Chavez’s Big Alamo Stand

It was painfully unfortunate that someone had to lose–John Duddy, who although battered severly by Junior Chavez, left his fighting heart in the ring especially after being told by his cornermen that he needed a knockout to win

[BoxingGlove Notes]

A Furious Fight At Alamo

If anyone was not at the Alamo Dome, in San Antonio, Texas, nor was interested in pay-per-viewing the Silver Middleweight Championship elimination fight between an allegedly shop worn , “Irish” John Duddy, 29-1, 18 k.o.’s, and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.,40-1, 30 k.o.’s, the untested son of the legendary, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr., on Saturday, June 26, 2010, they missed a classic ring war that was reminiscent of  the historical trilogy between “Irish” Mickey Ward and the late Arturo “Thunder” Gatti.

It was painfully unfortunate that someone had to lose–John Duddy, who although battered severly by Junior Chavez, left his fighting heart in the ring especially after being told by his cornermen that he needed a knockout to win. By a unanimous fan vote there were cries for a rematch. It may not come to pass since super thinking boxing empressario, Top Rank’s Bob Arum is already thinking of matching Duddy with former W.B.A. Super Welterweight Champ, Yuri Foreman, and perhaps matching Junior Chavez with the newly crowned W.B.A. Super Welterweight, Miguel Cotto.

How’s that move for a boxing Chutz-pah? 

It was obvious that both fighters prepared well realizing that one of them would go to top the of line in title consideration and the other would probably have to start all over again. Duddy went to the Poconos to train and Junior Chavez astutely listened to Senator Manny Pacquiao’s advice and contracted hall of fame trainer Freddy Roach for only five weeks which many “experts” thought was too short of a time to train and correct, and also prepare.

The experts also thought the same, when Miguel Cotto was trained for only eight weeks by another hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward for his championship fight with Yuri Foreman. The experts were wrong on both counts.

From the very first round you could see that Junior Chavez, still only 24 years of age, was very focused and fighting taller. His physical appearance was very muscular, and instead of rushing in as he was prone to do before, he boxed using his powerful effective left jab followed by hard right hand punches and body punishing blows. Duddy, 31, and a courageous ring warrior, fought back, sometimes cutting the ring off from Chavez and trapping him on the ropes. But the Duddy advantage was short lived. Chavez began to punish Duddy repeatedly, cutting both eyes, and without a response. and staggering him almost to the point of knocking him down and maybe out.

Many times at the end of a round Duddy would stumble to his corner on unsteady legs.

This ring war continued in this fashion from round to round especually after the third round when Roach instructed Junior Chavez to punish the body more, as Duddy was moving forward leaving himself open for right hand and left hook punches. Although Duddy fought back bravely, even staggering a careless Chavez, you could sense that the better, stronger, and more versatile younger fighter would prevail.

The ringside Judges were all in agreement. Juergen Longo voted, 120-108, Glen Crocker, voted, 116-112, and Julie Lederman voted, 117-111 for Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., while I scored the fight, 118-112 also for Chavez. There was no doubt that Junior Chavez was the clearcut winner.

With his proud father standing in the ring, it is my opinion that Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., at this time has finally stepped out of his father’s shadow, although he will always be known as “Junior”.

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