Last September Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. nearly shocked the world.
After playing the role of victim for 11 rounds against Argentinian megastar Sergio Martinez , a collective gasp was felt after Chavez dropped the middleweight kingpin in the final round of the bout. However, Martinez rose to his feet, got his legs back under him and went on to win the bout via decision. ”
Although he didn’t win the bout, Chavez proved one thing — that he is better than we all thought he truly was. This Saturday night Chavez moves up a weight class to face the “The Contender” alumni Brian Vera.
Let’s take a closer look at one of boxing’s most intriguing bouts of the year.
Brian Vera (23-6, 14KOs)
He may not be the strongest or fastest boxer but Vera is one of the toughest middleweights out there and he finally seems to be coming into his own.
After a surprising 10th round TKO of former Martinez adversary Serhiy Dzinziruk, Vera is riding a tide of great momentum going into his showdown with Chavez.
Vera will definitely be the smaller man on Saturday night but you can be assured that he will be the better conditioned and more active fighter. Vera usually fights aggressively and in volume but we’d expect him to mix that up with his above average footwork to set Chavez up for counters. If he lays the bait correctly, Chavez will bite. Vera must avoid brawling as often as he can and choose to be the boxer against the flat-footed Chavez.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32KOs)
Armed with the chin of his pops, Chavez was arguably the most durable fighter in the middleweight division and the classic “stalk your prey” style is in full effect when you tune into one of his bouts.
You can bet the jump to the 168 lb. division is a welcoming task to Chavez as he’s had trouble making weight for quite sometime. However, reports of Chavez having trouble making the weight for the bout seem to be true and the limit has now been pushed to 173.
For him to win on Saturday, Chavez must start faster than he usually does. His Achilles heel has always been facing true boxers so he’ll have to make Vera feel his power early. He will pressure Vera often since he will undoubtedly be the stronger man going into the fight.
The Bottom Line
According to Bodog, Chavez (-1400) is the clear favorite against the very live underdog Vera (+750). If the reports of Chavez struggling to make weight are true, Vera has a huge shot to score the upset tomorrow night. Chavez has been known to take opponents lightly in the past and if he does the same against Vera, an upset special is upon us.
Zachary Hutton is the lead boxing writer and an MMA contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can see what he’s up to at his band’s website myunclethewolf.com or also subscribe on Facebook.
