NSAC hits JCC Jr. where it hurts, in the pocket book

09/14/201603/01/2013 ESB

chavez56 By Paul Strauss: Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.’s fans are crying foul. They feel their hero is being unfairly singled out and picked on for doing something as simple as smoking a joint(s). What’s the big deal they say? It’s not like he is engaging in blood doping, or using some other performance enhancing drug. After all, marijuana just makes you mellow, right?

Apparently, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) doesn’t feel that way. For one thing, this is JCC Jr’s second offense. You might recall, he was previously busted for testing positive for using a banned diuretic. Fighters use such substances to dehydrate and help make weight, but they also them to mask banned substances. Hence, the concern by commissions.

In this case, the NSAC suspended JCC Jr. for nine months and fined him $900,000, which reportedly is about 30% of his purse for the Sergio Martinez fight.

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Chavez Jr. receives 900K fine and 9 month suspension

03/01/201303/01/2013 ESB

By Bill Phanco: The Nevada State Athletic Commission came down with by far their biggest fine ever given to a fighter by fining former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. $900,000 and giving him a 9 month suspension for him testing positive for marijuana for his last fight in September against Sergio Martinez.

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Chavez Jr. expected back in the ring in May with new trainer Beristain

12/28/201212/26/2012 ESB

By Bill Phanco: It looks as if trainer Freddie Roach is on the way out as trainer for former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s), according to Doghouseboxing.com. Roach’s replacement is said to be legendary trainer Nacho Beristain, the same guy that molded Juan Manuel Marquez’s career.

Chavez Jr. returning to the ring in May could hinge on his upcoming suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for him testing positive for marijuana for his last fight in September. If the commission gives him a lengthy suspension then the May fight date obviously won’t happen. However, he’s expected to receive a shorter six month or less retroactive suspension and that would enable him to fight because the suspension will have started from September 2012. Matthew Macklin is one of the possible opponents that Chavez Jr. could face if he returns to the ring in May. If Chavez Jr. wins his next fight, he’ll be meeting Sergio Martinez in a rematch in September 2013.

Roach did a pretty good job as Chavez Jr’s trainer. There was only that one loss that Chavez Jr. suffered recently to Sergio Martinez that marred Roach’s otherwise near perfect job with Chavez Jr. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot that Roach could do with Chavez Jr. as you saw with his latest training camp for the Martinez fight.

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Chavez Jr. could sack Roach and replace him with Beristain

12/19/201212/18/2012 ESB

By Jeff Sorby: Trainer Freddie Roach’s bad luck could be about to get even worse, as fightnews.com is reporting that Roach might possibly get the sack by former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The replacement, if it happens, will be Nacho Beristain, the trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez.

It’s a move that would make sense for Chavez Jr. because there wouldn’t be the language issue by switching to the Mexican Beristain. It would also make training easier because Chavez Jr. wouldn’t have to travel to Los Angeles, California to train with Roach. Chavez Jr. could stay in Mexico and trainer there with Beristain.

It’s a logical move and I can understand why Chavez Jr. might want to do that. Also, Beristain has the hot hand right now with his fighter Marquez’s recent impressive 6th round knockout win over Manny Pacquiao. I doubt that Beristain would be under consideration if Marquez had been the one knocked out.

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Chavez Jr. receives suspension

09/14/201610/10/2012 ESB

By Rob Smith: Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. received the first part of his suspension yesterday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana for his fight last month against Sergio Martinez. This is a temporary suspension until the Commission can sit down and decide on the young 26-year-old Chavez Jr’s case either at the end of this month or next month, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada Commission, said to ESPN “He [Chavez Jr] had a license to fight in Nevada and we suspended it pending a hearing. Chavez had no objection to it. He wasn’t going to fight again this year anyway…I can’t imagine the suspension will be any less than six months.”

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Sergio Martinez named WBC Fighter of the Month for September for win over Chavez Jr

09/14/201610/06/2012 ESB

By Marcus Richardson: Sergio Martinez’s win over WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last month on September 15th has earned the 37-year-old Martinez WBC’s Fighter of the Month for September. Saul Alvarez was given Honorable mention for his win over Josesito Lopez on the same date.

Martinez’s win was extra special though as he wasn’t fighting someone a division or two below him like Alvarez was with Lopez. Martinez was actually out-sized by the 180+ pound Chavez Jr. in this fight and yet was still able to dominate him with ease for 11 rounds before having to hang on in the 12th to preserve the win after getting careless and knocked down by the young 26-year-old Chavez Jr.

Martinez never flinched as he got back to his feet and kept firing away with his own power shots until the bell rang. That little bit of drama helped Martinez because now boxing fans are interested in seeing a rematch between him and Chavez Jr. Had Martinez not been dropped then there would be demand for a second fight between them.

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Chavez Jr. denies smoking marijuana

09/14/201610/05/2012 ESB

(Photo credit: Adrian Hernandez) By Rob Smith: In an interesting development former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) is now coming out after nearly three weeks to comment on his positive marijuana test result for his last fight against Sergio Martinez last month on December 15th. Believe it or not, Chavez Jr. is saying that he never actually smoked the marijuana that he tested positive for. Instead of smoking it, Chavez Jr. says he drank with his tea.

Chavez Jr. said this as quoted by the Record.com.mx “In California it is legal cannabis (marijuana), so I was told, it would help me sleep and relax, and when I checked with the doctor told me that the only problem was the smoke, so I made a tea or few drops … and that’s what I took, but I have never smoked marijuana…I have problems with nerves…I am not a drug addict.”

A doctor? So we’ve got another fighter that is under the doctor’s care for a banned substance. We had IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson come and say he was under a doctor’s care when he tested positive for synthetic testosterone while training for a rematch with Amir Khan.

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Sulaiman doesn’t want Chavez Jr. vs. Martinez immediate rematch

09/14/201609/29/2012 ESB

By Marcus Richardson: If WBC president Jose Sulaiman gets his way there won’t be an immediate rematch between former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) and newly crowned WBC champion Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) in early 2013. Sulaiman says that the WBC doesn’t allow immediate rematches for one-sided fights like the September 15th fight where Chavez Jr. took a real pounding in losing by a lopsided 12 round decision to the 37-year-old Martinez.

Sulaiman said to fightnews.com “The WBC is not in favor of immediate rematches, unless there is overwhelming public demand due to some unusual circumstances in the first fight. The fight was one-sided…There was no unusual circumstances to necessitate an immediate rematch.”

Of course there wasn’t. It’s painfully obvious that this is just an opportunity for Chavez Jr., Martinez and Top Rank to make a lot of money in a rematch that could take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas. It’s not a fight that’s in high demand but rather a fight that would do well because all of Chavez Jr’s fights do well. Id venture to guess that Chavez Jr. could fight at the Cowboys Stadium against pretty much any middleweight in the division and the fight would pack in at least 40,000 fans and do well on HBO pay per view.

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Chavez Jr. receives small fine from WBC for positive drug test

09/14/201609/26/2012 ESB

By Rob Smith: Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) is getting off without much punishment from the World Boxing Council for having tested positive for marijuana for his last fight against Sergio Martinez on September 15th. Chavez Jr. will receive a $10,000 fine and will be asked to attend a rehabilitation treatment class by the WBC.

As far as suspensions go, the WBC won’t be suspending Chavez Jr. at all despite this being his second drug offense in addition to a DUI incident earlier this year.

WBC president Jose Sulaiman said on the World Boxing Council website “As president of the WBC, I have got in touch with the Board of Governors, and we have decided to fine him $10,000 USD. That money will be donated to an institution for children who suffer from cancer. We also are asking Julio to attend a rehabilitation center and want official confirmation that he’s so doing…The WBC won’t suspend Julio Cesar for an undefined time, because that is not going to help him.”

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Chavez Jr.’s actions leave much to be desired

09/14/201609/24/2012 ESB

By Emilio Camacho, Esq. In life, some people have it better than others. For various reasons, not everyone has the same opportunities and access to resources. In this respect boxing is no different.

In boxing, having the right equipment, training facilities, nutrition, sparring partners, and money to cover personal expenses while training, can make a big difference in the performance of an athlete. This is an aspect of a boxer’s performance that is not readily apparent during the match.

On the one hand, Sergio Martinez represents one aspect of this idea. Martinez has stated that, in the year 2000, after paying all expenses, he made about $900 for fighting Antonio Margarito. Martinez was already in his third year as a professional boxer. He has often recounted how difficult it was to live and train with such a low budget while trying to compete at a world-class level. To this extent, it is remarkable that he has been able to reach the highest level of the sport. Today, Martinez is able to afford high-level training camps, nutritionists, quality sparring partners, and even a personal tailor to promote his image. In short, Martinez made it to the highest level under significant adverse conditions that often break the boxing career of many others.

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