It's been more than a year since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KO) fought. He'll make his return on Saturday against the tough and determined Andrzej Fonfara (26-3, 15 KO) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The 29-year-old Chavez was last in the ring for his rematch with Brian Vera. Chavez won both fights by unanimous decision, though the first win came with some controversy.
After battles with his weight, conditioning and promotion, Chavez has moved up to light heavyweight where he could potentially join the title picture with a win over Fonfara. The latter proved his mettle in taking Adonis Stevenson the distance in May 2014. He floored Stevenson in that fight and made a good account of himself.
This one should be hard-hitting and entertaining. Here's how you can watch:
When: Saturday, April 18 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California
TV: Showtime
There's a lot of new things surrounding Chavez heading into this fight. He's fighting as a light heavyweight, even though this fight is at a 172-pound catchweight, per Diego Morilla of Ring TV. He has a new trainer in Joe Goosen and a new adviser and network in Al Haymon and Showtime after splitting from Top Rank and HBO.
With all the changes, Chavez and his team are hoping the fighter still gets the same result he's earned 48 times in the ring.
Chavez talked about returning from such a long layoff:
“I feel good, I feel fresh again. I stayed in the gym every day, training, working on my skills. I am really confident. I know Fonfara is a tough fighter, but I felt good in training and I am ready.”
He'll need to be. Fonfara is no slouch, and he's more accustomed to fighting above 168 pounds than Chavez, though the Polish fighter will be the one who has to drop a few more pounds for the bout. Chavez also carries the burden of needing to impress in his first fight under Haymon and on Showtime.
With an absence of more than a year, he needs to make his return in style to position himself for bigger fights. A bout between he and WBC light heavyweight champion Stevenson is a very real possibility should Chavez win on Saturday.
That would be the biggest 175-pound fight in quite a while from a commercial standpoint. It's a bout fans would undoubtedly turn out to see, but first, Chavez has to take care of some risky business against Fonfara.
There to Win
Anyone who has ever seen Fonfara fight knows he's not coming to Carson to simply say he stood in the ring with Chavez. The 27-year-old from Warsaw, Poland, is a gamer who makes up for anything he lacks in skill and athleticism with heart, toughness and a pretty decent right hand.
In his bout with Stevenson, Fonfara was getting mauled early on, but he withstood first- and fifth-round knockdowns to come on late in the fight. Stevenson spent a lot of energy trying to finish Fonfara, but he proved to be too tough. Once Stevenson tired, Fonfara came on and dropped the champion in the ninth round.
He didn't do enough to win, but he did impress. His performance in that fight has a lot to do with how he got the opportunity to face Chavez. Stevenson was the champion when Fonfara faced him. However, in some ways, a win against Chavez would be an even bigger accomplishment than beating Stevenson would have been.
Even after such a long layoff, Chavez is still one of the most popular fighters in the world. Beating him would easily be the biggest win of Fonfara's career.
Prediction
Fonfara will give Chavez some troubles early on with his length. He has a three-inch reach advantage. If Fonfara can stay on the outside, establish his jab and make the fight a boxing match, he has a chance to really cause Chavez some problems.
That's far easier said than done—especially for a fighter who isn't used to fighting that style. Chavez has excellent pursuit—when he's in good shape—and he has one of the most underrated chins in the sport. He wears opponents down with body shots and pressure, and that's what he'll do to Fonfara.
Chavez will be bleeding from somewhere on his face by the fifth round, but at the end of the bout, he'll be the winner after a late-round TKO in a good fight.
Article Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2432323-julio-cesar-chavez-jr-vs-andrzej-fonfara-fight-time-date-preview-tv-info
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