For a young boxer, Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.’s undefeated record shows a rapid rise in the middleweight division. But his problem was never in the ring. It has been in his name.
The 25-year-old Chávez Jr. lives in the long shadow cast by his boxing Hall of Fame father, Julio Cesar Chávez Sr., a six-time world champion who is regularly ranked among the 30 best boxers in the history of the sport.
Now it’s Junior’s turn at a title. Chávez Jr. on Saturday will fight Germany’s Sebastian Zbik at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the WBC middleweight championship.
“This is my opportunity to create my own history,” Mexico’s Chávez Jr. said this week from L.A. “My name is Julio Cesar Chávez. I’m proud of that name. But this is a chance to make my own name.”
If Chávez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 knockouts) can defeat Zbik (30-0, 10 KOs), he and Senior would become just the fifth father-son duo to win world boxing titles.
That list is short, but prestigious: Floyd and Tracy Patterson, Leon and Cory Spinks, Wilfredo Vazquez and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., and Guty Espadas and Guty Espadas Jr.
“It’s all I saw all my life,” Chávez Jr. said. “I saw what life my father had, and I always wanted to be a part of it.”
Both Zbik (fighting for the first time in the U.S.) and Chávez Jr. (trained by Freddie Roach) earned their time in the ring with busy resumes. But neither has a high-profile victory.
“I want to be someone in this world,” Chávez Jr. said. “I’m just as hungry as any other guy, and I want to win a title, just like every other boxer.”
Undercards for the fight begin on HBO at 8 p.m.
