Last night in San Potosi, Mexico, son of a legend Omar Chavez met unbeaten fellow Mexican Misael Rodriguez in a super-middleweight bout. And while Chavez, son of course of the great Julio Cesar Chavez, who sat at ringside, was the favourite to win, it was instead Rodriguez who got the victory. Rodriguez, a 2016 Olympic bronze medal winner, pounded out an at times fun to watch ten-round unanimous decision, the scores being 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94.
Rodriguez is now 15-0(7). Chavez falls to 41-9-1(28). “The Businessman,” as Chavez is dubbed, had won his last three.
There was some controversy at the fight’s official weigh-in, as Chavez needed extra time to make weight. The agreed weight was 169 pounds, with the rule being that neither man would weigh more than 186 pounds on the fight-day weight check. Chavez needed over five hours to finally come in at the contracted poundage.
In the ring, Rodriguez piled up points with his left jab, with Chavez seeming to do very little despite gesturing as though he had won the rounds. Rodriguez, though, was the far busier man, as well as the superior boxer. Chavez’ best moments came when he attacked the body, this drawing encouragement from his legendary father. But Chavez didn’t do enough, and Rodriguez was never hurt during the ten rounds. By the half-way stage, Rodriguez was in command.
Chavez had a decent round seven, but Rodriguez must have known he was comfortably ahead. Chavez never gave it the final rounds push he needed if he was going to save the fight. Yet at the final bell, Chavez appeared to think he had won the fight, with both men pumping the air. There was no controversy with the cards, however, and the right man clearly won.
It will be interesting to see where Rodriguez, now aged 30, goes from here, and how far he can actually go at world level. For 35 year old Chavez, who has never been stopped, it could be a long road back into anything like title contention. Chavez holds a win over Ramon Alvarez, brother of Canelo Alvarez. But that win took place some time ago.
