Freddie's magic touch

June 28th, 2010

Watching the fights of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. used to serve as cure for my insomnia. It was my alternative medicine in lieu of Floyd Mayweather fights. I would usually start yawning by round 6 and would be asleep by round 9 when Chavez starts running out of gas. I even thought this kid was not serious about boxing and was just enjoying the attention he was getting by living under the shadow of his legendary Dad. With his good looks, he can get himself a leading man role in Mexican telenovelas like “Marimar”. It appeared to me like Uncle Bob was doing an endless build-up on this kid by feeding him with zombies as opponents in order to balloon his undefeated record. The only fighter who gave him one hell of a night was Matt Vanda. And I believe Vanda should have won during their first battle.

But I was given hope when I learned that Chavez hired P4P Coach Freddie Roach as his trainer for his date with Ireland’s John Duddy. A fight with Duddy would be his first test on his readiness to face elite opponents in his coming fights and eventually for his first world title. Hence, he needed the best preparation for the fight and he needed the best Trainer there is out there.

Freddie Roach is the kind of trainer who doesn’t just welcome every boxer who knocks at the door of the Wild Card Gym. If you make it inside, it means that there is something special in you. He only wastes his time on boxers who possess a certain aura of greatness in them. And when he takes you in and realizes later on that he was wrong, then he’ll call it quits with you. Thus Chavez Jr. had something to prove with Roach when the legendary Coach accepted the offer. His performance against Duddy will decide whether he can keep on training at wild card or should look for a new trainer after.

Last Saturday’s fight was one hell of a battle. I saw it as the busiest twelve rounds of each boxers’ career. The trade of heavy blows seemed endless. Duddy’s chin was granite hard. Chavez also appeared to be a different kind of fighter in this fight. He was more accurate in his punches and was wiser in using his power. He connected big shots which stunned Duddy big time though the Irish pug never ever went down. It may not be the perfect execution by Chavez, but he deserved credit for the great improvement in his ring generalship, stamina and accuracy. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has just made a statement that he is ready to fight top caliber oppositions and that he is not that bad for a legend’s son after all. His convincing win added a little amount of truth to the slogan “La Legenda Continua”.

The Chavez win proved that in as much as Freddie Roach is not King Midas whose touch can turn everything into gold, he is a wizard who can turn good and hardworking boxers into World Champions. Manny Pacquiao could still have become a multi-division champion without Roach. But it was Coach Freddie who brought Pacman to the throne where he is currently seated. It always works both ways. Good fighter plus good coach equals Boxing Glory for both. If one either of them screws it up, then party’s over. It even makes me think at times that the soul of the legendary coach Eddie Futch has been transferred to Coach Freddie who was his good student.

Right now, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is Roach’s new project in the making. For sure it will still be a lot of work for both the mentor and student but Chavez’s latest showing proved that he has so much to offer. With the WBC Silver Belt on his waist, it can be the gold belt next for the undefeated Mexican.