His name is synonymous with all that's wrong with contemporary boxing. Lazy, arrogant, entitled, unserious and unprofessional are all words fans have been apt to call Julio Caesar Chavez Jr over the past several years. Indeed, the son of boxing legend Julio Caesar Chavez has gone from boxing royalty to boxing punchline.
But what if all that's about to change?
Sure, the younger Chavez has shown signs of being a troubled kid, but kids grow up. Even overgrown kids eventually do sometimes. They become mature, responsible and serious. They shed the shackles of their Augustinian youths and move on to more laudable endeavors.
What happens if that's the case with Chavez Jr? What if the young Mexican steps into the ring in California on Saturday and does to the rugged and talented Andrzej Fonfara what Adonis Stevenson simply wasn't able to do when he fought Fonfara last year?
What, in short, will happen if Chavez looks GOOD this weekend?
For starters, I think the criticism will dry up considerably. That's the thing with boxing. Fighters are generally one profound act away to improving their reputations. No one's accusing Floyd Mayweather of being a ducker anymore. What's more, Robert Duran ceased being called a quitter after redeeming himself in a hard fought loss to Marvin Hagler.
Boxing is simply one of those endeavors that has a way of wiping the slate clean. It's one of the things that makes the sport a truly noble endeavor. Will Chavez Jr. wipe his own slate clean on Saturday? I personally hope so. The Twitter mob can be far more harmful than any opponent in the ring, after all.
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