By Norm Frauenheim

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s arrest on charges of being in the United States illegally just days after a loss to Jake Paul in an exhibition devoid of punches, energy and drama leaves questions about why he was allowed to fight despite an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged involvement with organized crime. 

According to multiple reports, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services alerted enforcement agencies about Chavez last year, saying he “is an egregious public safety threat.’’ 

Yet, he had reportedly been in the U.S. since January 4, training and licensed by the California Athletic Commission to fight Paul, a popular social-media influencer who beat him by unanimous decision in a state-sanctioned cruiserweight fight last Saturday in Anaheim

ICE agents arrested him Wednesday, while he was riding a scooter in front of his residence in Studio City. Chavez, whose tourist visa reportedly expired in February 2024, is due to appear in court on Monday. U.S. authorities are seeking to deport him, also according to multiple reports.

As of Thursday, there was no public statement from Paul about the arrest of Chavez, who has been linked to the Sinaloa cartel by law enforcement. 

Both Chavez and Paul appeared at promotional events, including news conferences and the weigh-in before the pay-per-view bout streamed live by DAZN. Paul’s company, MVP, was among the promoters.

Chavez, 39, is the son of Mexico’s most enduring boxing legend, Julio Cesar Chavez, El Gran Campeaon Mexicano —The Great Mexican Champion. There are few gyms in Mexico and the U.S. that don’t include a framed photo or rendering of the senior Chavez hanging from one of the battered walls. 

Dad was a feared champion in multiple divisions. His son is a former middleweight champion. But Junior’s boxing history is problematic, despite the powerful name, still a drawing card.

Including the loss to Paul, he’s 3-4 over his last seven fights, including a wild sequence of events that included a loss to Danny Jacobs December 20, 2020 at the Suns home arena in downtown Phoenix. 

First, Chavez had to get an injunction on a ruling against him in Nevada, which had suspended him for not undergoing all of a mandated medical exam. The injunction allowed him to get licensed in Arizona. 

On the morning of the weigh-in, however, he missed weight, coming in 4.7 pounds heavier than the contracted 168. A compromise was reached. Jacobs, a super-middleweight, agreed to fight him at a catch weight, 173. 

The fight itself, however, sparked a near riot among the crowd of about 10,000 fans, who threw beer, cups, a chair or three and other debris into the ring when Chavez quit on the stool, losing a fifth-round TKO. 

Chavez Jr. could not continue, he said, because of a broken nose and a fractured hand. A couple of days later, Chavez posted a video of himself in a hospital bed with his father at his side. 

That video was followed by another one of him celebrating at a Christmas party. The reaction on social media was predictable. There was skepticism. And more anger.

Yet, Chavez fought six more times, including the loss to Paul in an exhibition the saw him backing away and throwing few punches throughout a dreary first eight rounds. 

A few days later, he’s facing what looks to be the biggest fight of his life.

Benavidez agrees to first title defense

In a bit of a surprise, Turki Alalshikh, Prince and promoter, announced Thursday that David Benavidez will defend his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight belt for the fist time against UK veteran Anthony Yarde, sometime in November in Riyadh.

It was thought that the unbeaten Benavidez, a Phoenix-born fighter, would face Callum Smith, instead. Smith said just a few days ago that he believed there had been progress in talks with Benavidez, who was awarded the WBC belt when Dmitrii Bivol relinquished it.

It’s believed that the Benavidez-Yarde winner could be in line for a shot at the unified 175-title pound, which is expected to be up for grabs in a projected third Bivol-Artur Beterbiev fight. 

Beterbiev won the fist one; Bivol won the rematch. Alalshikh says he wants to stage the third fight sometime later this year. But there’s not been much news about talks for Bivol-Beterbiev 3. If there’s a deal and it happens in November, Benavidez-Yarde could land on the card as the co-main.

Benavidez has been turning himself into a Las Vegas attraction. His last four fights have been in Vegas. A fight in Riyadh would be his first outside of the US since a string of eight fights in Mexico early in his career

Jake Paul had to work hard in the final rounds, but he won a 10-round unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a cruiserweight fight at The Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The fight was fought at a slow place early as Paul was taking what Chavez was giving him, and Chavez was doing absolutely nothing as he landed zero punches in round one. Paul was landing some body punches and some left hook. Paul continued to ack up rounds and took a commanding lead.

Paul landed 140 of 482 punches. Chavez was 61 of 154.

Chavez made brief stands in rounds nine and 10. Paul was never in any serious trouble and won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93.

Paul, 199.4 lbs of Dorado, PR is now 12-1. Chavez, 198.4 lbs of Sinaloa, MEX is 54-7-1.

Gilberto Ramirez Decisions Dorticos To Retain Cruiserweight Titles

Gilberto Ramirez defended the WBA/WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Yuniel Dortocs

In round 10, Dorticos was docked a point for low blows.

Ramirez landed 224 of 620 punches. Dorticos was 290 of 616.

Ramirez, 199.8 lbs of Sinaloa, MEX won by scores of 117-110 and 115-112 twice and is now 48-1.

Raul Curiel Stops Victor Rodriguez in 4

Raul Curiel remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Victor Rodriguez in a 10-round welterweight bout.

In round four, Curiel landed an a hard uppercut that was followed by a right to the body that sent Rodriguez down. The nose of Rodriguez was bleeding badly. Rodriguez was hurt and Curiel jumped on him with a flurry of punches on the ropes and the fight was stopped at 2:09.

Curiel, 146.4 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 16-0-1 with 14 knockouts. Rodriguez, 145.2 lbs of Maldonado, URU is 16-1-1.

Julian Rodriguez Stops Avious Griffin in 10th and Final Round

Julian Rodriguez scored the biggest win of his career by stopping previously undefeated AVious Griffin in the 10th and final round of their welterweight bout.

Over the first half of the fight, Rodriguez got out to a lead by landing some nice counter shots.

In round eight, Griffin dropped Rodriguez with a chopping right hand. Rodriguez came back in round nine by landing a right hand that buckled Griffin. In round 10, Rodriguez ducked under and landed a left hook that hurt and dropped Griffin. Griffin rolled around and with a bloody nose could not beat the count at 2:55.

Rodriguezz, 146.6 lbs of Hoboken, NJ is 24-1 with 15 knockouts. Griffin, 146.8 lbs of Chattanooga, TN is 17-1.

Floyd Schofield scored the most significant win of his career as he took out Tevin Farmer in the opening round of their 10-round lightweight bout.

Schofield dropped Farmer in the opening minute with a one-two combination. Schofield then landed a flurry of punches tat was punctuated by a left hook. With Farmer hurt, Schofield landed a hard flurry and the bout was stopped at 1:18.

Schofield, 134.8 lbs of Austin, TX is 19-0 with 13 knockouts. Farmer, 135 lbs of Philadelphia is 33-9-1.

Holly Holm returned to boxing after a successful championship run in the UFC and won a 10-round unanimous decision over Yolanda Vega in a super lightweight fight.

Holm, 136.6 lbs of ALbiquerque, NM won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 33-2-3. Vega, 136 lbs of Sonora, MEX is 10-1.

Joel Iriarte won eight-round unanimous decision over Kevin Johnson in a welterweight bout.

Iriarte, 146.8 lbs of Bakersfield, CA won by scores of 80-72, 79-74 and 78-74 and is now 8-0. Johnson, 146.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 12-7.

Alexander Gueche remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Vincent Avina in a super bantamweight bout.

Gueche, 124 lbs of Long Beach, CA won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 8-0. Avina, 120 lbs of Las Vegas is 8-2-1.

Joshua Edwards stopped Dominic Hardy in the opening round of their four-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Edwards landed a jab to the body that was followed by a booming right hand hand that put Hardy down and out at 1:03.

Edwards, 226 lbs of Houston is 3-0 with three knockouts. Hardy, 251.4 lbs of Chicago is 6-4

Rene Alvarado won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Victor Morales in a super featherweight battle.

Alvarado, 129.6 lbs of Managua, NIC won by scores of 99-91 on all cards and is now 35-16. Morales, 130 lbs of Vancouver, WA is 20-1-1.

John Ramirez won a eight-round unanimous decision over Josue Morales in a bantamweight bout.

Ramirez, 119.8 lbs of Los Angeles won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 15-1. Morales, 121 lbs of Houston, TX is 33-19-4.

Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez thrilled his adoring fans one last time as he and Hector Camacho Jr. entertained a throng of fight fans in a special exhibition bout at Jalisco Stadium and Guadalajra.

The two fought hard, which was much to the delight of the crowd. Before the final frame, Chavez called in pound-for-pound king, and Guadalajara native Canelo Alvarez to stand in his corner. The two once again embraced after the fight, which seemed to be a symbolic passing of the torch from past to future Mexican darling to current superstar and future legend that Alvarez is on course to be.

The bout was special for all involved as Chavez fought Camacho’s late father, Hector Camacho 29 years ago.

This bout marked the end of an era, as Chavez announced that this would the final time that he would hang up the gloves as he has been participating in exhibitions in recent years.

Silva stuns Chavez Jr. via split decision

MMA Legend Anderson Silva came over to boxing and won an eight-round split decision over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Silva was the more aggressive fighter and landed more and had Chavez on the ropes for a good portion of the fight.

The scores read 77-75 twice for Silva and 77-75 Chavez.

Silva, 182 lbs of Brazil, is widely considered the greatest MMA fighter of all-time now has a professional boxing record of 2-1. Chavez, who weighed in 2.4 lbs of the contracted weight of 182, is now 52-6.

“I ’m so happy to be here. I want to thank Adidas for taking care of me and supplying me with the all the gear that I needed to train for this fight. We won every round . This is a dream of mine for many years. I did this because I have the best team . My team is my family. We did this together. Lots of hard work to get to this point. Absolutely will do this again,” Said Silva.

“I did good ,I just had some problems breathing plus my ribs where kind of hurt  ,the cut didn’t affect me at all. I thought it could have been a draw,” said Chavez

Alvarez wins Trilogy; Decisions Chavez

Ramon Alvarez won his trilogy bout with Omar Chavez with an eight-round unanimous decision over Omar Chavez in a middleweight bout,

In round four, Chavez was cut on the outside of his right eye. Alvarez controlled the action and beat Chavez to the punch throughout the eight-round affair.

Alvarez of Guadalajara, MEX is 29-8-3. Chavez of Culican. MEX is 38-7-1.

“I feel really great and proud on this Victory over Omar Chávez ,i had an excellent preparation ,with my brother as my trainer was very aware of me getting this done ,this Victory dedicated for my all my family and all my whole Town that came to cheer for me. Having my family in my corner gave me added strength and energy. It’s a really special night and I’m proud of my effort,” said Alvarez 

 “He won, no question. It was a clear head butt that caused lots of blood to pour out. That changed the whole fight . I could see his punches, he was able to apply pressure . He hit me with hard punches. I would do fight him again,” said Chavez

Sosa Decisions Mina via Split Decision

Damian Sosa won a 10-round split decision over Abel Mina in a super welterweight fight.

Sosa, 153 lbs of Tijuana, MEX won by scores of 96-94, 95-94 and Mina took card 96-94

Sosa is now 18-1. Mina, 153 lbs of Perto Quito, ECU us 13-1.

“I fought a really good fighter. It was a tough fight. He is a awkward fighter, and I have never faced anyone like him. It took some time to adapt to his style. I came in really good Shape. I did my training with champion Jaime Munguia. I won this fight and I’m dedicating this fight to my parents and all my Mexican fans,” said Sosa.

 “We came here to win, and not get robbed. We worked so hard in our  preparation with my team and in the fight. We hit him with many solid punches, and we boxed and brawled when necessary. We deserved the victory period,” said Mina

Melendez Decisions Torres

Jorge Luis Melendez won an eight-round unanimous decision over Kevin Torres in a super lightweight bout.

In Round one, Melendez dropped Torres with a left hook. In round, Melendez began to bleed from his nose.

Melendez cruised down the stretch and won by scores of 77-74, 76-74 and 77-75.

Melendez of Jalisco is 14-7. Torres of Bellingham, WA is 17-2.

“I came in very good shape, I tried to knock him out. ,I threw good combinations. got cut on my eyebrow, but it didn’t bother me at all ,I feel that I won  this fight, and i am just wafting For another good fight and bigger opportunities.,” said Melendez

“He’s a tough fighter, a strong fighter, I wasn’t proud of my performance. It just wasn’t my night,” said Torres

Leonardo Padilla won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jesus Acosta in a junior lightweight bout.

Padilla, 129 lbs of Caracas, VEN is 20-3. Acosta, 129 lbs of Guadalajara is 15-3.

Cesar Gutierrez stopped Oscar Mejia in round one of a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

Gutierrez dropped Mejia with a hard left hook and the fight was stopped.

Gutierrez, 140 lbs of Guadalajara is 12-0 with five knockouts. Mejia, 137 lbs of Auguscalientes, MEX is 14-5.

Johan Alvarez, the nephew of Canelo Alvarez made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppage over Erick Hernandez in a super featherweight bout,

In round one, Alvarez hurt Hernandez with a hard right to the head that resulted an eight-count, Alvarez dropped Hernandez with a hard right, and the fight was stopped at 2:41.

Alvarez of Guadalajra, MEX is 1-0 with one knockout. Hernandez of Guadalajara, MEX is 0-1.

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO (JUNE 18, 2021)– Weights for Saturday night’s Tribute to the King’s Pay-Per-View featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Anderson Silva

PAY-PER-VIEW WEIGHTS (9 pm ET)
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 184.4 – Anderson Silva 182
Julio Cesar Chavez 143 – Hector Camacho Jr. 160 lbs
(Exhibition)
Omar Chavez 161.1 – Ramon Alvarez 160
Damian Sosa 153.4 – Abel Mina 153.6
Kevin Torres 138.4 – Jorge Melendez 137.8

BeIN Sports Weights (7 PM ET)
Jesus Acosta 129.8 – Leonardo Padilla 129.2
Cesar Gutierrez 140 – Oscar Mejia 137.8
Mario Ramirez 128.6 – Pedro Castro 127.2
Johan Alvarez 129.8 – Erick Hernandez 131.6
Jose Vazquez 133.2 – Jonathan Perez 134.2
Diego Torres 136 – Jose Pacheco 134.2
Oscar Murguia 123.6 – Ricardo Badillo 122.2
Gamilel Perez 142.8 – Ismael Moreno 148.4

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO (JUNE 17, 2021)–A world class broadcast team will be ringside calling the live boxing action for the “Tribute to the Kings” Pay-Per-View event taking place from Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico this Saturday, June 19th.

Tribute to the Kings, featuring Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. “The Spider” Anderson Silva will be available for live viewing on cable, shown on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada and select markets world-wide

Handling the blow-by-blow commentary will be Brandon Kyle. Known in the Muay Thai fight business as a broadcaster with Triumphant Combat Sports, he is now a fixture on the Global Sports Streaming (GSS) boxing series, “Best in Boxing.”

The expert analysis will be the work of former junior welterweight world champion, Chris Algieri. In addition to his championship pedigree, Algieri has quickly established himself as one of the best analyzers of fights with his work on Top Rank’s ESPN broadcasts.

Also handling commentary will be longtime boxing analyst, Jaime Motta.

Marcos Villegas will provide the unofficial scorecard.

Comedian Crystal Marie Denha will handle the reporting. Denha had her own sports show titled “The Fumble”. She left that to start a comedy career, and now is returning to broadcasting since selling The Fumble. She also hosted Australia Breakfast News Program “Sunrise”. She is a first-generation US citizen born to Iraqi parents.

Performing play-by-play calls on the Spanish broadcast will be Hall of Famer, Marco Antonio Barrera. Barrera who can be seen and heard on many of the major fights throughout Mexico, will be the team lead for Tribute to the Kings.

He will be joined by former world champion Cristian Mijares as well as analyst Goyitp Perez. Gerardo Rodriguez will handle the hosting duties at the desk.

Former featherweight contender, Chris Martin, will analyze the fights on the beIN SPORTS undercard pre-show, while Rodriguez and Motta call the beIN SPORTS undercard show in Spanish.

Las Vegas, NV – The undercard for Tribute to the Kings – Anderson Silva vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. is coming to beIN SPORTS Saturday, June 19. The network announces it will broadcast the entire undercard live from Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico Saturday, June 19 starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.

“World-class boxing has been a key component of our offering since beIN SPORTS launched and this latest addition to our lineup continues this tradition,” said Antonio Briceño, Managing Director for beIN SPORTS in North America. “We are excited to bring these highly anticipated matchups to our passionate fans, especially those in our U.S. Hispanic community.”

“Real boxing fans know that beIN SPORTS is the premier destination for premier fights, so we are pleased to have its global network of sports channels presenting our ‘Tribute to the Kings’ live undercard Saturday, June 19,” said Armando Bareno, CEO and Founder, Global Sports Streaming. “This deal with beIN SPORTS allows us to deliver a complete night of competitive boxing – from the first bout to the Anderson Silva vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Junior marquis matchup – to fight fans all over the world.”

beIN SPORTS will present seven big fights prior to the start of the Pay-Per-View portion of the Tribute To The Kings card.

The undercard headliner on beIN SPORTS will be the super featherweight clash between Jose Acosta and Leonardo Padilla.

Acosta of Guadalajara, Mexico is 15-2-1 with 10 knockouts. The 22 year-old is a five-year professional who owns a win over previously undefeated Jorge Zavala.

Padilla of Petare, Venezuela has a record of 19-3 with 14 knockouts. The 25 year-old is a seven-year professional, and has won the WBA Fedebol Super Featherweight title with a win Daniel Miranda (13-2). He has also fought current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Gutierrez. Padilla is coming off a win over Dionis Martinez on December 19th.

Cesar Gutierrez (11-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico fights Oscar Mejia (14-4, 6 KOs) of Auguscalientes, Mexico in a featherweight contest.

Mario Ramirez (15-1, 4 KOs) of Camalu, Mexico will take on Pedro Castro (8-2, 4 KOs) in a super feather battle.

Jose Vazquez (2-0, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico squares off Jonathan Perez (6-1, 3 KOs) of Morelio, Mexico in a featherweight affair.

Erik Inunza (7-2, 7 KOs) of Culican, Mexico fights Carlos Daniel Acosta (8-4) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a super featherweight fight.

In swing bout action:

Oscar Munguia (9-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico takes on Ricardo Badilo (7-1, 1 KO) in a Featherweight bout.

Karen Rubio (5-1) who is a cousin to the Chavez family of Culican, Mexico will fight Estefany Alegria (1-0) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a bantamweight fight.

Headlining the Tribute to the Kings Pay-Per-View portion of the event will be MMA legend “The Spider” Anderson Silva competing in his first major boxing match vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

The co-main event will see the great Julio Cesar Chavez Senior take the ring for the last time to fight Hector “Little Macho” Camacho Jr., the son of the man he beat in the historic boxing match “Chavez vs. Camacho in 1992.

Tribute to the Kings – Chavez Jr. vs. Silva will be available for live viewing on cable, shown on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada and select markets world-wide.

In the televised opener of the live Pay-Per-View, Kevin “Diamond Boy” Torres will fight Jorge Luis “Silencioso” Melendez in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. The main card also includes a much-anticipated trilogy bout and rubber match between Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez, and a heated 10-round battle for the NABO Super Welterweight Title between Damian “Samurai” Sosa and Abel “Authentico” Mina.

For more information about Tribute to the Kings, visit www.TributetotheKings.com.

For more information, please visit www.beINSPORTS.com. Follow us on Instagram @beINSPORTSUSA, Twitter at @beINSPORTSUSA and @ESbeINSPORTS, and like us on Facebook beIN SPORTS USA for breaking news and real-time updates.

About beIN SPORTS USA
Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS offers viewers world-class sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español, live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT, and free English-language network, beIN SPORTS XTRA. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from Ligue 1,Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Coupe de France, Turkish Süper Lig, Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Champions League and International Friendlies as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), skiing and handball, among others. Through beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Fans can also experience live high-quality sports properties for free via beIN SPORTS XTRA. This includes season-long access to XTRA soccer matches, XTRA combat sports, XTRA adventure sports, XTRA original studio productions, and a robust library of historically relevant sporting events. Follow beIN SPORTS on Instagram at @beINSPORTSUSA, Twitter at @beINSPORTSUSA and @ESbeINSPORTS, and Facebook at beIN SPORTS USA for the latest updates on beIN SPORTS coverage. For more information, visit www.beINSPORTS.com and www.beINSPORTSXTRA.com.

Guadalajara, Mexico (June 10, 2021) –Seven big fights will be featured before the big Tribute To The Kings Pay-Per-view on Saturday June 19th at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Headlining the non pay-per-view action will be a eight-round super featherweight clash between Jose Acosta and Leonardo Padilla.

Acosta of Guadalajara, Mexico is 15-2-1 with 10 knockouts. The 22 year-old is a five-year professional who owns a win over previously undefeated Jorge Zavala.

Padilla of Petare, Venezuela has a record of 19-3 with 14 knockouts. The year-old is a seven-year professional, and has won the WBA Fedebol Super Featherweight title with a win Daniel Miranda (13-2). He has also fought current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Gutierrez. Padilla is coming off a win over Dionis Martinez on December 19th.

Cesar Gutierrez (11-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico fights Oscar Mejia (14-4, 6 KOs) of Auguscalientes, Mexico in a six-round featherweight contest.

Mario Ramirez (15-1, 4 KOs) of Camalu, Mexico will take on Pedro Castro (8-2, 4 KOs) in a eight-round super feather battle.

Jose Vazquez (2-0, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico squares off Jonathan Perez (6-1, 3 KOs) of Morelio, Mexico in a eight-round featherweight affair.

Erik Inunza (7-2, 7 KOs) of Culican, Mexico fights Carlos Daniel Acosta (8-4) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a six-round super featherweight fight.

In swing bouts:

Oscar Munguia (9-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico takes on Ricardo Badilo (7-1, 1 KO) in a Featherweight bout.

Karen Rubio (5-1) who is a cousin to the Chavez family of Culican, Mexico will fight Estefany Alegria (1-0) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a four-round bantamweight fight.

Headlining the Tribute to the Kings Pay-Per-View portion of the event will be MMA legend “The Spider” Anderson Silva competing in his first major boxing match vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

The co-main event will see the great Julio Cesar Chavez Senior take the ring for the last time to fight Hector “Little Macho” Camacho, the son of the man he beat in the historic boxing match “Chavez vs. Camacho in 1992.

Tribute to the Kings – Chavez Jr. vs. Silva will be available for live viewing on cable, shown on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada and select markets world-wide.

In addition to Silva vs. Chavez, Jr., Tribute to The Kings will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance when he takes on Hector Camacho, Jr. in a six round exhibition. Camacho will fight Chavez in honor of his late father and Boxing Hall of Famer, Hector “Macho” Camacho, who lost to Chavez in their historic fight in 1992.

In the televised opener of the live Pay-Per-View, Kevin “Diamond Boy” Torres will fight Jorge Luis “Silencioso” Melendez in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. The main card also includes a much-anticipated trilogy bout and rubber match between Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez, and a heated 10-round battle for the NABO Super Welterweight Title between Damian “Samurai” Sosa and Abel “Authentico” Mina.

For more information about Tribute to the Kings, visit www.TributetotheKings.com.

Guadalajara, Mexico (May 21, 2021) – St-Pierre, Rogan, Liddell and Sonnen, a who’s who in the sport of mixed martial arts, today weighed in on the upcoming mega-matchup between world-class striker Anderson Silva and world-class boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, Junior Saturday, June 19th live on Pay-Per-View from Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Chavez Jr. vs. Silva: “Tribute to the Kings” will be shown live on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada and select markets worldwide.

Click here to download video EPK of Silva training videos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5o6k6x0fmis2w9f/AABrlWegSERF9egjfLr77541a?dl=0

Starting off the conversation is “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell, one of the greatest athletes ever to enter the Octagon, who said, “It’s tough to cross over from MMA or even kickboxing to boxing because of the differences in stance, distance and timing, but if anyone can do it, Anderson Silva can! I’ll pay to watch this fight.”

Said Georges “Rush” St-Pierre, “I wish Anderson good luck because he is the one who is stepping into Chavez Junior’s world. Let’s hope they enjoy their fight, and that the boxing fans embrace this event. And of course that no one gets hurt.”

Joe Rogan also commented on Chavez, Jr. vs. Silva saying to his guest and comedian Russell Peters in his recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, “He might not be as respected as some, but Julio Cesar Chavez, Junior is still a fucking beast. You cannot sleep on that guy. He is a dangerous man.”

Chael Sonnen, the former UFC fighter who fought Silva twice, took to his YouTube channel last week (https://youtu.be/BhRxzEpVUnI) to give fans a seven-minute breakdown of the 10-round boxing match that will occur between Chavez, Jr. and Silva on June 19th:

“This is a very different Anderson because he used to box and even if it was Muay Thai, even if it was standup fights… but he actually got in the ring and did this. It’s a significant difference than say what Conor McGregor did when he fought Floyd. It’s significantly different in that Conor had never done it before. He’d done something close, he had done a version of it – he had sparred a little bit. Anderson did all of that but also stepped in there and competed. … I’m happy to hear he’s done with MMA. I’m happy to hear that if he’s going to elect to go into this sport he is showing that sport the respect that it needs and that it requires to be successful which is full commitment and immersion.”

Silva is considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time. He compiled a record of 34 victories with 11 losses and 23 stunning knockouts. His boxing record is 13-1. Chavez, Jr., the son of the legendary boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, has a record of 52-5-1 with 34 knockouts.

“Tribute to The Kings” also features a special Exhibition bout that will see the great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

Guadalajara, Mexico (March 30, 2021) – It is Official!! — The Legend Anderson Silva has agreed to fight Julio Chavez Jr. in “Tribute to the Kings” in a boxing match on Saturday June 19th to be broadcast on Pay Per View in North America.

Anderson Silva, considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, will take on former WBC Middleweight Champion of the world Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in a boxing match on June 19th at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. Silva of Curitiba Brazil was the longest reigning middleweight Champion for the UFC and compiled a record of 34 victories with 11 losses and 23 stunning knockouts. His boxing record is 13 – 1. Chavez, Jr. has a record of 52-5-1 with 34 knockouts.

“When I look back at my journey, I see that nothing has been in vain!
I am extremely happy for the opportunity to test my boxing skills with Julio César Chávez Jr. I train continuously, always am striving for resilience and to overcome obstacles. Fighting is my everlasting breath,” said Silva.

““I have rededicated myself to the sport I love and I will be ready to face anyone in the Light Heavyweight division starting with Silva. I will be prepared to be victorious on June 19th,” said Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Keith Schoen, of Schoen Entertainment, working in concert with Armando Bareño of Global Sports Streaming (GSS) have secured the deal with Anderson Silva for this bout with Julio Chavez Jr. The promoter for this event is Jorge Toscano of Toscano Boxing Promotions and Saul Rios of Borizteca Boxing Promotions who are represented by Attorney Gino Mazzanti.

“This promises to be an epic battle between two superior fighters with a global fan base. Everyone associated with this Pay-Per-View promotion, and fight fans from around the globe are super enthusiastic to see these two great fighters meet in the ring,” said Keith Schoen. Anderson Silva is represented by ICM Partners, and managed by Talize Sayegh of Ducais Talent Management.

Said Jorge Toscano of Toscano Promotions, “We are excited to complete this deal and bring an entertaining night of boxing for the combat sport community.”

Fellow co-promoter Saul Rios of Borizteca Boxing said, “Anderson Silva is the greatest MMA fighter, and a great boxer so to have him fight Chavez Jr. for his first fight after leaving the UFC makes for an intriguing night of boxing.”

Armando Bareño of Global Sports Streaming stated, ““When you hear the names Chavez, Camacho, & Alvarez you know those are big names in boxing. Now adding Silva’s name to boxing; this made a special night even bigger with the GOAT of MMA fighting in a boxing match.”

This Massive Event “Tribute to The Kings” will be live on Pay-Per-View and will also feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

Guadalajara, Mexico (March 16, 2021) – Today, boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez and Hector Camacho Jr. came face to face to announce their much anticipated exhibition fight that will take place on Saturday, June 19th as A special night that will honor the first-family of Mexican boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Omar Chavez will take place on Saturday night, June 19th, at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico

Chavez and Camacho as well as Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez were present at Tuesday’s festivities.

Julio Cesar Chavez, referring to the first time he was offered to fight with the son of his great rival, Chavez, a member of the Hall of Fame, said “First I said no, because he is too young for me. But when they told me it was a tribute to my great friend (Camacho Sr.), who is in heaven, I accepted immediately. “

“Between Mexico and Puerto Rico there has always been a great rivalry, but “Macho” Camacho never bothered with my family, he never offended me or used rude words. And we became great friends, I love him to heaven, he knows it, and although now he must be angry about the beating I’m going to give his son.”

Hector “Macho” Camacho Jr thanked the authorities and the organizers of the event, and then added: “I have been waiting for the opportunity for this fight for years. I will be well prepared, very skinny as you like. This fight is going to be days before the anniversary of my father’s death, so it will be a very emotional fight for me.”

Tribute to The Kings will be live on Pay-Per-View and will feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

In this very special battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico, Camacho will look to get even from the historic bout that Chavez had with Camacho’s legendary dad on September 12, 1992.

In a 10-ound light heavyweight, former middleweight world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will take on an opponent to be announced.

In a 10-round middleweight bout, Omar Chavez will Ramon Alvarez in the rubber match of their trilogy

Tribute to The Kings is promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions and will be produced by Global Sports Streaming.

Guadalajara, Mexico (March 12, 2021) – A special night that will honor the first-family of Mexican boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Omar Chavez will take place on Saturday night, June 19th, at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico

Tribute to The Kings will be live on Pay-Per-View and will feature a special Exhibition bout that will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance against Hector Camacho Jr. Camacho will be honoring the legacy of his late Hall of Fame father.

In this very special battle between Mexico and Puerto Rico, Camacho will look to get even from the historic bout that Chavez had with Camacho’s legendary dad on September 12, 1992.

In a 10-ound light heavyweight, former middleweight world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will take on an opponent to be announced.

In a 10-round middleweight bout, Omar Chavez will Ramon Alvarez in the rubber match of their trilogy

Tribute to The Kings is promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions and will be produced by Global Sports Streaming.

The historic night of action will be formally announced at two press conferences, with the inaugural kick-off press conference taking place on March 16th at The Teatro Degollado (Calle Degollado s/n, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico) at 2 PM CT

Then on March 18th, at Old Jai Alai Palace Forum – Entertainment Center (Av. Revolución, Zona Centro, 22000 Tijuana, B.C., Mexico) at 12 PM PT

The International media will be able to participate virtually at these press conferences (Zoom Info to be sent on Monday)

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. is considered the greatest fighter from boxing-crazed Mexico, and one of the greatest pound for pound fighters of all-time.

During his amazing 25 year-run, he compiled an incredible record of 107-6-2 with with a staggering 85 knockouts. He was a six-time world champion in three weight-divisions, and was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 2011.

“It is an honor to render a tribute to Hector Camacho , but I know his son wants to get at me and get revenge from the fight I had with his father,” said Chavez Sr.

Camacho Jr. will look even the score as his Hall of Fame father and Chavez Sr. engaged in a showdown in 1992, that saw Chavez win a unanimous decision. Camacho Jr. has a professional record of 59-7-1 with 33 knockouts.

“Instead of six rounds with papa bear, I’ll fight two rounds with Omar, two more with junior, and then finish with the good ass whooping of the old man,” said Camacho Jr.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is the former WBC Middleweight world champion, who made three defenses of the crown, has a record of 52-5-1 with 34 knockouts.

“It has been a tough couple of years for me, but I want to show the fans that I am not done, and I have more to give the sport as I move to light heavyweight and make a run at another title,” said Chavez Jr.

Omar Chavez is 38-6-1 with 25 knockouts will take on Alvarez, who is 28-8-3 with 16 knockouts.

“I beat him easily in the second fight, and I’ll beat him the same way in this fight. We both wanted this fight, and I just want to knock him out again,” said Omar Chavez.

On September 27, 2014, Alvarez won a hotly contested unanimous decision; Chavez evened up the rivalry with a 2nd round stoppage on April 29, 2017.

“Since losing the second fight, I know I was not fully prepared, and took the fight on short notice but I have no excuses. Now I want to retaliate for that defeat by giving it everything I have to win. This will be an emotional fight in my home town,” Said Alvarez.

On June 19, the Chavez – Alvarez trilogy will settle the score.

Pay-Per-View Information and More great bouts will be announced shortly

By Bart Barry-

And our king returned on the final days of the
decade to save us.  Exiled 31 months since
a highpaying debacle of a battle for Mexico, Son of the Legend marched on
Phoenix with an army of 12,000 and merely 11 days to go in his decade, to restore
our kingdom with a panache none before him has brought. 

Son of the Legend (VADA ID#:
214371) fought 15 times in his decade, 15 times in 7 1/2 years, 50-percent
more frequently than Money May, mind you, and remained true to himself every
time he blessed a bluemat with his sacred boot. 
Highbrows can argue who was the decade’s best fighter (Roman Gonzalez is
the answer to that riddle), but no one can claim to have been a more apt
metaphor for our beloved sport.

A modern entity whose popularity is fully derived
from his predecessor’s accomplishments, Son of the Legend comported himself
always with an arrogance inexplicable to others.  The way the NHL looks at revenue from Mayweather-Pacquiao
is how 95-percent of the decade’s prizefighters looked at Junior: “Wait, how
much did he make for his pro debut?”

*

We interrupt this homage for some hard reporting.

When Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faced Ireland’s John
Duddy in Alamodome to christen the new decade, June 26, 2010, some questioned
whether a suspended drug cheat had the necessary mettle to wrest from vacancy
the WBC’s prestigious middleweight Silver title.

For years, Chavez Jr. had waged a reign of terror
on Midwesterners – “kicking the Big Ten’s ass” as one scribe put it – and he
promised to do the same to Europeans if given a chance.

“They want to make money off my name and fame,”
Chavez Jr. said, without a hint of irony in his voice.

Chavez Jr. won impressively against Duddy and Lyell
and Zbik, Manfredo and Rubio and Lee – his record stood at an astounding 46-0-1
on Sept. 15, 2012 – and then he went for the real middleweight championship
against an Argentine named Maravilla.  He
lost every second of the fight’s first 34 1/2 minutes before delivering the
most exciting 30 seconds of boxing’s last 15 years.

Chavez Jr. was too exhausted to complete the
upset, of course, but by surprising everyone, he re-adorned his father’s name
with credibility for years to come.

Chavez Jr. collected a big gift decision against
Brian Vera then ratified it massively back at Alamodome a halfyear later before
stumbling a wee bit against somebody named Fonfara.  The people got displeased, failing universally
to credit his subsequent and huge wins against Reyes and Britsch, and demanded
Junior be fed to Canelo Alvarez, who subsequently refused to sit down, even,
between rounds of their sparring session.

Canelo went on to riches in the United States while
Chavez quietly gathered and perfected himself in their native Mexico.  After squaring off against another highly
regarded prospect in Evert Bravo, Chavez treated Las Vegas drug testers with a princely
contempt then commanded a princely sum to finish his decade in a fight with Daniel
Jacobs.

An influencer every step of the way, Chavez Jr. entered
Friday’s ring in Phoenix sporting a blue birthmark-like stain on his otherwise
platinum head.

After missing weight effortlessly at his Thursday
weighin, Chavez Jr. fought five rounds bravely till his nose got broken then
instructed his chief second to end the match. 
When that didn’t happen, Chavez Jr. made the sort of resounding decision
that separates champions from challengers, calling the referee over and stopping
the fight his own damn self.

An unappreciative Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. buried
his face in his hands.

As Chavez Jr. exited the ring Friday, his appreciative
if rambunctious fans in Arizona showered their returned king in gold.

Chavez Jr. departs his decade having defended
titles valiantly in the following divisions: 172 1/2, 171 1/2, 170 3/4, 164,
175 1/4 and 172 3/4.

*

As the decade in boxing draws to a close we are
right to reflect upon what metaphors Son of the Legend affords us.  Rumor was, Junior once cared about his craft,
whatever we opined of him.  His craft was
enriching himself and financially supporting his father’s retirement by doing
something he was not naturally endowed with a power to do.  He tried to escape boxing at nearly every
interval.

No truer moment in his career happened than when
he snapped at his ringside father’s advice from the stool of his Thomas &
Mack Center performance, yelling at him “¡Ya, Ya, Ya!” before collecting 100
more direct blows to the head from Sergio Martinez.

For beginning 2010 as a grifter, making whatever
promises were needed to keep the grift going, enduring massive and traumatic
abuse from his peers, lying to his fans over and again, cheating on drug tests before
simply failing them, scoffing at every traditional discipline, changing the
rules whenever convenient, and finally fleeing in 2019 his own paying customers
as they pelted him with beer and fought one another like savages, “Son of the
Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is boxing’s well-deserved Fighter of the Decade.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Photo By Ed Mulholland

Daniel Jacobs was awarded a stoppage after round five of his scheduled 12-round super middleweight bout after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. quit in the corner, citing a broken nose in front of over 10,000 fans at The Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

The fight actually started off well for the much (and deserved) maligned Chavez as he came out aggressive and working the body of Jacobs. That lasted about a round and a half as Chavez basically stopped punching due to Jacobs starting to get his offense going. Jacobs featured his own body attack and would flick in the right hand. He started getting through with some power shots in the 5th, with one such right hand hitting the nose of Chavez. Chavez started to bleed from his nostrils when he abruptly quit and the fight was called.

Jacobs of Brooklyn, NY is now 36-3 with 30 knockouts. Chavez, who checked in nearly 5 pounds over the 168 pound weight limit is now 51-4-1.

Julio Cesar Martinez stopped Cristofer Martinez in round nine to win the WBC Flyweight title.

It was a high contact fight that had both guys bleeding. After being buckled in the 2nd round, Martinez dominated the fight as he would coming with hard and thudding combinations, mixing it up between the head and body of Rosales. Martinez buckled and rocked Rosales

As Martinez seized control of the fight, Rosales was absorbing a lot of punishment, and the bout was finally stopped at 1:19 of round nine after Martinez landed several unanswered flush blows on the ropes.

Martinez of Mexico is now 15-1 with 12 knockouts. Rosales of Nicaragua is 29-5.

Former Junior Welterweight Maurice Hooker dismantled Uriel Perez in the 1st round of their scheduled 10-round welterweight bout.

Hooker landed a powerful flurry of punches that sent Perez down in the corner. Perez got to his feet, but was in no condition to continue and the bout was stopped at 2:52.

Hooker, 144.3 lbs of Dallas is 27-1-3 with 18 knockouts. Perez, 141.9 lbs of Mexico is 19-5.

Former world champion Liam Smith won a 10-round unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia in a middleweight bout.

Smith dominated the action and focused on hard body shots that led him to the victory by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92.

Smith, 159.9 lbs of Liverpool., UK is 29-2-1. Garcia, 155.5 lbs of Weslaco, TX is 42-5.

2016 British Olympian, Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Wiston Campos in a welterweight fight.

In round one, Kelly was cut over his right eye from a punch.

In round ten, Kelly sealed the fight with a right hand that sent Campos to the deck.

Kelly, 150.4 lbs of Sunderland, UK won by scores of 99-90 twice and 98-91 and is now 10-0-1. Campos, 148.4 lbs of Nicaragua is 31-7-6.

Reshat Mati dropped Rakim Johnson four-times in the 1st en route to a stoppage in the opening frame of their six-round welterweight bout.

Mati of New York is 6-0 with four knockouts. Johnson of Indianapolis id 6-9-1.

Raymond Ford stopped Francisco Muro in round one of their scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

Ford dropped Muro with a hard three punch combination that capped by a straight left. Muro was hurt and Ford jumped all over Muro, and the bout was stopped at 1:41.

Ford of Camden, NJ is 5-0 with two knockouts. Muro of Tucson, AZ is 3-7.

Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Doors 3pm

First bell 3.20pm

10 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest

Gabriel Rosado 168.4lbs vs. Humberto Ochoa 166.1lbs
Philadelphia                             Tijuana

Followed by

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Daniyar Yeleussinov 147.9lbs   vs. Alan Sanchez 147.8
Kazakhstan                                         California

From 5pm live on DAZN

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Josh Kelly 150.4lbs vs. Winston Campos 148.4
Sunderland                      Nicaragua

Followed by

10 x 3 mins Super-Welterweight contest

Liam Smith 159.9lbs       vs. Roberto Garcia 155.5lbs
Liverpool                                 Texas

Followed by

6 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Reshat Mati 145.8lbs      vs. Rakim Johnson 146.4lbs
New York                       Mexico

From 7pm

10 x 3 mins Welterweight contest

Maurice Hooker 144.3lbs         vs. Uriel Perez 141.9lbs
Dallas                                                Mexico

Followed by

12 x 3 mins Vacant WBC World Flyweight title

Julio Cesar Martinez 112lbs      vs. Cristofer Rosales 111.3lbs
Mexico                                             Nicaragua

Followed by

12 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest – agreed weight limit: 173lbs

Daniel Jacobs 167.7lbs    vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr 172.7lbs
Brooklyn                                   Mexico

Float

4/6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest

Raymond Ford 125.1lbs  vs.     Francisco Muro 123.lbs
New Jersey                                  Arizona

Daniel Jacobs enters a new chapter in his career tomorrow night and in the latest episode of ‘Born Fighter’ says his early sacrifices as a teenager led to him becoming a two-time World champion hunting two-weight glory, starting with his debut at 168lbs against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night, live on DAZN on US and Sky Sports in the UK.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH DANIEL JACOBS ON ‘BORN FIGHTER’ ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) closed the book on his time at Middleweight in May with a unification clash with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, and the two-time World ruler now embarks on his quest to become a two-weight World champion.

The ‘Miracle Man’ faces Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) with the Mexican star also hunting two-weight World honors, but a relaxed Jacobs told Lauren Gardner that he’s in a great place mentally for the fight as his career moves to a new stage after over 18 years in the game.

“Life is blissful,” said Jacobs. “I’m so fortunate to have made the early sacrifices in my life to be in this position now, to see my son thrive, be in an excellent school and be doing so well in school, that’s all I can ask for as a family man.

“Any time you have inner city kids that don’t have a lot, they look at sports or entertainment as an outlet. For me, boxing found me and I was able to take boxing as my outlet and be the best that I can be. But anyone that is from a place like Brooklyn can vouch for the mindset and mentality that if things aren’t given to you and you have to work for it, you say to yourself that you are going to go out there and get it or stay content with what I have. 

“I was afraid of the streets, I was a Momma’s boy, I didn’t want to be in harms way. I had no teenage life, I have been dedicated to the gym since I was 14. I never partied or hung out with friends, nothing that a normal teenager did. I think that now I make up for that with my friends and family now. 

“I look at the friends I grew up with or people that came from the same neighborhood who didn’t make those early sacrifices, and a lot of them aren’t where they wanted to be, they are on the streets or are dead. I made a conscious decision to stay away from that when I was very young and I am proof that if you make sacrifices early for a goal and keep that goal sacred, you can succeed and live forever like a king later in life. 

“My spirits are high. When you are mentally in the best shape possible going into a fight it will definitely show and now that we don’t have any weight issues going into a fight like we did before, I think the fans are going see the Daniel Jacobs people saw in the amateurs and the early days as a pro.”

Jacobs is the latest fighter featured on season two of ‘Born Fighter’ following the likes of Devin Haney, Billy Joe Saunders and Michael Hunter as the second series focuses on the stable at Matchroom Boxing USA after 11 episodes from the British and Irish stable featuring Katie Taylor, Luke Campbell, Dillian Whyte, Joshua Buatsi and more.

The series will be presented by Lauren Gardner, a familiar face to sports fans in America as the host of DAZN’s nightly live baseball program “ChangeUp” as well as a contributing reporter for DAZN’s boxing coverage. The Colorado native has worked with CBS Sports, AT&T SportsNet, Fox Sports Ohio, MTV2, MLB/NHL Network and ESPN, where she covered NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, College Football, College Basketball and two Super Bowls. The American series of ‘Born Fighter’ will also appear on DAZN 24 hours after premiering on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.
 Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title. The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez. Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia. Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.

A court in Nevada granted Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a temporary injunction which will allow him to fight Daniel Jacobs on Friday night in Phoenix, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Chavez was suspended by Nevada for refusing a drug test.

“It was very important for us, especially for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., to get to this fight against Jacobs without any restriction, so it was very important that this temporary suspension be lifted,” Miguel Leff, Chavez’s lawyer told ESPN. “We will have the opportunity to collect and review the information and when we have everything ready, we will see the case in court, but that will be after Friday’s fight.”

“We don’t represent him, but they got an injunction and he’s no longer suspended,” Promoter Eddie Hearn said. “He’s been licensed to fight in Arizona for some time, but this completely clears up the matter and we look forward to a huge show with over 10,000 [in attendance] on Friday.”

“If someone wants to have a grudge, I mean, that won’t be the first time in boxing someone had a grudge,” Hearn said. “We’ve done everything completely by the book. The fact is, if Arizona didn’t license Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of course, we wouldn’t put the fight on. That’s why we’ve had Gabriel Rosado on the card, signed to stand in, if there was an issue. But Chavez has fought his own battle. It had nothing to do with us. We don’t represent Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. We have a contract with him to take part in a fight with Daniel Jacobs, and if he’s licensed, we can’t just rip that contract up and say, ‘Sorry mate, we’re not going through with the fight.’ The fact is he’s gone to court and won in court, and he’s no longer suspended. We’re doing the fight, and we’re happy to do the fight.

“We’ve done nothing wrong. The argument was, ‘Oh, you’re going to do a fight with a suspended fighter in another state.’ I mean, now, that’s completely, factually incorrect. So in that respect, it puts the matter to bed from a Matchroom point of view. How Chavez deals with it from here, obviously he’s his own fighter, he’s got his own promoter, he’s got his own manager. That’s not really my business. All I know is he’s not suspended in any other state, and he’s licensed by Arizona. Onward we go.”

The Nevada commission declined to comment on the situation. Arizona commission chairman Scott Fletcher told ESPN in a statement that he was aware of the Nevada court decision to grant to the temporary restraining order and that “based on the court’s ruling we are looking forward to a great event this Friday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Both athletes have tested negative [in prefight testing handled by Drug Free Sport] for all performance enhancing drugs, masking agents and illicit drugs and will be subject to additional tests.”

Daniel Jacobs says he’s a happy fighter now he’s campaigning at Super-Middleweight as he makes his debut at 168lbs against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night, live on DAZN on US and Sky Sports in the UK.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW STARTING FROM $25 (plus booking fee)
 Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) closed the book on his time at Middleweight in May with a unification clash with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, and the two-time World ruler now embarks on his quest to become a two-weight World champion.

The ‘Miracle Man’ begins that journey in Phoenix against Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) the Mexican star that is also hunting two-weight World honors, but Jacobs has warned the 168lbs division that the extra weight moving up has made a huge difference to his mood in camp.

“It’s been amazing,” said Jacobs. “I’ve been able to be genuinely happy, to focus only on training and focus only on my skillset and not on the idea of cutting 10 to 15 pounds before the weigh in. So, it’s a big deal for me and I’m happy and I’m looking forward to showing everyone in the world that it wasn’t an excuse last time around. 

“It was the actual fact of me cutting the weight and that would make a difference in the previous fights that I’ve been having. So now you’re going to see, in my opinion, a better version of myself and I look forward to that.

“I’m able to be a lot freer when it comes to putting more food and necessary foods in my body. I don’t have to limit myself and most importantly, I don’t have to go through that weight cut process that always drains me the 48 hours before the fight. 

“I think with this last fight; it really took a toll on me. Obviously, we know the stipulations. I was in a contract with my last bout, so that was a clear indication for me that maybe I need to try and test the waters in 168 pounds just to give myself an opportunity to be myself, to be 100 per cent and camp has been beautiful.”
Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title. The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez. Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia. Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.