Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Beats Brian Vera In Rematch, Lomachenko Falls Short Against Salido

Photos by Chris Farina for Top Rank

by Gautham Nagesh

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (above) was not raised as a fighter, and he doesn’t always behave like one. But the son of el Gran Campeon is a fighter nonetheless, and the ultimate argument for nature over nurture.

A focused, lively Chavez Jr. battered the game Brian Vera to win their super middleweight rematch convincingly in San Antonio on HBO Saturday Night. Chavez Jr. looked like a different fighter after making weight and preparing properly for the first time in recent memory. This version of Chavez Jr. was too big and too strong for Vera, blasting him with hard right hands for most of the fight.

The final result was a unanimous decision for Chavez Jr. Stiff Jab scored the fight 116-111 for Chavez Jr. Vera had his moments, since Chavez Jr. remains extremely hittable despite improved head movement. But Junior was the harder puncher, and used his jab to keep the fight outside for most of the rounds. Vera did better when things moved in close, but Chavez adjusted and scored with hard body shots up close. In the end Chavez was just too talented for Vera (below), a limited brawler with heart to spare.

Neither fighter seemed interested in defense for much of the fight, and were often content to stand and trade right hands. Chavez Jr. oozes machismo, to the point it turns off his many and vocal fans. They were further incensed by his decision to showboat and dance away for much of the 12th round, after it became apparent that Vera had no plans of quitting before the final bell. Such is life for Junior, who would have probably had to score a stoppage to quiet his many critics.

Vera landed a few clean right hands that rocked Chavez, but the Mexican has one of the best chins in the sport, even up at 168 lbs. Junior frequently ate punches to deliver his own, and his faced served as a testament to his dedication to that strategy over the full 12 rounds. Vera was stymied at times by the jab, but more frequently by the long left hooks and straight right hands Chavez was able to slam home.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. photo by Rafael Soto for Top Rank

This win cements Junior’s supremacy, and puts to bed the controversy after his disputed September win. Vera may have deserved that fight, but it would be hard to argue that he is a better fighter than Chavez Jr. Having moved up from middleweight, Chavez Jr. doesn’t lack for opponents at 168, but there is still talk of him moving back down for a rematch with Sergio Martinez or a fight with Gennady Golovkin.

We would prefer the former, simply because it seems like Golovkin is being handed everything on a silver platter of late. Sound like someone you know? Chavez Jr. responded to those accusations by fighting Martinez, and acquitting himself quite well in the process. At this point, one can no longer question his heart. How long someone with his earning potential and propensity for taking head shots should keep fighting is an open question. But we would expect a few more Pay Per View fights from Junior before he hangs up his gloves.

Orlando Salido photos by Chris Farina for Top Rank

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko fell short in his attempt to make history in the co-feature, losing a split decision to Mexican veteran Orlando Salido (above). Lomachenko looked out of his depth early, and many on Twitter questioned his decision to fight for an alphabet title in his second professional fight.

Nevertheless, Lomachenko showed beyond doubt that he belongs on the world level. After a slow start, he came on late and appeared to have Salido in serious trouble in the 12th round. To be sure, it wasn’t a perfect performance. The Ukrainian held a great deal on the inside and wasn’t busy enough in many rounds to win a decision. Saildo in many ways gave him a boxing lesson, and the savvy veteran did just enough to ensure he would keep his belt.

But in reality, that belt doesn’t mean a thing. Salido is simply the 6th-ranked featherweight in the world, and Lomachenko pushed him to limit over 12 rounds in just his second professional fight. I suppose you could argue the loss is a negative, but only if you’re the kind of shallow, record-obsessed type of person that most boxing writers claim they despite (ahem, Floyd Mayweather Jr.)

From where we sit, Lomachenko’s narrow loss to Salido taught him far more than spending two years knocking out chumps in four- and six-round fights. He showed he belongs among the contenders, and that he is already capable of fighting 10- and 12-round fights. Even if his next fight comes against slightly lesser competition, Lomachenko has already positioned himself for big fights at featherweight. Most importantly, he has set himself apart, and made sure that even casual fans know his name.

The reason we watch sports is to see people transcend limits and accomplish what we previously thought impossible. Lomachenko tried that tonight, and fell short. He has nothing to apologize for. If anything, he showed he’s more interested in being great inside the ring than in padding his bank account or making himself into some sort of box office superstar. Considering all the things we complain about in the sport these days, that sounds like a breath of fresh air.