April 19, 2015, Queens, NY Polish-born light-heavyweight, Andrzej “The Polish Prince” Fonfara, polished off Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. when he failed to come out for the tenth round after being put down for the first time in his career in the ninth round. Fonfara raised his record to 27-3, 1 NC, 16 KOs. Chavez Jr. fell to 48-2-1, 1 NC, 32 KOs. And he also proved that the apple can FALL far from the tree. Jr. is not Sr. The fight was held at the StubHub Center in Carson, California and televised by Showtime Championship Boxing.
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. didn’t want Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to fight Fonfara. It could have been because Sr. knew Jr. was moving up and was not fully acclimated to the weight. It could have been because Sr. knew Fonfara was extremely motivated and needed a win to get a title shot. It could have been because Sr. felt Jr. was overconfident. And/or, it could have been because Sr. knew Jr. was not in the best shape. Pick one, or two, or all of the above. But Father Knows Best.
Fonfara came out in the first round hard charging, looking to impose his will on Chavez Jr. He seemed to be paying homage to a 1990s hip-hop group, Onyx, whose debut album was entitled, Bacdafucup. Chavez Jr. is at his best when he’s moving forward, bulling ahead, but the Fonfara camp sought to take the fight to Chavez Jr. Fonfara pummeled Chavez Jr. throughout the fight using a long jab and quick combinations inside that connected to Chavez Jr.’s head and body. Every passing round convinced Fonfara that he had the superior fight plan, was the bigger and stronger man, and wanted the fight more than Chavez Jr. did.
Chavez Jr. had his moments, though only a few. But he kept moving in with his head which played directly into Fonfara’s point of attack. Chavez Jr. absorbed plenty of unnecessary punishment and did not seem to heed the directions of long-time cornerman/promoter, Joe Goosen. In the seventh round, the referee “mysteriously” deducted a point from Fonfara for thrusting his shoulder into Chavez Jr.’s head. Fonfara dominated the round so he probably got a 9-9 round. Fonfara continued to dominate a swollen and tired Chavez Jr. in the eight round.
The ninth round, as it turned out, was the last round. With under a minute left in the round, Chavez Jr. had Fonfara pinned against the ropes. Chavez Jr. threw a right hook to Fonfara’s body. Fonfara pivoted leaving a groggy-legged Chavez stumbling somewhat against the ropes, and that’s when Fonfara threw a tight left hook to the side of Chavez Jr.’s head that staggered him at first and then stiffened him next, causing him to have a “tree like” fall. Chavez Jr. hit the canvas for the first time in his career. When Chavez got up on very shaky legs, Fonfara jumped on him, it seemed that he, Chavez Jr., may not make it out of the round. To his credit, Chavez Jr. fought back, cornering Fonfara and throwing hard punches to the body, but Fonfara ended the round with a blistering combination that signaled to Chavez Jr. that it might not be wise to come out for the tenth round.
Chavez Jr. said after the fight during the interview that he was winning to which Showtime interviewer Jim Gray appeared to look aghast. Gray said, “Your dad warned you against taking this fight, and you decided to take it anyway, was he right?” to which Chavez Jr. replied, “Because maybe he’s right, but I fight for the people. I can lose, I can win, but I fight for the people.” Chavez Jr. claimed that he wanted a rematch with Fonfara, but a replay of the stoppage revealed that Chavez Jr. asked for the fight to be stopped. This is especially damaging to Chavez Jr. since his father was the ultimate “blood and guts” warrior who set the template for Mexican fighters having the most heart and grit in the sport today.
Chavez Jr. landed 118 of 328 punches thrown, and Fonfara connected on 285 punches out of 821 thrown. Fonfara want a rematch with Adonis Stevenson for the title. Stevenson is likely to avoid him. For Chavez Jr., who had not fought in over a year and moved up two weight classes from middleweight, he is definitely at a crossroads. He has all the advantages that any boxer could want, but he’s like the spoiled little rich child. It’s a shame because he really is talented and tough but does not dedicate himself. This leaves Canelo Alvarez as the undisputed king of Mexican fighters. Showtime is definitely disappointed, especially since Chavez Jr. had been fighting on HBO for years, and they finally landed him (probably for a tidy sum). And he loses in his first fight.
Hats off to Fonfara “The Polish Prince” who used “Polish” power to “Polish off” Chavez Jr.
Professor Clifford Benton can be reached at cliffb@puresportsny.com