AS all the build-up to the European title clash between Jamie Moore and Ryan Rhodes gets the boxing fans talking, this week news came through to both camps that the fight has gained official eliminator status for the WBC light-middleweight championship. Great news!!!
However, what isn’t such great news is that the mandatory position for Sergio Martinez’ title has gone to one Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. Now for some older fans,, and those of you who know the great fighters of the past, you’ll recognize the name.
Julio Cesar Chavez was an all-time great who fought for and won several world titles. However, although he shares the same genes as his father, Junior doesn’t share a great deal else when it comes to his boxing career.
While his father fought some great names and was seen as a true Mexican warrior, Jnr has struggled to gain respect due to the quality of opponents fought and some of the performances he’s produced against such average competition. He turned professional very young, and was given the time to get through the usual suspects and the expected padding of the record that was always going to be afforded a national hero’s son. But where he is now, 40-0 with 30 KOs I genuinely believe that the winner of Jamie Moore v Ryan Rhodes deserves a crack before Chavez Jnr.
They have both had real fights against real fighters and their fight sees No. 3 and No. 7 WBC ranked boxers squaring off against each other whereas the majority of Jnr’s opponents’ records are just terrible when you look at them in depth.
To be honest, if I was Kermit Cintron I would be even more upset at missing out on the mandatory challenge in favour of Chavez Jnr! The last fight WBC champion Martinez had was a majority draw against Cintron, and did Kermit take an easy fight to build towards another crack? No. He went straight in against the much-feared Alfredo Angulo who, if we’re honest, not a lot of top 10 boxers wanted to risk their rating against, mainly as he had 13 KOs in his 16-fight unbeaten record. The fight was made an eliminator for the WBC title and Cintron came away with a unanimous points victory over the previously undefeated puncher.
In my opinion, Cintron, Moore and Rhodes would all beat Chavez Jnr. So now he’s been given the opportunity to fight for the title, I’ll be rooting for him as I feel it’s an easier fight than the tricky Martinez, although he is very much beatable also.
For Moore and Rhodes, the door is open for one of them to slip into the Premier League. The game always has and always will throw up opportunities for boxers that some of us don’t think deserve them or think that their favourite boxer should be in there instead, but if Chavez Jnr goes and beats Martinez then his opportunity to jump the queue will be justified I suppose.
However, what isn’t such great news is that the mandatory position for Sergio Martinez’ title has gone to one Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. Now for some older fans,, and those of you who know the great fighters of the past, you’ll recognize the name.
Julio Cesar Chavez was an all-time great who fought for and won several world titles. However, although he shares the same genes as his father, Junior doesn’t share a great deal else when it comes to his boxing career.
While his father fought some great names and was seen as a true Mexican warrior, Jnr has struggled to gain respect due to the quality of opponents fought and some of the performances he’s produced against such average competition. He turned professional very young, and was given the time to get through the usual suspects and the expected padding of the record that was always going to be afforded a national hero’s son. But where he is now, 40-0 with 30 KOs I genuinely believe that the winner of Jamie Moore v Ryan Rhodes deserves a crack before Chavez Jnr.
They have both had real fights against real fighters and their fight sees No. 3 and No. 7 WBC ranked boxers squaring off against each other whereas the majority of Jnr’s opponents’ records are just terrible when you look at them in depth.
To be honest, if I was Kermit Cintron I would be even more upset at missing out on the mandatory challenge in favour of Chavez Jnr! The last fight WBC champion Martinez had was a majority draw against Cintron, and did Kermit take an easy fight to build towards another crack? No. He went straight in against the much-feared Alfredo Angulo who, if we’re honest, not a lot of top 10 boxers wanted to risk their rating against, mainly as he had 13 KOs in his 16-fight unbeaten record. The fight was made an eliminator for the WBC title and Cintron came away with a unanimous points victory over the previously undefeated puncher.
In my opinion, Cintron, Moore and Rhodes would all beat Chavez Jnr. So now he’s been given the opportunity to fight for the title, I’ll be rooting for him as I feel it’s an easier fight than the tricky Martinez, although he is very much beatable also.
For Moore and Rhodes, the door is open for one of them to slip into the Premier League. The game always has and always will throw up opportunities for boxers that some of us don’t think deserve them or think that their favourite boxer should be in there instead, but if Chavez Jnr goes and beats Martinez then his opportunity to jump the queue will be justified I suppose.
Comment