By Ian S Palmer
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Dominik Britsch Preview December 10th
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of Mexico returns to the ring this Saturday, December 10th when he takes on Dominik Britsch of Germany in a 10-round catch weight bout at 169 lbs at the Arena Monterrey in Mexico. This is Chavez’s first fight since July of 2015 when he beat Marcos Reyes by a 10-round unanimous decision. Britsch last fought in February when he beat Slavisa Simeunovic by an eight-round unanimous decision. Chavez is a former WBC Middleweight Champion who has had his problems outside of the ring and was banned nine months and fined $900,000 in 2013 for testing positive for an illegal substance. The bout can be seen live in the U.S. and Mexico on beIN Sports Espanol.
The 30-year-old Chavez will enter the ring with an impressive record of 49-2-1 along with 32 Kos. His two losses were a unanimous decision to former WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez of Argentina in September of 2012 and a ninth-round stoppage at the hands of Andrzej Fonfara in April of 2015. However, Chavez had Martinez down and in deep trouble in the last round in their title fight before the bell arguably saved Martinez. Against Fonfara though, Chavez suffered a beat of a beating. Chavez might have to eventually move up to the 175 lb light heavyweight division after having trouble making the weight in the super middleweight division and that’s the reason for the catch weight.
Chavez stands 6-feet-1-inch tall with a 73-inch reach and has 283 rounds under his belt since turning pro back in 2003. He has pretty good power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 60 per cent. Chavez is a powerful boxer with a pretty solid chin and is hard to keep at bay when he lets his hands go. Most of his knockouts come on an accumulation of blows rather than just once punch. He’s relentless when at his best as he’ll apply the pressure to the body and head and keep moving forward until he eventually breaks his opponent down. Chavez’s biggest wins have been over Brian Vera (twice), Andy Lee, Marco Antonio Rubio, Peter Manfredo Jr. and John Duddy. He also fought to a six-round draw with Carlos Molina in 2005.
The 29-year-old Britsch enters the bout with a record of 32-2-1 with 11 Kos to his name. He stands just over 5-feet-9-inches tall and has an unlisted reach. Therefore he’s giving up almost four inches in height to Chavez. His two career losses have been to Soufiene Ouerghi by eight-round majority decision in April of 2014 and an eighth-round stoppage at the hands of Roberto Santos in September of 2012. He also fought to a 12-round split-decision draw with Santos in February of 2012. Britsch has fought 229 rounds since he turned pro back in 2006. He doesn’t have much in the way of power with a current knockout ratio of just 31 per cent. Britsch has fought mainly Grade B and C opponents with the only recognizable opponent to most fans being Billy Lyell.
Prediction…
Chavez will have some ring rust to work through and even though he’s lost some speed and his dedication to the sport has been questioned, he’s facing an average opponent in his homeland of Mexico. Even if Chavez isn’t at his best, it’s hard to see him losing at home on the scorecards. Look for Chavez to beat Britsch by decision or late stoppage.
