Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andrzej Fonfara successfully made weight on the scales yesterday prior to their 172-pound catchweight bout tonight at the StubHub Center, Carson, California.
At the Crowne Plaza, Los Angeles, Chavez Jr. (48-1-1, 32 KO), a former Middleweight World Champion, came in at 171.5 lbs with his Polish opponent Fonfara (26-3, 15 KO) also hitting 171.5.
Both fighters looked trim on the scales, but perhaps Fonfara looked the less dehydrated of the two – then again, it’s not unusual to see Chavez Jr. looking a little drained at weigh-ins. During all his years campaigning at Middleweight, observers had often commented that he appeared emaciated – but come fight night, bar Sergio Martinez, he always bagged the win.
However, all that ballooning overnight is not always good news for a fighter’s body. It can take its toll. But perhaps at 172 lbs, Chavez Jr. will be feeling the strain a little less now. Fonfara may well be adding another 10 lbs to his frame overnight. As for Chavez Jr., it’s anyone’s guess – it’s been said he has added 15+ pounds of mass in past fights.
Chavez Jr., who hasn’t fought in 13 months (likely due to failed negotiations with England’s Carl Froch), said he was excited to be making a comeback. He seemed to have no regrets about picking a tough, durable opponent in spite of his inactivity, and said fight fans can expect the usual fireworks. We sure hope so, Chavez.
SHOWTIME Video: Chavez Jr vs Fonfara Weigh-In
When interviewed, Fonfara was also confident of victory, but expressed he wasn’t going in looking for the knockout. “It doesn’t matter how I win, decision or knockout,” the former Light Heavyweight title challenger said. “If I stop him, I stop him.”
And it should be noted that Fonfara is no joke. He may not be a household name like Chavez Jr., but he almost became one when he dropped 175-pound supreme Adonis Stevenson in May 2014. The guy can punch. And he comes to fight.
And we of course know his dance partner for tonight can, too. If this is the same all-action Chavez Jr. we’ve come to know, we can expect a good, hard fight between them. (watch Chavez Jr vs Fonfara Preview)
And what of the rumor-mill churning out that Chavez Jr. – should he win – could be getting a crack at Adonis Stevenson? Most boxing fans would shun this matchup, and rightly so. How long do we really have to wait for Stevenson vs. Kovalev!
Chavez Jr. is a great fighter, but this matchup would seem to serve as little more than another gap-filler like that recently involving Sakio Bika – albeit generating significantly more dough. Given Stevenson and Chavez Jr. are both under Al Haymon’s wing, this could well be a rumor that is set to turn into a real headline very soon.
Also weighing in was Florida’s Amir Imam (16-0, 14 KO), one of boxing’s most closely watched prospects facing Walter Castillo (25-2, 18 KO) on the night’s undercard. Fighting at Junior Welterweight in a scheduled 10-rounder, Imam weighed in bang on the 140 lbs limit while Castillo came in at a ready 138 lbs.
We will no doubt see the young Imam being matched against a solid 140-pounder within the year if he can get past this obstacle.
Let us know your take on Chavez Jr. vs Fonfara in the comments. How do you see this fight playing out?
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