Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-2-1, 32 KOs) returns to the ring this Saturday night against hard-hitting Marco “Dorado” Reyes (33-2, 24 KOs) at the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, Texas.
The fight is part of a tripleheader and will be broadcast live on Showtime Championship Boxing at 10:00 pm, EST/7:00 pm, PST.
If their respective previous bouts are any indication of what viewers will see come Saturday night, both fighters have a lot to prove in what may be a classic Mexican brawl.
Chavez Jr. looks to bounce back from a TKO loss in April at the StubHub Center in Carson, California at the hands of Andrzej Fonfara. Since that defeat, Chavez Jr. has added former world champion and now veteran trainer Robert Garcia to his team as his lead trainer.
As important it is to note that Chavez Jr. has found a fitting coach, it’s also important to note that Reyes has been training with Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain for this bout. Although Reyes won his most recent bout, he did it in unimpressive fashion and looks to add a different element to his game with Nacho in his corner.
Both fighters look to cement their names in the Super Middleweight division and have taken all measures necessary to accomplish that.
Read on for the three keys to victory for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Header photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Footwork
Photo by Chris Farina
An underrated aspect of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s style has been the footwork he utilizes. Whether it’s used to move into a closer range against his opponent or slip punches, Chavez Jr. has found success when he isn’t a stationary target.
He demonstrated his ability to move around the ring against Bryan Vera in their second clash in March of last year. Chavez Jr. was able to pivot and move with ease while still being able to impose an aggressive style.
Reyes showed many vulnerabilities when facing David “El Destroyer” Lopez (then 41-14-1, 23 KOs) in his last outing. A slow, limited and 20-year veteran, Lopez was able to land clean shots and even drop Reyes in their bout earlier this year.
The same Reyes who showed up against Lopez will get battered and out-boxed by a Chavez Jr. who uses great footwork in the ring.
As long as Chavez Jr. is able to move in and out and side to side, he should have an easy fight come Saturday night.
Improved Corner
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will be under the watchful eye of his new lead trainer in Robert Garcia when he enters the ring against Reyes.
Garcia is a world class trainer that has boasted many careers into superstardom and will compliment Chavez Jr’s style of fighting.
During an interview with Fighthype.com, Chavez Jr. spoke about the improvements he has noticed since training at the RGBA gym in Oxnard, California.
“A lot of things change in my style. Back to the basics, work my jab and position… Use my abilities and not try to fight like Rocky,” said Chavez Jr. Chavez Jr. also noted that even though he has learned small things with Garcia, he believes they “are the most important things in boxing.”
The fact that Robert Garcia has decided to take Chavez Jr under his wing and into his gym proves the belief in potential he could bring out of Chavez Jr.
The improvements may not be drastically apparent in their first outing but any improvement should do. His last outing demonstrated a lack of authority in his corner that Robert Garcia should be the perfect fix for.
Left Hook to the Body
Photo by Soobum Im/USA Today Sports
Undoubtedly one of the keys for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to defeat Marcos Reyes is the body work he constantly employs, more specifically, the left hook to the body.
Much like his father, Chavez Jr. focuses on his body work in training and executes it often against his opponents in the ring. He puts his weight behind it and at close range, generates significant power.
Although Chavez Jr. had a dreary performance against world ranked Andrzej Fonfara in his last outing, Fonfora admitted the good liver shot Chavez Jr. possesses.
“I feel a couple body punches, he caught me like maybe two or three nice body punches in my liver,” said Fonfora via Fight Hub, “He punched me in the right place and I feel it.”
Having the ability to hurt a bigger fighter in Fonfara brings a certainty that Chavez Jr. can land and hurt a smaller fighter in Reyes with well-placed body shots.
