniel Jacobs is the perfect fight for me because there is so much on the line,” said Chavez Jr. “A victory gets me one step closer to a world championship and I’m not going to let anyone stand in my way. “I know that Danny Jacobs is a former world champion and is a strong fighter with very good boxing skills. Those are the kind of boxers that bring out the best in me. I’ve been working hard in the gym and can’t wait to let everyone see what I’ve been working on. I’m very motivated to get the win and at the end of the night I will have my hand raised in victory.  I ask my fans to believe in me.  I will deliver.” “I’m delighted to announce this huge fight will close out an incredible 2019 for Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Daniel returns from his point defeat to Canelo to move up in weight on his quest to become a two-weight World champion. He faces a determined Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who looks for redemption at the site of his father’s last ever professional fight. We expect a great fight, a huge crowd and a stacked card as we’ll look to close out the year in style.” “As DAZN’s fight season continues, we are thrilled to bring boxing fans a huge super middleweight fight to close out the calendar year,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America. “Both Daniel Jacobs and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. are in a position to prove themselves as title contenders on Dec. 20 and the winner will position themselves for a career-defining fight in 2020.” An announcement on ticket details will be made next week.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr missed a drug test which put a proposed December 20 bout against Daniel Jacobs in Jeopardy.

Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada commission, told ESPN on Friday that Chavez has been temporarily suspended and would be required to appear before the commission at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 20.

“I have nothing to hide. I’m ready for any test,” Chavez told ESPN Deportes about turning down the test. “The anti-doping guy came here (to the gym) angry. He did not show any credentials as they are supposed to do. Any day I can do the test if they guarantee me it’s the same way for Jacobs. I don’t understand because I have nothing official for the fight.”

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, will return to the ring on August 10th against Evert Bravo on August 10th in Mexico, According to Dan Rafael of espn.com

LOS ANGELES (November 26, 2018) – Top super welterweight contender Julian “J-Rock’’ Williams will take on Mexico’s Javier Francisco Castro in a 10-round bout that has been added to an exciting night of undercard action presented by Premier Boxing Champions Saturday, December 1 from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The event is headlined by the heavyweight world championship showdown between WBC champion Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury live on SHOWTIME PPV® presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Alfredo Angulo bout, originally scheduled to appear on the December 1 SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® telecast, is off because Chavez’s father, Julio, Sr., and his team didn’t believe Chavez Jr. was ready to return to the ring. Chavez, Jr. will return at some time in the future. Angulo will still appear in a bout on the undercard.

The December 1 SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION telecast will now begin at 7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME and feature one-fight coverage from Canada as boxing’s longest-reigning world champion Adonis Stevenson makes the 10th defense of his WBC Light Heavyweight Title against unbeaten challenger Oleksandr Gvozdyk. SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION will also stream live for free on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Facebook page immediately preceding the Wilder vs. Fury SHOWTIME PPV.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Enterprises and Queensberry Promotions, in association with TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, are on sale now and are available via AXS.com. Wilder vs. Fury will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. The suggested retail price (SRP) for the pay-per-view telecast is $64.99 for standard definition.

Williams (25-1-1, 15 KOs) is back in the title picture at 154-pounds since his only defeat pro defeat, a loss to Jermall Charlo in a 2016 title fight. Since that setback, the 28-year-old of Philadelphia has rattled off three straight victories, including triumphs over former champion Ishe Smith and hard-hitting contender Nathaniel Gallimore.

The 34-year-old Castro (28-8, 23 KOs), who is from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico is coming off a TKO victory over Carlos Urrea in his last fight in 2017 and has challenged Errol Spence Jr. amongst his 36 pro fights.

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ABOUT WILDER vs. FURY

Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury pits the WBC Heavyweight World Champion Wilder against the lineal heavyweight champion Fury on SHOWTIME PPV® Saturday, December 1 from STAPLES CENTER in Los Angeles and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The PPV undercard begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature unbeaten unified super welterweight world champion Jarrett Hurd returning to take on Jason Welborn, Cuban heavyweight slugger Luis Ortiz facing-off against Travis Kauffman and rising undefeated heavyweight Joe Joyce battling Joe Hanks.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports, www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.staplescenter.com follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @BronzeBomber, @Tyson_Fury, @TGBPromotions, @STAPLESCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/STAPLESCenter.

NEW YORK – November 9, 2018 – A split-site doubleheader airing live on SHOWTIME and streaming live on SHOWTIME Sports social media platforms will kick off a big night of boxing on Saturday, December 1, leading into the SHOWTIME PPV presentation of the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight blockbuster event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Adonis Stevenson will make the 10th defense of his WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship against undefeated, mandatory challenger Oleksandr Gvozdyk to start the action live from Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. The two-fight telecast presented by Premier Boxing Champions continues live from Los Angeles, where Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. will take on Alfredo Angulo in a 10-round super middleweight clash at STAPLES Center.

COUNTDOWN LIVE: WILDER VS. FURY will begin at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME and on SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Facebook page, preceding the Wilder vs. Fury SHOWTIME PPV event that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from STAPLES Center.

The December 1 SHOWTIME PPV and COUNTDOWN LIVE presentations feature two of the most feared knockout punchers in the sport. With 39 knockouts in 40 professional fights, Wilder’s right hand is widely regarded as the biggest weapon in boxing. The southpaw Stevenson’s left has led to knockouts in six of his nine title defenses. On December 1, the two power-punchers will take on top-rated, undefeated opponents as they make the 10th and eighth defenses of their respective WBC titles.

Stevenson (29-1-1, 24 KOs) is boxing’s longest reigning world champion, having won the WBC 175-pound title in 2013. The Montreal-based southpaw will face his WBC-mandated challenger in Gvozdyk (15-0, 12 KOs), a Ukrainian with 12 knockouts in his 15 professional fights since a standout amateur career that included a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.

In Gvozdyk, Stevenson will face his second consensus top-10 light heavyweight of 2018, following his Fight of the Year candidate draw with Badou Jack in May on SHOWTIME. Gvozdyk, an amateur teammate of fellow Ukrainians Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, earned the mandatory status with a near-shutout decision over Mehdi Amar in March.

“I’ve been pushing myself in training to be ready to put on a great performance December 1 and defend my title once again,” said Stevenson. “My old trainer, the late great Emanuel Steward, used to tell me that ‘knockouts sell’ and that’s what I’m going for in this fight. I know I’m facing a good boxer who’s coming in very determined. He’ll be ready, but it won’t be enough. It’s going to be show time on SHOWTIME and another victory for ‘Superman’.”

“I have been waiting for this title shot for a very long time, and I will take full advantage of the opportunity,” said Gvodzyk. “It doesn’t matter where we fight. I am fully prepared to become the new WBC light heavyweight champion. Canada, ‘The Nail’ is coming to put on a show!”

Chavez, Jr. (50-3-1, 32 KOs) is the son of Mexican boxing legend and Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. The 32-year-old from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico ripped off 46 straight victories to start his career using a gritty boxing style that denoted his toughness in the ring. Chavez is seeking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on May 6, 2017.

The 36-year-old Angulo (24-7, 20 KOs) is a tough brawler who has faced some of the best boxers in the sport. Angulo, who lives in Coachella, California but was born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, is coming off a hard-fought split decision loss to former world champion Sergio Mora in April.

“I am excited to be back on December 1 to perform for the great Mexican fans in Los Angeles,” said Chavez Jr. “At my weight I know I can beat anyone. I am focused and feel strong. Angulo will be first, but then I will pursue a belt at 168. I’m putting the division on notice. Chavez is back.”

“I have been training very hard in anticipation of this fight and this is the best I have felt in a long time,” said Angulo. “I am looking forward to defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and getting a title opportunity in the near future. I’m thankful for everyone who has supported me and I promise to surprise a lot of people on December 1.”

A possible rematch between retired former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez has been bandied about, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It’s not true,” Promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN about a deal being close. “Yes, I have spoken to both fighters regarding the fight, but there is no contract, nothing signed, no deal in place. It’s something that has been discussed, but a deal is not imminent. It’s not at all done.”

“I’m curious about the fight, but honestly I don’t think it has legs, no pun intended,” Hearn said of the fight rumored for Nov. 17 either in Las Vegas or a site in Texas.

BIG BEAR, CALIF. (September 8, 2017) — Boxing’s No. 1 superhero and undefeated WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO Middleweight World Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and lineal and Ring magazine Middleweight World Champion and Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez are entering their epic showdown with each coming off very different performances. On March 18, in front of a packed Madison Square Garden, Golovkin beat fellow world champion Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision in a hard-fought battle. It was Golovkin’s 18th consecutive title defense — two short of the record — since becoming world champion in 2010 and the first to go the distance. That had media speculating that age was starting to become a factor for Golovkin, currently boxing’s longest-reigning world champion. Two months later, on May 6 — at a catchweight of 164.5 pounds (the less-than-super super middleweight division?) — Alvarez won a lopsided unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Julio César Ch?vez, Jr., who barely threw a punch and did everything he could do to survive. Not win.

Throughout training camp, Golovkin has been asked about the comparison between the two fights — the difficulty he had against Jacobs and the ease Alvarez had against Ch?vez.

“I am not Julio César Ch?vez, Jr. and Canelo is no Danny Jacobs. There are no survivors in my fights,” said Golovkin. “Boxing is a business. If I look great against Jacobs…if I knocked him out, I would not be getting this fight with Canelo now. Jacobs was a very good fighter and gave me good learning experience going 12 rounds. I have never done that before. I felt amazing going 12 rounds for the first time. Jacobs gives everyone problems.”

Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, concurs.

“Danny Jacobs is the second-best middleweight in boxing. It was a tough fight because the two best in the middleweight division were fighting each other. The matchup was as good in the ring as it was on paper,” said Sanchez. “Jacobs also gamed the system by skipping the IBF’s mandatory fight day weigh-in where the fighters are only allowed to gain ten pounds from the previous day’s Official Weigh-In. Gennady, as defending champion, honored the IBF’s rule and weighed-in the next morning. Who knows how heavy Jacobs was the night of the fight? But even with that advantage Gennady was able to win. Jacobs was easily one weight division heavier than Gennady. Not getting the knockout may have been a double blessing for us. It showed that Gennady was capable of going twelve rounds with an elite fighter and it gave us the fight with Canelo. If Gennady had knocked Jacobs out there is no way Golden Boy would have the confidence to put Canelo in with us this year. Now let’s look at Canelo’s last fight. Ch?vez hasn’t fought under 167 pounds in five years. He was drained and barely threw a punch. If that same Chavez fights Gennady, there is no question Gennady knocks him out. Ch?vez was a sitting duck. There is no debate on who had the better win against the better opponent. Watching Canelo’s performance against Ch?vez gave us a lot of confidence too.” .

Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) who has been middleweight champion since 2010, is eight days away from his 19th consecutive title defense – one short of the all-time record – against lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and Mexican icon Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs). Canelo vs. Golovkin is the long-awaited showdown to determine supremacy of the storied middleweight division and arguably the pound-for-pound rankings.

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Canelo vs. Golovkin is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “BORN BOLD”; Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle; O’Reilly Auto Parts. Better Parts, Better Prices…everyday!; Fred Loya Insurance; Interjet; Thor: Ragnarok; Fathom Events; Tsesnabank; and Capital Holdings. Diaz, Jr. vs. Lara is 12-round WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Caballero vs. De La Hoya is a 10-round fight for the NABF Super Bantamweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Martin vs. Rojo is a 10-round lightweight fight for the WBC Continental Americas and vacant WBA Intercontinental Championships presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Cancun Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Episode #2 of 24/7 Canelo/Golovkin premieres Tomorrow! Saturday, Sept. 9 on HBO immediately following the live Boxing After Dark triple header from the StubHub Center at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Remaining Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Golovkin at Bellagio Resort & Casino, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Las Vegas are priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and are currently on sale. Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International Box Office, by phone with a major credit card at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Photos and videos are available for download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/CaneloGolovkin into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @gggboxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing and @TomLoeffler1; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/gggboxing, and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @gggboxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; and follow the conversation using #CaneloGGG.

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2017) – The Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend will generate more than one million buys on HBO Pay-Per-View, locking in Canelo’s status as the brightest light in boxing, Golden Boy Promotions announced today.

“Everything I do is for the fans, and I want to express my gratitude for everyone who watches my fights and shows their support,” Canelo said. “My fans are the greatest in the world and this year in September on Mexican Independence weekend, everyone can look forward to another incredible performance.”

Some facts about Canelo’s PPV performance:

Canelo will be the youngest A-side fighter in history to generate a seven-figure pay-per-view audience;
This will be the largest Pay-Per-View audience to watch in a boxing match in two years;
Canelo will be the first A-side fighter in 15 years not named De La Hoya, Mayweather or Pacquiao, to draw a million buys.

“These numbers solidify Canelo as the undisputed biggest name in the sport of boxing-simple as that,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “At 26 years old, there is no limit to Canelo’s star power as he continues to cross over to mainstream audiences. Canelo only wants to take on the best and the biggest, and we’re confident he will continue to shatter records as boxing’s new pay-per-view king.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday the world’s best junior welterweight, Nebraska’s Terence Crawford, will fight on HBO at Madison Square Garden against a 33-year-old Dominican named Felix Diaz. Saturday the world’s second best featherweight, Maryland’s Gary Russell Jr., will fight on Showtime against a Colombian named Oscar Escandon. These are important fights, one supposes, featuring very good fighters, one of whom may even prove great.

And yet Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is more fun to write about than both of them, and maybe that’s the point of his popularity, a magnetism everyone wishes attribute to Canelo in his assignment of credit for what appears a post-Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view record, but Canelo just sold more with Chavez than he vended in a combination of Amir Khan and Liam Smith, which indicates his opponent’s ethnicity and charisma make more of a difference than his opponent’s resume and Gennady “160,000 buys” Golovkin may not actually make any more dollars for Canelo come September than he makes sense.

Canelo was marketed better than this weekend’s main event fighters and marketed to a better demographic, too, and luck is luck, but as a prizefighter he appears to’ve been developed somewhere between the two men, with Crawford obviously in the front and Russell behind. Russell’s handlers knew from the moment they signed him he was the future of boxing, which, it turns out, is a problem when those handlers don’t know what they’re looking at and have much less an idea how to develop it. Crawford’s promoter, meanwhile, treated Crawford’s talent with the same skepticism Top Rank and its ace matchmakers treat every prospect they sign:

Can he sell tickets in his hometown? However fast his hands or feet, does he hit hard enough to keep world-class competitors off him? How pesky are his parents and manager? Is his childhood trainer a benefactor or beneficiary? How are his whiskers in a shootout? And most importantly, how does he comport himself afterwards – or in Bob Arum’s actual words, “Does he dissipate between fights?”

Whatever criteria PBC uses it is not that criteria and probably comes closer to a criterion like: How many people say he reminds them of Floyd Mayweather, or at least Sugar Ray Leonard?

Russell and Crawford are about the same age and have about the same number of fights, and yet Crawford is multiples more accomplished than Russell, and it wasn’t that way six years ago when HBO, as Al Haymon’s pre-PBC affiliate, began to shine Russell highlights and matches at its viewers. The details of what happened to Russell after that aren’t important, though surely there were contract issues and a dearth of opponents for a man of such otherworldly handspeed, the usual “nobody will fight him” gambit used by cheap or incompetent managers and promoters everywhere. Then Russell met Vasyl Lomachenko three years ago and got conclusively outclassed, which was not shameful but an indictment of all things said about him before that match.

Too, it was an indictment of what development happened to Russell before his match with Lomachenko: Russell’s two preceding opponents shared 20 losses in their 60-fight collective. It was the usual Haymon-managed concern with building an attraction rather than a fighter, and it went the way things with Haymon-managed prospects usually do when a return-on-investment alarm rings somewhere and their competition gets improved by a few hundred percent overnight. His unblemished record now blemished, a mortal sin in the Haymon stable, Russell went back to whupping guys who, for one reason or another, hadn’t much chance against him. One suspects the same ideal’ll be in play Saturday against Escandon; PBC’d not risk another Russell loss on Showtime when CBS and HBO are willing to pay substantially more to broadcast PBC superstars being beaten.

Terence Crawford, while more accomplished than Russell, now risks being considered a box office dud outside Nebraska if he doesn’t sell a respectable number of tickets at Madison Square Garden against Felix Diaz the same way he didn’t sell a respectable number of pay-per-views against Viktor Postol in July. According to Madison Square Garden’s website Diaz (19-1, 9 KOs) is a “hard hitting southpaw” with an Olympic gold medal, but when one sees a gold medal round the neck of a fighter with less than a 50-percent knockout ratio as a pro, well . . .

Know what? This is dull. Watch the fights or don’t, but nothing historic will happen Saturday, so let’s go back to Chavez Jr.

A video leaked online last week that besmirched Chavez’s spotless character by depicting the fallen champ enjoying his loss a bit too much. Someone, it seems, believed a wedge might be driven between Chavez and his fans. But no. Chavez is a circus act no one can stop from plying his craft to a ripe older age. He doesn’t appeal to slackers and potheads the way his detractors insist he must. Rather he appeals to anyone who’s ever been told to do something he didn’t want to do and then done it well enough to be mistaken for someone capable of doing it before ecstatically sabotaging the whole damn thing in a flurry of shrugs. Chavez neither called in sick nor told his boss to go pound sand; Chavez continued showing up at a job for which he was illsuited, played videogames on the clock, took extended breaks and giggled his way through quarterly evaluations; Chavez didn’t shout “I quit” but sat in his cube wondering “When are they going to fire me?”

If there are Mexicans actually enraged by Chavez, I’ve not found them. Mostly my interviews have gone like this.

Bart: “Did you see the Chavez fight?”
Mexican aficionado: (Laughing) “Yes.”
Bart: (Laughing harder)
Mexican Aficionado: (Laughing harder still)
Bart: “Think he’ll retire?”
Mexican aficionado: “No.”
Bart: (Laughing)
Mexican aficionado: (Laughing harder)

Remember this when the hyperbole reaches a boil on HBO and Showtime this weekend: To date Chavez has sold about 1.5 million more pay-per-views than Crawford and Russell combined. It is kind of funny.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Las Vegas, in boxing’s must daring exploitation of Cinco De Mayo loyalties yet, Jalisco’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez won every round, minute and second of his match with Sinaloa’s “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. while clearing his throat for a scripted callout of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Canelo’s next opponent. Chavez, too, saved himself for postfight festivities, wherever they were.

What suspicions some Mexicans will harbor after Saturday’s postfight announcement, the postcharade charade – a $70 staredown, as it were – reduce to this statement: Chavez Jr. fought exactly like a guy who knew his opponent’s next contract was signed before the opening bell and got paid generously to participate in the promotion. Chavez, twitchy with embarrassment or concussion or the lingering effects of whatever copious stimulants he ingested to hollow himself for Friday’s weighin, stood in the ring after Saturday’s defeat and should’ve found it curious as the rest of us he was being interviewed first but appeared untroubled by it because, let’s be honest, as part of the promotion and broadcast he knew Canelo’d be calling out “Globekeen” and had a contractual need to don his sponsor’s headwear. Or did you think Chavez was otherwise hankering for a chance to explain the worst performance of his farcical career?

Some personal notes about that career, now that it’s unofficially through: Luck and geography put me ringside for a disproportionate number of Chavez matches while promoter Top Rank was inventing him, including Chavez’s dominations of Ireland’s John Duddy and “Irish” Andy Lee, and there was ever a wide chasm between the way Chavez expected to be treated in interviews and the way he prepared himself for fights. He was a haughty prick in his native language, un fresa, an unlikable combination of awkward and arrogant, ever casting impatient glares at his handlers to get things moving while he mixed cliches evasively and said absolutely nothing. You waste enough time on a subject, though, and some sense of selfpreservation or efficiency helps you begin to imagine admirable qualities, and when you can’t, you settle on redeeming qualities, and Chavez did have one in particular. He truly made others funnier.

Saturday I sat in a roomful of aficionados representing nearly every ethnicity on this green earth and each one was funnier in his expressions of disgust for Chavez than he was on any other subject. Sunday morning I scrolled through Twitter, too, and found myself manifesting an uncommonest form of mirth: Laughing aloud alone. This backhanded celebration of Chavez is not a gratuitous lunge at fulfilling wordcount, either; what I will miss about Chavez is a chance to write humorously about something in our beloved sport.

That almost never happens. Through his indifference to preparation and tacit acknowledgements a fortune was being made by charging persons for hoping to see him beaten to death Chavez gave writers a waiver of sorts to make fun of him in a playfully amoral way. Anyone who’s tried to do this with any other fighter has quickly found himself a target of moralists’ umbrage: “How dare you – he’s risking his life in there!” Which means what humor we’re allowed is either artless stock (“his chin is an insult to fine China everywhere”) or bitterly facetious: “I suppose if I were a recovering addict who wanted his legacy stolen out from under him and sold to a faceless charlatan, I probably couldn’t do better than hire Richard Schaefer, either.”

You could make fun of Son of the Legend while smiling, in other words, not scowling. I’ll miss that.

While we’re on the subject of selling talent, a quick thought about an occasionally overlooked detail of the Chavez legacy: How well he predicted PBC’s eye for talent. Recall that Al Haymon and friends got themselves sued by Top Rank three years ago when they poached Son of the Legend. As a Haymon-managed practitioner Junior went 2-2 (1 KO-by) in a disgraceful fourmatch march that fell somewhere between plain ingratitude and corporate sabotage. Bless Junior’s ungrateful heart for that.

And so we come to Canelo, the man Chavez now concedes is the best Mexican prizefighter of their generation, a selfmade marketeer, Jalisco horseman and entrepreneurial son of a Mexican icecream vendor, all that, and a redhead too. Canelo looked genuinely fantastic against Chavez but did not stop him. Or even hurt him. Which means there’s very little chance of his winning the 2017 Fight HBO Most Wants Seen. (As an aside, how richly absurd was that segue to Golovkin in the broadcast’s second match? Orbital bone, orbital bone, why, that reminds viewers of GGG’s September victory!)

Golovkin and Canelo are basically the same fighter, and Golovkin is bigger, and without squandering others’ chances at 100,000 words of handicapping, there’s no reason to think their match will be any more complicated than that. Fine, I take that back: Canelo is better defensively, and Golovkin hits harder, but Canelo hits pretty hard too, and Golovkin’s defense is actually underrated. There you go, peers, I left the last 99,980 words for y’all.

We end with a correction to a point above. There was one other fighter I’ve covered who was fun to make fun of as Junior, and he was another junior: Hector Camacho Jr. Difference being, Machito was a great storyteller and amusing conversationalist. But he did say to me one thing germane to Chavez’s situation today: “I’ve disrespected the sport of boxing so many times I’m surprised they let me put gloves on.”

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CANELO ALVAREZ VS. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR, the exclusive replay of their highly anticipated showdown, SATURDAY, MAY 13 at 10:05 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team, which was ringside at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the live HBO Pay-Per-View® presentation on May 6, called all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

The fight will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

Heirs to the legendary tradition of boxing royalty in Mexico, both Alvarez and Chavez Jr. brought a wave of support, enthusiasm and pride to their first-ever ring encounter which was tied to the celebration of Cinco de Mayo weekend. Their 12-round fight took place under the bright spotlight of a sold-out T-Mobile Arena.

Follow all the action as Mexican Warriors, Canelo Alvarez takes on Julio Cesar Chavez in super middleweight catchweight bout.  The action begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with 3 fight undercard.  Former middleweight champion Dabid Lemieux battles Marco Reyes.  Former junior welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse takes on Emanuel Taylor.  Joseph Diaz, Jr. fights Manuel Avila in a battle of undefeated featherweights.

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Round 1: Canelo lands a right to the body..Left lands..Jab..Chavez lands an uppercut..hook to body..Right from Alvarez..Jab..Right over top..

Round 2 Combination from Alvarez..Left hook from Chavez..straight right..3 punch combo and uppercut from Alvarez..Right uppercut..2 more uppercuts and a jab..

Round 3 Right from Alvarez..Welt over the right eye of Chavez..2 hard shots from Chavez..3 good shots from Alvarez..Chavez bleeding from the nose..ALVAREZ OUTLANDING CHAVEZ 57-18

Round 4 Left hook from Alvarez..3 punch combination..Hard uppercut..Good body shot

Round 5 Hard counter right from Chavez..ripping body shot..big right,,very one sided fight..Canelo dominating

Round 6 Chavez lands a combo on the ropes..Combination from Alvarez…

Round 7 Chavez lands on the ropes..Alvarez fights off by 2 landing about 8 punches..Good combination from Chavez..

Round 8 Chavez landing on the ropes..Jab from Canelo..

Round 9 Uppercut from Alvarez..Jab,..

Round 10 Uppercut from Alvarez..Combination..Counter right…

Round 11 Right from Alvarez..Right..Right..Left..

Round 12 Alvarez lands a right and a uppercut..

120-108 on all cards for CANELO ALVAREZ

PUNNCHES –ALAVREZ 228-696     CHAVEZ 71 -302

Round 1 Staright raightfrom Lemeiux …Left hook

Round 2 Right from reyes….Reyes cut over right eye from a left hook..

Round 3 Left and hard right from Lemieux..Big uppercut and Reyes s hurt..Huge left hook staggers Reyes..Reyes lands a body shot..Straightt right…2 body shots..Huge right and a body shot,,

Round 4 2 hard left hooks from Lemieux..Body shot from Reyes..Huge right knockouts out mouthpiece,,2 good rights and a body shot from Reyes.

Round 5 Right and left from Reyes..Left from Lemieux

Round 6 Good counter from Lemieux

Round 7 Jab from Lemeiux..Good right..Left and an uppercut..Big left hook..Reyes bleeding and taking a lot of hard shots..Left hook

Round 8 Reyes trying to flurry..Left hook..

Round 9 Right from Reyes..Hard right from Lemieux,,Body shot

Round 10 Vicious 3 punch combination from Lemieux..Reyes trying to land on the ropes..

99-90 TWICE AND 98-91 DAVID LEMIEUX

Round 1 Hard right from Matthysse

Round 2 Right from Matthysse…2 rights over the top..Right..Hard combination on ropes..body shot

Round 3 Matthysee cut over right eye…BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES TAYLOR

Round 4 Left from Taylor..Right and left from Taylor..Jab from Matthysse..Hard left drives Taylor back

Round 5 Good right from Taylor..Good left uppercut and left hook...BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES TAYLOR AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Diaz lands a left to the body

Round 2 Avila lands a right…Left from Diaz…Jab from Avila..Left from Diaz..

Round 3 Good Jab from Diaz..Straight left..Right from Avila..

Round 4 Right from Avila..Left from Diaz..Good left hook from Avila..Straight right..Left to body from Diaz..

Round 5 Body shot from Diaz..Straight left..Avila cut over his right eye

Round 6 Counter right from Avila..Uppercut on inside…

Round 7 Left from Diaz…Left to body..Combination..Good right hook..another hook..

Round 8 Body shot from Diaz..combination..Counter right hook..Left to body..Hard right from Avila…Right uppercut fromDiaz..Straight left

Round 9 Uppercut Diaz…Left Staggers Avila..Good straight left…4 punch combination

Round 10 Good right hook from Diaz..

WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION —JOSEPH DIAZ JR.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – There were no upsets on the scale. No penalties, either.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. lost the pounds and saved himself a lot of money Friday on the eve of his 164.5-pound fight against Canelo Alvarez Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

The fighter known for his failures on the scale made it with half-a-pound to spare. Both were at 164 even.

“I’m happy he made weight,’’ Canelo said.

Probably not as happy as Chavez Jr. He would have been $1 million lighter if he had even come in at 164.51 pounds, according to a penalty clause in the contract. That’s a lot of dough for a fraction of excess flesh. But this is boxing, prize fighting. The idea is to keep the wallet fat.

According to purses filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Canelo is guaranteed $5 million. Chavez Jr.’s guarantee is $3 million. But the guess is that both will collect much more by the time undisclosed percentages of the pay-per-view television money. There are also deals with Mexican TV that were not included in the numbers filed with the Commission. According to a variety of sources with camps, Canelo could wind up with $20 million. For Chavez Jr., the final take could be as much as $8 million.

It depends on the number of paying customers for HBO’s pay-per-view telecast (6p.m. PT/9 pm ET).

It’s hard to guess, especially amid today’s technology and all the ways there are to steal a telecast. But within the MGM Grand, the bout’s host casino, there was a growing buzz for a fight between the redheaded Canelo (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and the son of a fighter with a name as iconic as any in Mexico.

Odds favoring Canelo have stayed at about 5-to-1 throughout the last week at books up and down the Vegas Strip.

They are based in part on Canelo’s stubborn consistency and record, which includes bouts against some of the elites in the game. Canelo appears to be getting better. When the fight with Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) was announced, it was seen as a way for Canelo to finally make the jump from junior-middleweight to middleweight (160) for an anticipated showdown with Gennady Golovkin.

That’s still the Golden Boy Promotions’ plan, perhaps for September, although there’s some talk that Canelo might fight Canadian David Lemieux before he takes on GGG. It’s no coincidence, perhaps, that Lemieux is on the undercard against Mexican Marco Reyes.

With the stakes as big as they are and a Mexican fan base divided just about down the middle between Canelo and Chavez Jr., every word and move has been analyzed and over-analyzed, interpreted and misinterpreted. At Friday’s weigh-in, it was all about body language.

Chavez Jr.’s thin upper body looked like it could be a very big target for Canelo punishing array of combinations. Then again, there was some talk that Canelo came into the weigh-in too heavy. He has been most effective in his career when he tips the scale at 155. He was heavier at this weigh-in than ever. The guess is that he will be heavier, anywhere from 170 to 180, at opening bell. Will the added weight make him slower? Could the extra pounds result in fatigue if the bout goes into the later rounds?

Meanwhile, Chavez Jr. wouldn’t say how much heavier he expects to be at opening bell. The best guess was that he would be between 175 and 180 pounds.

“I want to push him, impose my size on him,’’ said the 6-foot-1 Chavez Jr., who is four inches taller than the 5-9 Canelo. “That’s my strategy.’’

Maybe, it’ll work. On one scale of expectations, he’s already ahead of the game.

LONDON (5 May) – Canelo Alvarez has opened up about his bad blood with ‘little kid’ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr ahead of their grudge match this weekend.

The pair will finally trade leather this Saturday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, live on BoxNation, with two-weight world champion Canelo revealing where the feud between the Mexican rivals originated.

“This rivalry goes back about ten years, you know, to our time in Guadalajara. They had the opportunity to make this fight years ago. They had the power to make this fight back then. They didn’t want to,” said Canelo.

“As a person, I don’t know him well, but just from what I hear from his actions and all, it’s like a guy that just doesn’t sustain what he says. You know, he just says a lot of things. It’s almost like he’s a little kid,” he said.

31-year-old Chavez Jr was equally vocal about the duos long-standing ill will, believing that this fight is the most important of his 14-year career and one he can win by knockout.

“Yes, there’s a real, true rivalry, and on Saturday night, people are going to see firsthand this rivalry, how real it is. Obviously we’re going to show it inside the ring,” said Chavez Jr.

“I do feel that this fight is the biggest fight of my career, just because it’s a big event, because of who I’m fighting and because of the opportunity. I’m going to take advantage of it and make the best of it.

“I feel I can knock him out. I feel that I’m a bigger guy. I fought at light heavyweight. He’s never fought fighters this size, and because of that, if things pan out and I get the right shot, I think of course the knockout can happen,” he said.

There is high expectation in the Chavez Jr camp, with his legendary father, Julio Cesar Chavez, recently commenting that this was a fight where “Julio has to show that he has my genes – that he has my balls”.

The former middleweight world champion is aware of what is on the line having changed his team around in the build up, bringing in the much respected Nacho Beristain to train him, but will still use his father as inspiration for the fight.

“I like my father to be around. It’s okay when he’s around. It’s just important for him to understand that he’s not my trainer,” Chavez Jr said.

“Sometimes we don’t always transmit instructions the way we would like for them to come out, but I have my own trainer. I picked Nacho Beristain, who is a great trainer; one of the best in the history of boxing.

“But I will say that a lot of what I learned in boxing, I learned it watching my father as a little kid. I grew up watching him my whole life, and I learned a lot of what I know from watching my father,” he said.

Flame-haired Canelo, however, believes that he is someone who has had the easy route and is riding on the coattails of his father’s success.

“My fans know that I started from nothing, from the bottom up, from zero, and have worked my way up with a lot of sweat and sacrifices.

“He has his fans, as well. But I think a lot of his fans are more his father’s fans than his, and his fans follow his father, what his father says, because he’s shown a lot of ups and downs in his career, and he himself has not had a real disciplined career,” said Canelo.

“He is not a role model for the young children and the young fighters. And you know what, I’ve always said, whether I have 1,000, 5,000, 20,000 or millions, I’m very fortunate. I’m very happy and I’m very appreciative of my fans and I’ll give them 100 percent all the time,” he said.

Canelo v Chavez Jr is live on BoxNation this Saturday night. Sky customers can get free registration by using the offer code MAYBOXING. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.
The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.
Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.
BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.
For more information visit www.boxnation.com
*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – A Mexican Boxing Hall of Fame should be named after Nacho Beristain. If Julio Cesar Chavez is the national face of the game, Beristain is its architect.

From Ricardo Lopez to Juan Manuel Marquez, Beristain has been in a Mexican corner for about half a century. He’s strategist and tactician, disciplinarian and father figure.

But can he make a difference for the son of a father whose scarred face and intense eyes are a defining part of the Mexican legend?

In the build-up for the son’s 164.5-pound bout against Canelo Alvarez Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, here’s been a lot of talk about a different, more mature Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He’s taken on more responsibility. He’s a dad with a 3-year-old daughter. He’s given up the slacker ways that so exasperated anyone who thought he would have some of dad’s trademark toughness.

The story about Chavez Jr., the changed man, inescapably leads to Beristain. The trainer’s stubborn adherence to a Spartan regimen was thought to be a true test of whether Chavez Jr., would finally rise to a role he presumably inherited from his famous father. With Beristain, the world and Mexico would finally learn whether Junior was born to be a fighter.

“Beristain has the character to train me,’’ Chavez Jr. said after arriving in Las Vegas for the HBO pay-per-view bout.

The suggestion is that Freddie Roach was the wrong trainer for Chavez Jr., who came and went on his own accord in a regimen with roadwork that might have included a few late-night laps around a couch in a Vegas condo before a loss to Sergio Martinez.

But there’s more to it than that. Beristain’s name, international reputation and fierce pride were also a way to prevent his father from interfering. It was Bersitain’s camp, high in the mountains near Mexico City.

Midway through training, Chavez Jr. told Beristain that he wanted to leave the mountains a little earlier than planned and move his training to Vegas. Beristain reportedly looked at him and said: Go ahead, but you’ll go without me.

Chavez stayed on the mountaintop, far from curious media and a meddling dad.

“I’ve learned a lot from my father, but he’s not the trainer,’’ Chavez Jr. said.

The best guess is that Chavez Sr. won’t be anywhere near his son’s corner Saturday night. Instead, Chavez Sr. said this week, he’ll be working as a television commentator. That could prove to be a tough gig if the 5.5-to-1 odds favoring Canelo are accurate.

Then again, Chavez Jr. might have a better shot without his father’s demanding voice in his ear between rounds. But even one of the most respected voices in the world might not be enough. Beristain is a great trainer, but that doesn’t make him a miracle worker.

“Beristain will not make any difference,’’ said Rafael Mendoza, a former Mexican journalist and Hall of Fame manager who was Canelo’s first pro advisor.

In the end, Mendoza, of Guadalajara, said it’s all up to how hard Chavez trained and how hard he is willing to fight.

At 31, it’s hard to break old habits. Chavez Jr. has 53 bouts on his pro resume. But Canelo has a big advantage in world-class experience, including a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. What more, Canelo had a long and varied amateur career. Chavez Jr. fought as an amateur only twice, bout against Jorge Paez Jr.

There’s an argument that Beristain’s smarts and world class experience in the corner can make up for what Chavez never learned as a teenager.

“This is very different,’’ Beristain said Thursday. “I’m training a fighter for the first time against the guy everybody says is Mexico’s best fighter.

“But, yes, I’m confident we can win.’’

Then, Beristain went on to say: “For us, this is going to be the night of the witches.’’

He didn’t explain what he meant. But there were plenty of interpretations up and down press row. To wit: Chavez Jr. is cursed, or else he’ll need a witch to beat Canelo.

Canelo vs. Chavez Jr: Champions Chat Live Stream

LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2017) – Fighters on the undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. hosted a press conference today at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ahead of their bouts on Saturday, May 6. Co-main event fighters former IBF Middleweight Champion David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) and Middleweight contender Marco “Dorado” Reyes (35-4, 26 KOs) were joined by former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Welterweight contender Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs), NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr. and IBA Featherweight Champion Manuel “Tino” Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Fighting on the preliminary undercard “free view” stream beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, lightweight prospect Ryan “Kingry” Garcia (8-0, 7 KOs) will face Tyrone Luckey (8-6-3, 6 KOs) and flyweight prospect Marlen Esparza (1-0) will take on Samantha Salazar (2-3-1). Former Mexican Olympian Raul “El Cugar” Curiel will make his pro debut against Jesus Sanchez (1-1-2).

Super bantamweight contender Ronny Rios (27-1, 12 KOs) will fight Daniel Noriega (28-10-1, 15 KOs) and lightweight prospect Joseph “Diamante” Aguirre (16-0, 9 KOs) will take on Angel Aispuro (8-4-2) beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s final press conference:

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“We at Golden Boy Promotions have stacked this card from top to bottom, and I believe it is our best undercard yet with fighters from three continents here making this a global event on Cinco de Mayo. Throughout the night of May 6, fans will see a range of great action fights from some of our top prospects; to battles of undefeated contenders; to the return of former world champions.

“I also just received confirmation that our May 5th show tomorrow is completely sold out, thank you to all of our fight fans who have sold out this show and our May 6th show.

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:

“I want the young fighters to know this a great opportunity to be on this Cinco de Mayo undercard with Canelo and Chavez, Jr. This is a great moment to become a champion and be a part of this historical event. Take care of business, and be sure to put on a great show.”

TONY WALKER, Vice President of HBO Pay-Per-View:

“Our distributors have always told us undercards matter, when you think about it-there is four hours of time to fill. People want to be entertained during that time, so it really helps when you have an exciting undercard to the main event.”

“We feel David Lemieux, Lucas Matthysse, Joseph Diaz Jr., all enhance this card and from their strong fan bases in Canada, Argentina and Los Angeles, we expect the fans to be very happy with these great fights.”

CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, President of Eye of the Tiger Management:

“This is very exciting, as a fan of boxing, this is an amazing card. Every fight is a must-see. I want to mention the industry of boxing-with the right fights, people come out. We are here to contribute to this great show. David is read, and you can expect fireworks from this co-main event.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“I’m back, I’m expecting this to be a great night of boxing and to put on a show. I started training immediately after my last fight in March and look forward to Saturday night.”

MARCO “DORADO” REYES, Middleweight Contender:

“Without my team, I wouldn’t be here. This is going to be an explosive fight between two big puncher fighters in the ring.”

MARIO ARANO, President of Arano Boxing:

“We’re very excited and very happy for this fight-moving up to weight to welterweight has been a blessing for us. We have a team that has worked with Lucas for 14 years, and it has been a blessing to move up in weight divisions. There is no possibility for Lucas to return to 140. I want to remind you all, Lucas never retired, he is back and ready to give more wars.”

LUCAS “LA MAQUINA” MATTHYSSE, Former WBC Silver Super Lightweight Champion:

“Training camp has been great with Joel Diaz, it has worked so well with him. I’m going to put on a great fight-see everyone on Saturday.”

JOE DEGUARDIA, President of Star Boxing:

“There are many special things about the Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. fight. I’m extremely impressed with the undercard, and it is amazing we can put together a quality card like this for the fight. It’s a true testimony to the sport.”

EMANUEL “TRANZFORMER” TAYLOR, Welterweight Contender:

“May 6-what can I say? Lucas Matthysse is strong and powerful but it’s my time now. I’m here and I’m hungry, I’ve been working my whole life for this. I’m excited to fight in front of all the Mexican fans on Cinco de Mayo-expect fireworks on May 6.”

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:

“We had a ten week training camp, and trained very hard for this fight. We’re both young, undefeated fighters and there is a lot at stake here for of us because we could both potentially be mandatory challengers. We’re going to put on a great show for the millions watching and the thousands in attendance.”

MANUEL “TINO” AVILA, IBA Featherweight Champion:

“I’ve been with Golden Boy my whole career, and without them-I wouldn’t be at this stage right now. This is going to be an action-packed fight and someone’s ‘0’ has to go.”

MARLEN ESPARZA, Super Flyweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited about this opportunity and experience, and I want to thank everyone for backing me and seeing the vision I see. I’m very proud to be on this card with so many other amazing fighters. On fight night, it’s not about win or lose, its about how I win.”

RYAN “KINGRY” GARCIA, Lightweight Prospect:

“I put a lot of dedication to this fight, I’m treating this like a world championship fight. I’m coming in explosive with my speed and power-and everyone will see me put on a tremendous show on Saturday night.”

TYRONE LUCKEY, Lightweight Prospect:

“Come May 6th, I’m going to give Ryan Garcia the best fight of this life. A little physical education is always good and everyone will see us put on a great fight.”

RAUL “EL CUGAR” CURIEL, Former Mexican Olympian:

“You will see me put on the best show in the ring, and I want to thank everybody involved who helped us put on a great night of boxing.”

RONNY RIOS, Super Bantamweight Contender:

“This is my first fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend, so I want to thank my family, Golden Boy Promotions and my team-I wouldn’t be here without them.”

JOSEPH “DIAMANTE” AGUIRRE, Lightweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited, I come from Cancun, Mexico and I’m looking forward to this opportunity. This is my first time fighting in Vegas-I’ve always fought in Mexico, so this is a dream come true for me.”

Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with TGB and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management. Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. are priced at
$75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and tickets are available for purchase at any MGM Resorts International box office or concierge desk. Tickets also can be purchased by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000. Tickets for “Canelo Alvarez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.” in theaters nationwide are on sale now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN).

For more information, visit wwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and
pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

NEW YORK CITY (May 4, 2017) – Flipps Media has announced a team of veteran boxing announcers to handle its live stream, both in English and Spanish, for this Saturday night’s mega-fight between “Canelo” Alvarez and Julio Cesar “JC” Chavez, Jr., on Pay-Per-View at www.Canelo-Chavez.com in the United States and Canada, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, from sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The English language stream will have Golden Boy Promotions blow-by-blow announcer Beto Duran, while veteran boxing reporter and Ringtv.com editor Doug Fischer will serve as color commentator. In Spanish, Mexican sports reporter and television personality Jorge Milhe will call the action with one of the greatest Mexican boxers of all-time, future Hall of Famer, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, as color analyst.

Morales is a seven-time, four-division world champion who retired with an outstanding 52-9 (52 KOs) professional record. He was 18-5 in world title fights, 16-8 (6 KOs) versus world champions. defeating some of the biggest names in boxing during his 19-year pro career, such as Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Ayala, Marco Antonio Barrera and Wayne McCullough.

“We’re very happy to have such an experienced, highly-respected team of announcers working this great night of boxing for English and Spanish speaking boxing fans in North America,” Flipps Media spokesperson Michael Weber said. “They’re among the best in the business at their trades. Erik Morales is a boxing icon in Mexico.”

“Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.”, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with TGB, is available to watch in HD in English and Spanish on the www.Canelo-Chavez.com or Canelo vs Chavez Jr. Online PPV websites for a suggested retail price of $69.99.

Boxing fans can watch the entire Canelo-Canelo, Jr. Pay-Per-View card live on http://www.Canelo-Chavez.com on any computer or mobile device. All supporting events including the Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. press conference, weigh-in, and undercard fights will be streamed live globally FREE on the Canelo-Chavez.com website, the FITE.tv web site and on the FITE app available for iOS and Android devices.

The event is available for pre-order now at www.Canelo-Chavez.com

INFORMATION:

www.flipps.com
About Flipps Media:
Flipps delivers on-demand entertainment to any nearby connected TV from your mobile device without any additional hardware. The company has offices in New York and Sofia, Bulgaria and is backed by Tim Draper, Earlybird Venture Capital, and LAUNCHub. Flipps’ patented technology immediately works with over 350+ million connected TVs and is compatible with over 7,000 manufacturer models requiring no set up, no pairing devices, no cables, no dongles and no set top box

Philadelphia, PA. (May 4, 2017) – Christopher Brooker (11-3, 5 KO’s)will take on Oscar Riojas (14-7-1, 4 KO’s) on Friday, May 12th at The SugarHouse Casino.

The scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout will headline a card promoted by King’s Promotions.

Brooker was summoned to San Diego to help Canelo Alavrez prepare for Saturday’s mega showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr that will take place in Las Vegas.

Being that Brooker is a strong super middleweight, and Chavez having a similar build, it made sense that Brooker would get such a call to help out the Mexican Idol for the much anticipated showdown.

“I went to camp with Canelo in San Diego, and we ran in the mountains at 15,000 feet. I was there close to two weeks and sparred twenty rounds with him,” said Brooker.

“It was a great experience to be around a fighter who is one of the elite fighters in the world. He is so composed. I was brought into to pressure him and mimic Chavez, Jr. Canelo is such an experienced fighter, and I learned so much from him. He was showing me how to set up my shots, and even certain exercises with my neck.”

Brooker was very impressed with the whole team, and believes that this camp will take him to the next level.

“His team is so professional and down to earth. I am looking forward to this fight on Saturday. It will be a good fight. I was shocked to know that Canelo watched my last fight on ShoBox. They could tell that I was trying to box more and get a way from my brawling style that I had employed in most of my bouts. They gave me good advice, and told me not to change who I was when I was having a lot of success as a pressure fighter, and then to mix in the boxing aspect to my game.”

“I needed this. This will take my to another level.”

Also in a six-round bout:

Blake Mansfield (5-0-1, 2 KO’s) of Burlington, NC will fight Henry Beckford (4-6, 1 KO) of Coram, NY in a super middleweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Chaise Nelson (4-1, 3 KO’s) of Dayton, Ohio will take on aBryan Perez Nevarez (2-5-1, 1 KO) of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a featherweight bout.

Sam Orapeza (1-0) of Philadelphia battles Kyle McNutt (1-2, 1 KO) of Battle Creek, MI in a cruiserweight affair.

Jeffrey Torres (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will fight Kashon Hutchinson (2-2, 1 KO) in a battle of Keystone State based lightweights.

Isaelin Florian (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will take on an opponent to be named in a bantamweight bout.

Harold Lopez (1-0, 1 KO) of Bethlehem, PA will square off with an opponent to be named in a bantamweight fight.

THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY, MAY 9TH AT THE SUGARHOUSE CASINO BEGINNING AT 5 PM

Tickets are on sale for $100, $75, $50, and can be purchased at SugarHouseBoxing.eventbrite.com

ABOUT SUGARHOUSE CASINO
SugarHouse, which opened in September 2010 as Philly’s casino, features 1,891 slots, 103 table games, a 28-table poker room, fun and unique dining options, riverfront views and free on-site parking. The casino employs approximately 1,700 people, and for six consecutive years has been voted a “Best Place to Work” by the Philadelphia Business Journal and for five straight years a “Top Workplace” by Philly.com. For more information, visit www.sugarhousecasino.com.

Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® Jr. Welterweight Emanuel “Tranzforma” Taylor and his team arrived in Vegas on Monday evening, May 1st, before one of the biggest fights of his career. This Saturday, May 6th, on PPV, Emanuel will be taking on former Super Lightweight champion Lucas Matthysse in a 10 round Welterweight matchup on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. mega fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The fight will be contested for the WBA and WBO International Titles.

Emanuel Taylor had the honor of walking the red carpet Tuesday, May 2nd, surrounded by numerous boxing fans during the celebrated fighter arrival stroll in the magnificent MGM Grand Lobby accompanied by his fellow PPV fighters. With the days building up to the fight, Emanuel had an amazing media workout open to the public, at the MGM Grand Race & Sports Book on Wednesday, May 3rd, getting ready to head into today’s press conference that will be streamed live on Ring TV.

Taylor brings a record of 20-4-1, 14KO’S into the bout as his Argentinian opponent Matthysse carries an imposing 37-4, 34KO’s record.

The Edgewood, MD native knows the opportunity in front of him can be career changing and had this to say about his match with Matthysse, “Lucas Matthysse is a great fighter and a former world champion. He is a very good puncher and I know I have to be at my best to defeat him. I’ve had a great camp and I’m 100% confident that I will come out victorious on Saturday”.

Promoter Joe DeGuardia had these thoughts, “This is a huge fight for Manny. We all know how tough Matthysse is but I’ve never seen Manny so confident before a fight. A win will put him right into the thick of things in his division”.

The bout will be co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing® and will be part of the live Pay Per View Saturday night, May 6th.

ABOUT STAR BOXING ®
For a quarter century, Star Boxing keeps on swinging! Star Boxing has consistently delivered boxing events of the highest caliber and attracts loyal fans from all corners of the globe. From the Antonio Tarver – Roy Jones trilogy to the meteoric rise of Chris Algieri and Joe Smith Jr. from the Rockin’ Fights Paramount Series, Star Boxing continues to work with and develop world rated contenders and red hot prospects into future world champions. Star Boxing is revered worldwide throughout the industry for its credibility, integrity, and exciting fights.

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