Julio Chavez Jr International Conference Call
LOS ANGELES (May 1, 2017) Jump starting fight week on a high note, former
WBC Middleweight Champion *Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.* (50-2-1, 32 KOs) hosted
an international conference call ahead of his highly anticipated showdown
against *Canelo Alvarez* (48-1-1, 34 KOs) this Saturday, May 6, presented
live on HBO Pay-Per-View from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Chavez, Jr. was
joined by his legendary father, *Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr.,*trainer *Guillermo
“Memo” Heredia*, and Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions,*Oscar De La
Hoya *as he discussed his training camp and his upcoming fight.
Here is what Chavez, Jr., Chavez, Sr., and De La Hoya had to say on their
conference call:
*OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions*: We are
really excited to showcase two of the most popular fighters in the world
today who will clash on Cinco de Mayo weekend, May 6. It will be an
unforgettable event that people will really look forward to.
And the response has been amazing, not only with the sold-out arena but
with having to open up six more properties with the closed-circuit TV in
Las Vegas, the huge buzz around the fight. We know tickets are going
incredibly well. This fight is on HBO Pay-Per-View, I want to thank HBO who
is always fired up to work with. They are our broadcast partners here in
this incredible event.
*JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, SR., Former three division, six-time World
Champion:*Hello,
happy to be here.
*DE LA HOYA:* I want to take also this opportunity to thank Tecate, our
sponsor, BORN BOLD. The commercials have been running everywhere and thanks
to Tecate, the commercials with Sylvester Stallone and Canelo have done a
tremendous job in promoting an incredible event. I want to thank O’Reilly
Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet, for participating in this
wonderful event.
And now the trainer, Angel “Memo” Heredia. From what I hear Chavez, Jr. is
in incredible, incredible shape. We hear he’s on weight already, a few
pounds over, and it shouldn’t be a big deal. The weight is no problem, and
thanks to this man.
*GUILLERMO “MEMO” HEREDIA, Trainer to Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.: *Yes, I’m
very honored and happy to be part of this great fight, and just excited.
We’re just waiting for the day to come, which is almost a few days, so
we’re ready and excited for this event.
*OSCAR DE LA HOYA:* Next up now, with boxing in his blood, former four-time
WBC World Middleweight Champion. He’s proven that he is worthy of carrying
the legacy he inherited by his father, living legend and six-time world
champion, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr.
In his most recent performance, Chavez, Jr. met with highly-regarded
Dominic Britsch, winning by a unanimous decision in Monterrey, Mexico in
Nuevo Leon.
Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. will be putting his name and legacy on the line on May
6. And now let’s hear from the man himself, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
*Q. Julio, curious about, we talked to Canelo and we talked about the
magnitude of this fight within Mexican boxing communities, within all
Mexicans of the culture, how big of a deal it is. I would like to hear your
thoughts about how big you view it and if that has added anymore pressure
because you are fighting another Mexican, and of course, wants to uphold
the family name.*
*JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, JR.:* It’s very, very important for both fighters.
Yes, it’s very important for him, but the fact that it’s two Mexicans, I
think that this is one of the most important fights in the history of
Mexico.
*Q. And why do you think that, and do you feel a pressure to uphold your
family name as part of your role in trying to win the fight, because of
course, knowing how famous and how many big fights your dad won.*
*CHAVEZ, JR*.: I just feel, because it’s a great event; it’s a big event,
with two great Mexican fighters, and I feel that it’s my last opportunity,
and I’m going to take advantage of it and do the best I can.
*Q. You’ve been a world champion before and fought in some major fights in
your career, but even though this isn’t a world-title fight, is this to you
the biggest fight of your career, and if so, why, if, in fact, it is.*
*CHAVEZ, JR.:* Yes, I do feel that this fight is the biggest fight of my
career, just because it’s a big event, because of who I’m fighting and
because of the opportunity. I’m going to take advantage of it and make the
best of it.
*Q. How much bad feeling is there between you and Canelo? What are your
feelings towards him? This fight has been talked about for a long time,
it’s happening, and it seems to me you don’t particularly like one another,
but you can never quite tell. What’s your feelings about Canelo and how
much do you want to get in there and basically beat him up?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: Yes, there’s a real, true rivalry, and on Saturday night,
people are going to see firsthand this rivalry, how real it is. Obviously
we’re going to show it inside the ring.
*Q. Julio, I’ve seen video of you in this training camp, and you look to be
in incredible shape. What are you doing differently now, that you were not
willing to do over the past few years as your career went in the wrong
direction?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: The difference is I was listening to my corner, Mr.
Beristain, he had me doing certain training and I did it. It was very
difficult in the beginning getting used to this new regimen, but it’s
something that I did. I followed it and I think that’s the difference in
this fight.
*Q. As you look back at the five years since you were in a fight that was
this big, what do you think is the reason why your motivation soured for a
while?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: The difference is that I was younger, less experienced, and
over the years, I’ve learned from those kind of mistakes and the
inexperience that I had, and that’s difference between then and this fight.
*Q. When you watch Canelo’s biggest fights, what are the main
vulnerabilities in his game that stick out to you?*
*CHAVEZ, JR*.: One of the advantages is that he’s fought a lot of fighters,
not always in their prime. Also, he’s a smaller fighter. He’s a good
fighter but smaller for his division and I think that’s an advantage that I
have.
I want to congratulate my brother. I’m very happy for his victory against
Alvarez family, I know it’s difficult any time somebody loses, but it’s a
sport. With regards to that fight, it’s totally separate from my fight. My
fight is a different fight, different event, something that I have to focus
on. But I congratulate my brother. I’m very happy for his victory.
I think that there’s a lot of excitement. I’m very excited about this. I
think the people are excited about this and I want to thank everybody for
all the support, and I think that on May 6, we are going to put on a great
fight and everybody is going to be able to enjoy it.
*Q. How do you envision what’s going to happen in this fight in six days?
How do you feel about it, and also your weight?*
*CHAVEZ, JR*.: I feel a lot better, you know, when I train hard and I’m
focused, when I’m motivated as I am in this fight.
Also, with regards to the weight, I’m close to making weight already and
I’ve done everything I’ve been asked to do with regards to my diet. It’s
not easy, but I know when I focus on my diet and when I focus on making
weight, I can do it. I’ve done it before, and this is just one additional
time I’m doing it.
*Q. Memo, can you talk about the training since December and your last
fight?*
*MEMO HEREDIA: *Yes, we’ve been training for a while. The Monterrey fight
was a good beginning, a smaller fight, and it wasn’t as long a camp. This
one was much better. It was a longer camp. I feel Julio is really strong,
and always remember that Julio is a good fighter. He’s a smart fighter. And
with his preparation, I think the combination of things is going to make
for a great fight from Julio.
*Q. I know there’s been a lot of discussion about whether you’ll make the
weight or how you’re making the weight. I wanted to know, when it was being
discussed, this fight, how confident were you that when you finally agreed
to the 164.5, that you would be able to do it, or was there a little bit
of, like I hope I can do this, I think I can do this, I’m going to work
really hard to do this, but were there some anxious moments in there?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.:* I always felt that 160 was a possible weight that I could
make. When we were discussing this fight, I didn’t think it was an
obstacle, because I knew that if I want it and I worked hard enough, I
could go to 160.
The only difference was it going to be a lot of work. I felt it was going
to be a lot of work and it has been a lot of work. Therefore, 164.5, the
weight that we agreed to, I never felt that it wasn’t possible. It was just
going to be a lot of work to get there.
*Q. And even coming down a little bit from where you’ve had your most
recent fights, do you think that the way that you win this fight is because
you are a bigger guy than Canelo, you have a great chin, you always have,
and you also have good punching power; and that if you take a good big guy
and match him with a good guy that’s smaller, a lot of times the guy that
wins is the bigger man. Do you feel like your best asset is that you can go
out there and just push him around, impose your will on him and break him
down in that way?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.: *Well, it has been said that in boxing that that’s an
important factor; that the weight and the bigger person is always going to
have the advantage. That I think is true.
But I think with this fight, I’m just focusing on staying strong, making
the weight the right way so that I’m in there and able to compete at that
level. But I think really that this fight is going to come down to me being
intelligent, me being smart, and I think that’s going to be the difference,
also.
*Q. Do you think you can knock him out?*
*CHAVEZ, JR*.: Yes, I feel I can. I feel that I’m a bigger guy. I fought at
light heavyweight. He’s never thought fighters this size, and because of
that, if things pan out and I get the right shot, I think of course it can
happen.
*Q. I know your relationship with Canelo is not good. Is it because he
feels that you have not — you have not had to work that hard because of
your bloodlines, etc.? Is that why you think that he does not like you?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: The answer is, I don’t know specifically why he doesn’t like
me or this animosity exists. Maybe because I’m the son of Julio Cesar
Chavez, I don’t know. That could be one of the reasons.
You know, we don’t always pick who we’re going to, but I can tell you this:
I am the son of a legend, but some of — all of my accomplishments have
come from my work. I’m the one who wins these fights, and I think one of
the reasons they picked me is because I put on good fights. And I’m the
type of fighter that people want to see, and they know that this fight with
me will generate bigger revenue, and that’s another reason why this fight
is happening.
*Q. When you train, do you prefer to have your father around you, or does
that sometimes put so much pressure on you? How do you feel about that?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: I like my father to be around. It’s okay when he’s around.
It’s just important for him to understand that he’s not my trainer.
Sometimes we don’t always transmit instructions the way we would like for
them to come out, but I have my own trainer. I picked Nacho Beristain, who
is a great trainer; one of the best in the history of boxing.
But I will say that a lot of what I learned in boxing, I learned it
watching my father as a little kid. I grew up watching him my whole life,
and I learned a lot of what I know from watching my father.
*Q. What is it that motivates you the most to want to win this fight?*
*CHAVEZ, JR*.: Everything. I want to prove to everybody that I still can be
and fight at the very top levels. And also, I want to dedicate this fight,
I want to do well and dedicate this fight to my daughters.
*Q. Is this a great opportunity and could make you a star again, but what
if you lost?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: I don’t plan on losing. It’s not something I’m thinking
about. This fight and boxing is not about luck. It’s about hard work, and
it’s what you have in your heart. And if you work hard and your heart is in
it, you’ll have good results.
So no, it’s not luck, I don’t believe in luck, and I don’t plan on losing.
So there’s nothing for me to discuss regarding that.
*Q. What do you respect about Canelo?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: He’s a good fighter. He’s had good fights. He’s fought good
people, not always in their prime, but they have been good fighters, and I
have respect for anybody who jumps in the ring. Anybody who is willing to
go in the ring and fight deserves my respect.
I have no fear of anything, and I don’t fear my opponents. The only thing
that I worry about is myself. I’m the only thing that I have to worry about.
*Q. You talked a while ago about your pairing with Nacho Beristain for this
training camp. What made you make the decision to go work with one of the
most revered and respected trainers in boxing? Compared to the other
trainers you’ve worked with over the course of your career that got you to
obviously a very good record.*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: So why Nacho? The reason I chose Nacho is that I think he’s
a great Mexican trainer, and I think he has the correct character that
matches with me. I saw something in him, some type of connection, that I
felt would be very good for me.
It wasn’t easy making adjustments. Like anytime you have a new trainer,
it’s a difficult transition sometimes. But I felt that throughout the camp,
he taught me a lot of things, some things that I changed in my boxing, that
I think are going to help me the day of the fight. That’s the reason I
chose him.
*Q. We just had a spectacular worldwide fight viewed by millions halfway
around the world, and the boxing community is still buzzing about it. Are
you going to be able to build on that for your fight this weekend? Do you
think that is a big advantage and plus for you this weekend?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.*: This last fight this past weekend was exciting. It’s always
an exciting event whenever there’s a heavyweight match up at this level,
especially two guys who are action fighters and that’s what we saw this
past weekend.
And like everything in boxing, it’s about the styles. Good styles create
good fights and I think that’s what happened in that fight. And I think
that we’re going to build upon that thisSaturday, May 6. I think that my
style with my opponent is a fight set up for that kind of event: Action
fight with two styles that are going to be exciting for the people.
*Q. Was there ever a time when things weren’t going so well for you, maybe
after the Fonfara fight that you ever thought about hanging it up, or did
that never cross your mind?*
*CHAVEZ, JR.:* It may have crossed my mind at some point, obviously after
the Fonfara fight and the Reyes fight, those were two fights where I don’t
think that I had the same amount of passion that I needed to have.
But this fight is a lot different. This fight has created a lot of passion
in me, a lot of enthusiasm, and I think that that’s the difference in this.
Excited about this fight, and I think that you’re going to see a different
Julio that’s excited.
*OSCAR DE LA HOYA: *We will be sending out information for the coming days
in Las Vegas, and we will see you May 6 in the much-anticipated Canelo
Alvarez versus Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. fight. Thank you very much.
*Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.* is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy
Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts,
Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden
Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management, Matthysse
vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in
association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is
presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place on Saturday,
May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO
Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. are
priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general
admission and tickets are available for purchase at any MGM Resorts
International box office or concierge desk. Tickets also can be purchased
by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000 <(800)%20745-3000>.
Tickets for “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.” in theaters
nationwide are on sale now at www.FathomEvents.com
Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie
theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN).
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and
www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya,
@hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and
www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.com; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing,
@HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using
#CaneloChavezJr
