Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is back in the ring after a year suspension and he gets ready to face Brian Vera in California on Saturday night on HBO. Is Chavez Jr. ready for this opponent? Many are saying it is an easy bout for the Mexican, but is Vera really that easy of a fight? Here are predictions for this bout as Mexico's second best boxer takes the ring in a return that many boxing fans anticipated.
Chavez Jr. is not the most graceful fighter. He's not the fastest and his defense is not the best. However, Chavez Jr. can load up and deliver painful blows once he is warmed up and his hands are loose. He will be dealing with an aggressive fighter in Vera. Will Chavez Jr.'s legs hold up and allow him to stay on the ring?
Vera is dangerous because he packs a wild, but very effective, flying hook. He's used the punch various times throughout his career and Sergiy Dzinziruk and Donatas Bondorovas both suffered losses because of this punch. The swinging right hook is the shot Chavez Jr. will have to avoid.
Chavez Jr. does pack a strong chin. He proved this in his bout against Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez. Chavez Jr. took punch after punch and though he tried making a joke out of the pain, he was getting hurt. Despite all the punches landed by Martinez, Chavez Jr. summoned the bravery to go for the home run late in their bout and almost scored the winning K.O.
Overall, the bout looks pretty even, with a slight tilt to Chavez Jr.
Though Chavez Jr. comes in with the more experience, Vera is the more agile fighter, constantly moving his head and is a bit more agile than Chavez Jr. However, Vera's weakness is that he likes to brawl. He packs a punch and can hurt Chavez Jr., but how painful and effective can his punches be if Chavez Jr. is used to getting hit?
This could be a bloody bill if Chavez Jr. and Vera brawl. However, if Chavez Jr. cannot get the more agile boxer up against the rope, this fight will go in Vera's favor. Chavez Jr. does his work on the ropes, but Vera can use his speed to escape the attack.
Prediction: Chavez Jr. will use his weight and power to cut the ring and defeat Vera in 10 rounds.
Who do you think will win this bout?