Four-time winner of the ?Trainer of the Year? award Freddie Roach predicts that if the ?Son of the Legend? Julio Cesar Chavez Jr follows his instructions by working effectively behind his jab then he could knock Irishman John Duddy out in ten or eleven rounds.
Chavez has been training under Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and has impressed both Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza with his dedication and hard work and his ability to take in all that Roach has taught him.
While there are some fight observers who claim Chavez Jr has been fed weaker opponents and he may find it tough to move to a new level and face a resolute fighter like Duddy, Ariza says boxing fans are going to be pleasantly surprised by Chavez whose power has always appeared deceptive.
The undefeated 24 year old Chavez has a record of 41-0-1, 30 knockouts and is coming off a unanimous ten round decision over Troy Rowland on the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto WBO welterweight title fight last November 14.
The 31 year old Duddy is similarly coming off a Pacquiao title fight against Ghana?s Joshuia Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13 this year in which Duddy scored a split decision win over Michael Medina of Mexico in a tough battle.
Concerns over Duddy making the weight for the WBC silver middleweight title were dismissed when the Irishman tipped the scales one pound under the 160 pound middleweight limit at 159 while Chavez tipped the scales on the dot at 160. One report said Duddy looked a little drawn while another said both fighters were in great shape.
The ?Latim Fury 15? fight card at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN over Studio 23 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Sunday.
After the weigh in Chavez Jr conceded that he needed to work with Roach: "for discipline, hard work and to get to the next level. I am going to show everyone what hard work really means when I get into the ring Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) . I know this is the most important fight of my career."
It is perhaps an even more important fight for Duddy who tends to suffer cuts across his eyebrows fairly easily but has learned to fight through it. He will have George Mitchell in his corner as cutman alongside trainer Harry Keitt.A fiercely competitive fighter Duddy trained for several weeks in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania and wound up his training at the famed Gleasons Gym in New York.
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