SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 26, 2014) — Fight Week in San Antonio for the eagerly- anticipated boxing doubleheader featuring the historic challenge by two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Prospect of the Year, VASYL LOMACHENKO, in only his second professional fight, of World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO SALIDO continued its hot path in earnest today as both participated in Media Workouts. In front of a packed Zarzamora Street Boxing Gym, the fighters trained for over three hours as they fine-tuned for their upcoming encore battle. The world championship event will be headlined by the rematch between former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR. and Top-Five contender and two-fisted Texan BRYAN VERA.

Both fights will take place This Saturday! March 1, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

SALIDO
“I have being an underdog all my professional career and this fight is no different. I come to fight and do the best I can and I don’t pick my opponents and never have.
I know why Lomachenko is getting this opportunity. He was one of the best amateur boxers and has two gold medals. I came up the hard way and I worked hard for everything I have.”

When asked if Lomachenko was ready for an experienced fighter like him:
“I guess we will find out on Saturday night. He does have skills. He has fast hands, moves well in the ring, but we will see in the ring if he can take my pressure and constant work rate that I will dish out to him.”

LOMACHEKNO
“I am not nervous at all. I am the one who chose this path to a world title fight.
All of this was my decision. Salido has fought the best of the best. He will be a hard fighter to defeat. I like fighters like him with the tough Mexican style. It makes it so much more challenging. Salido is a great champion because he is calm, never talks trash, is cold-blooded and has beaten the best. This is a real fight, a battle.”

**********************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

HBO Presents “Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II”. HBO playdates include: February 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, February 28 at 1:00 a.m. ET/PT and March 1 at 12:15 p.m. ET/PT.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

SAN ANTONIO – Mexican “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. returns to this city sometime in the next few days, returns to a local scale sometime Friday afternoon, and returns to an Alamodome ring Saturday night against Austin’s Bryan Vera. The middle spectacle, Friday’s, should prove the week’s most suspenseful, and if Chavez somehow misses weight also its most tragic. If Chavez makes weight, evincing proper preparation for his rematch with the profoundly limited Vera, though, let us hope Saturday’s match does not end tragically.

But for that possibility, this is all a bit tired, isn’t it? The “Road to Chavez Jr. vs. Vera II” promotional piece felt obligatory as a husband’s trip to the mall. Gone are the mildly alluring touches of collaring whichever journalists were in town for whichever other event, to give aficionados a chance at least to see admired writers mention, in very short clips, why they think this fight may be compelling (with the flashed and handsome exception of our site’s intrepid editor at 1:21). Instead we get HBO’s commentary team rehashing what they said the night of the first fight with what they’ve digested since, in promotional spots that boast all the journalistic panache of actors from this season’s cast of “Dexter” holding their fists aloft while advising viewers they’ve been buzzed – and if that is a mashup, as the kids are calling it, of two different networks’ original programming concepts, it’s honestly arrived at because no enterprising mind should keep 2014’s thus-far-banal prizefighting offerings compartmentalized.

That promises to change, at least in spirit, Saturday, when this city opens its gracious arms to a rematch of a not particularly compelling 2013 match, one that finds Chavez once more collecting his father’s back wages from his promoter or his network or his Mexican fans, a collective that must be dwindling.

Into the curiousness of this arrangement meanders Junior, never hurried, marking promoter Top Rank’s return to a city whose venues it has not graced in the 23 months since Kelly Pavlik used the force to smash apart Aaron “Jedi” Jaco in the debut of Leija-Battah Promotions, an outfit that looked a temporary license-holding company for Las Vegas- and Los Angeles-based promoters, alike, before evolving, quickly and audaciously, into something more and better. What consequently drove the local promoter from Top Rank after one show is anyone’s guess, but it was a thing that did carry consequences, as Top Rank has since made medium-sized Texas shows in Houston, Dallas, Corpus Christi and Laredo but not Alamo City, a place where Son of the Legend began to become more than a mascot by decisioning John Duddy in 2010 at Alamodome, the venue where his father, The Legend, set an attendance record still standing.

There’s no telling how ticket sales might be going for Saturday’s show for a couple reasons: First, there isn’t an engaged local promoter endeavoring to recoup its large investment by blitzing inboxes with promotional tidbits, and second, with most of the money for this fight coming exclusively from HBO, there’s not nearly the same urgency there was round this time last year when, openly snubbing his proximate rival, Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez declined to fight on Floyd Mayweather’s May undercard – firing the starter’s pistol on a frantic effort to find a venue, and accompanying local entrepreneur, to host Alvarez on short notice. What resulted, an April match between Alvarez and New Mexican Austin Trout, brought nearly 40,000 fans to Alamodome, an attendance figure that established in a bold stroke Alvarez’s coveted standing as Mexico’s most popular prizefighter. Alvarez then sprinkled cinnamon in his promoter’s gears in September, winning perhaps 90 seconds of his 36-minute match with Mayweather.

Displaying his father’s relentlessness and talent for smashing microscopic fissures into gaping wounds, then, Chavez Jr. snatched the corona right off Alvarez’s bowed redhead by icing his countrymen’s bruised national pride, 14 days later, with a victory over Bryan Vera that is remembered, still, for its preparation, savagery and workrate.

Oh, if ever a sentence were typed round derisive giggles.

Instead of doing something memorably good or even forgettably bad, Son of the Legend chose that inauspicious time to hold a pound-auction at the Friday weighin, having done the considerate thing, he explained for HBO’s “Road to” cameras, and informed the Vera camp ahead of time he would weigh, well, something higher than what 168 pounds he was legally obliged to make. Then Son of the Legend made a lionlike contender of Bryan Vera, a good guy of good work ethic and giver of a goodish impersonation of Colorado’s Mike Alvarado, were Alvarado not a once-great high school athlete.

Wait, Vera a “contender”? Yes, contender: As Son of the Legend reminded viewers, apropos of his figurative hunger – unmistakable in its modesty for Junior’s literal hunger – he was a “world champion” once, wearing proudly the garish, gold-and-whipped-pea strap the WBC stole from lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in 2011, making Chavez technically a champion and making Vera technically a contender – cute a reminder as any that Vera outworked television’s original “Contender,” Sergio Mora, in August 2012 at the converted Alamodome venue called Illusions Theater, in a Leija-Battah-promoted rematch of Vera’s finest hour, a controversial 2011 decisioning of Mora in Fort Worth, an hour not nearly fine as Vera’s decisioning of Chavez Jr. in a September match official judges, alone, scored widely for Son of the Legend.

We circle back to Saturday, then, meandering round the subject like a pothead in peach underwear doing living-room laps for roadwork – so great is his hunger as world champion – to address briefly a match that should not be competitive, and, one prays, will not end tragically for Vera. Whatever long list of bad habits Vera’s trainer Ronnie Shields credits himself with red-penning from the Austinite’s dossier, he sure as hell did nothing for Vera’s plunging right hand, a hand Vera holsters at his waist before throwing either glove at opponents. That flaw portends nothing good for Vera.

I’ll take Chavez, then, KO-11, in a terribly lopsided spectacle even Junior’s legion of detractors will wish had been stopped after nine.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

The first two Saturdays in March are a window that will provide a look at whether two heavily-hyped fighters, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Canelo Alvarez, have retained their popularity among their loyal fan base.

Chavez comes off controversy on March 1 in a rematch of his hotly-debated decision over Bryan Vera. Then, Canelo tests his Q rating on March 8 against Alfredo Angulo in his first bout since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a decision seen as one-sided by everybody but a judge, C.J. Ross, who scored it a draw.

Chavez and Canelo may never share the same ring because of all the usual divisiveness in boxing’s balkanized business. Still, they are linked, almost like a couple of rival politicians, in an ever-shifting race for allegiance among Mexican and Mexican-American fans. If presented a ballot these days, some of those fans might be tempted to vote none-of-the-above. Neither distinguished himself in his last outing.

Of the two, however, Chavez suffered more damage to his reputation and legendary name than Canelo sustained in a predictable loss. The difference: Chavez did it to himself. Canelo had it done to him.

Chavez appears to be closer than ever to losing a nation of fans who revere his dad, yet have grown ever more exasperated with the son’s apparent sense of entitlement and lack of maturity. Chavez continued to make a mockery of making weight and training before he got a gift on the scorecards against Vera in September. They booed him.

“I owe the fans,’’ says Chavez, a brand new father.

Is Chavez just talking or serious about sustaining a commitment to his craft this time around? It’s fair to wonder about that. Ratings for his HBO rematch at San Antonio’s Alamodome with Vera will say a lot about whether fans have given up on him.

That said, fans also might decide to wait-and-see. It will take more than one good fight from Chavez to win them back. If he is in shape, he figures to beat Vera easily. But the real proof would be in what he does over the next couple of fights. After a victory, he too often gets comfortable, falls off the wagon and into a lifestyle with no discipline. Roadwork consists of midnight laps around the couch and to the fridge.

For Canelo, there’s a different kind of skepticism. His pound-for-pound credentials took a big hit when he was so out-classed by Mayweather in September. Not to worry, Canelo promised in a conference call.

“I learned a lot from that fight,’’ he said. “I learned a lot from the Mayweather fight. He’s got a style that’s very complicated. He’s got a style that’s very intelligent and he fights intelligently. I think that his whole purpose is just to win. But I learned a lot. I learned a lot about the fight itself inside the ring and outside the ring as well.’’

In Angulo, Canelo took a fight he figures to win. Still, it’s dangerous. Angulo is tough and heavy-handed. He knocked down accomplished Erislandy Lara twice in June, before losing 10th-round stoppage. He also might have learned some valuable new tricks in sparring with Andre Ward. Virgil Hunter trains both Angulo and Ward.

Let’s put it this way: Angulo has better shot at scoring an upset than Vera does.

Yet, Golden Boy Promotions is betting that Canelo will emerge with his career and popularity intact. Canelo’s Showtime-televised comeback against Angulo at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand is a pay-per-view bout.

“I have loyal fans and I’m very grateful for that,’’ Canelo said. “They’re always going to be with me. I feel that they’re going to support me through thick and thin. They’re going to follow me in this Pay-Per-View.’’

If they don’t, only Canelo will pay.

CULIACÁN, MÉXICO (February 19, 2014) – Former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR is in his final days of training camp in México as he prepares for his 12-round super middleweight rematch against Top-Five contender and two-fisted Texan BRYAN VERA. Chávez Jr. – Vera II will take place next week – Saturday, March 1 – at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Prospect of the Year, VASYL LOMACHENKO, in only his second professional bout, challenging World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO SALIDO.

Here is what Chávez Jr. had to say today:

“I have been training for four months for this fight because I need to be at my best to win this fight and win it in an impressive fashion. I must eliminate all doubts about the outcome.

“I know that I will be much better than the first fight. I believe that Bryan Vera will come very confident after what happened in our first fight which will make this fight much better than the first one and one that the fans will remember for a long time.

“I owe the fans a great performance and that is what they will get on March 1 at th Alamodome and on HBO. I have had a lot of success in San Antonio and I look forward to going there and putting on a good show for them.

“I will make the 168 pound limit with no problem and I will be able to do the things I could not do in first fight. I will have better movement, I will be more consistent and I will fight 12 hard rounds if that is what it takes to win this second fight. Vera is a tough guy with a good chin, but I will do my best to send him home early.

“I know that we are fighting in his home state but inside the ring is just the two of us and the fans can stay in the stands and enjoy a great battle between two guys that will not give an inch in the ring.

“I am looking forward to a great night of boxing and to getting back on the road to another world championship run.”

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

The first Chávez Jr.-Vera fight took place on September 28, 2013, at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. It was action-packed from the opening bell, with Vera giving a career-best performance. The Texan outlanded Chávez Jr. in overall punches while the former world champion connected with the heavier artillery. The judges scored it unanimously for Chávez Jr., a decision that was met with disbelief by fans and media. And thus a rematch was born.

HBO Presents “Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II”. HBO playdates include: February 27 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, February 28 at 1:00 a.m. ET/PT and March 1 at 12:15 p.m. ET/PT.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

SAN ANTONIO (February 12, 2014) — Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Prospect of the Year VASYL LOMACHENKO (1-0, 1 KO), is in a hurry to make his mark, and in only his second professional fight, he will be challenging three-time world featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO for Salido’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title. The Salido-Lomachenko world championship fight will be televised live from the Alamodome, Saturday, March 1, on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature the eagerly-anticipated 12-round rematch between former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR. and Top-Five contender and two-fisted Texan BRYAN VERA.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II / Salido vs. Lomachenko are priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees). They can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

“It has been a long, hard ride to get to this world title fight,” said Lomachenko. “I may have only one professional fight on my resume but I have been boxing all my life, dreaming that one day I would be fighting the best fighters. And now I am fighting a world champion who is one of the best in featherweight division. Salido is a very good veteran fighter and he has been in the ring with toughest opponents. He puts a lot of pressure on you inside the ring and he comes to fight. Defeating this kind of fighter would mean a lot to me. It would also add my name to boxing history and get me one step closer to joining the sport’s all-time best. Thank you to Top Rank and a special thank you to Bob Arum for making this fight happen — for making my dream come true. Tune into HBO World Championship Boxing on March 1st. You will remember the Alamodome that night.”

Salido (40-12-2, 28 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, completed a hat trick last year by winning a world featherweight title for the third time. He captured the vacant WBO featherweight title by knocking out No. 1 contender Orlando Cruz in the seventh round of their September 12, 2013 fight. Salido captured his first world title in his third attempt. After a No Decision to Robert Guerrero in 2006 and a split decision loss to Cristobal Cruz in 2008, Salido finally captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight title in 2010, avenging his loss to Cruz by winning a split decision. His title reign was short-lived, losing a unification fight to World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa later that same year. Salido bounced back in a big way, stopping undefeated WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez in the eighth round in 2011 to capture his second world championship crown. Salido successfully defended that title twice, knocking out Kenichi Yamaguchi and Lopez in a rematch during his two-year reign, before losing it to Mikey Garcia last January. He enters this title defense having won six of his last seven fights by knockout.

Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko jumped into the deep end of boxing’s international-sized swimming pool when he made his professional debut in a 10-round featherweight bout against the WBO’s No. 7-rated featherweight contender Jose Luis Ramirez last September 12. It didn’t take Lomachenko long to take to the water. He knocked out Ramirez (24-2-2, 15 KOs) in the fourth round to become the new WBO International featherweight champion. He ended the year as the WBO’s No. 5 world-rated featherweight contender as well as being proclaimed the 2013 “Prospect of the Year” by the majority of the major boxing media. Lomachenko first gained international renown by winning gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Games as a featherweight and a lightweight, respectively. Known for his all-out aggressive style of boxing, Lomachenko is equally aggressive in plotting his professional boxing plan to a world title where he insisted on making his pro debut in a 10-round bout against a seasoned Top-10 rated contender where a victory could propel him to a world title shot in his next fight.

HBO Sports presents “The Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II,” premiering Monday, February 17, at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

SAN ANTONIO (February 12, 2014) — For three-time world featherweight champion ORLANDO “Siri” SALIDO boxing has been about perseverance and overcoming the odds, and in 17 days his mettle will be tested once more as he puts his world title on the line against two-time Olympic gold medalist, VASYL LOMACHENKO (1-0, 1 KO), considered by many to be the best amateur boxer in the history of the sport. The Salido-Lomachenko WBO featherweight championship fight will be televised live from the Alamodome on Saturday, March 1, on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature the eagerly-anticipated 12-round rematch between former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR. and Top-Five contender and two-fisted Texan BRYAN VERA.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II / Salido vs. Lomachenko are priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees). They can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

“I know people expect Lomachenko to beat me and take my title away, and while I respect all he did as an amateur, professional boxing is not the same. He has had just one professional fight. My experience, strength and hunger will be the difference”, said Salido during his media workout on Tuesday in his hometown of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. He has been training for the fight in Phoenix and Ciudad Obregon under his trainer, Santos Moreno.

“Lomachenko has quick hands and is very fast, but he still has an amateur style that can be exploited and that is what I am going to do on March 1 in San Antonio. This fight is as big as any I had in my career and look forward to the challenge.”

Salido (40-12-2, 28 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, completed a hat trick last year by winning a world featherweight title for the third time. He captured the vacant WBO featherweight title by knocking out No. 1 contender Orlando Cruz in the seventh round of their September 12, 2013 fight. Salido captured his first world title in his third attempt. After a No Decision to Robert Guerrero in 2006 and a split decision loss to Cristobal Cruz in 2008, Salido finally captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight title in 2010, avenging his loss to Cruz by winning a split decision. His title reign was short-lived, losing a unification fight to World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa later that same year. Salido bounced back in a big way, stopping undefeated WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez in the eighth round in 2011 to capture his second world championship crown. Salido successfully defended that title twice, knocking out Kenichi Yamaguchi and Lopez in a rematch during his two-year reign, before losing it to Mikey Garcia last January. He enters this title defense having won six of his last seven fights by knockout.

Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko jumped into the deep end of boxing’s international-sized swimming pool when he made his professional debut in a 10-round featherweight bout against the WBO’s No. 7-rated featherweight contender Jose Luis Ramirez last September 12. It didn’t take Lomachenko long to take to the water. He knocked out Ramirez (24-2-2, 15 KOs) in the fourth round to become the new WBO International featherweight champion. He ended the year as the WBO’s No. 5 world-rated featherweight contender as well as being proclaimed the 2013 “Prospect of the Year” by the majority of the major boxing media.. Lomachenko first gained international renown by winning gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Games as a featherweight and a lightweight, respectively. Known for his all-out aggressive style of boxing, Lomachenko is equally aggressive in plotting his professional boxing plan to a world title where he insisted on making his pro debut in a 10-round bout against a seasoned Top-10 rated contender where a victory could propel him to a world title shot in his next fight.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

February 3, 2014 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II,” an exhilarating special examining the upcoming super middleweight rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera. The duo engaged in a no-holds barred battle last September, which emerged as one of the year’s most highly-debated outcomes. On Saturday, March 1, the Alamodome in San Antonio will showcase the hotly anticipated rematch, televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.

The “Road to Chavez Jr./Vera II” special will premiere Monday, February 17 at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will revisit the high drama from their first bout last September in Carson, CA, as well as providing all-new content, including portraits of both fighters’ journey to this significant showdown on boxing’s leading television platform.

On September 28, 2013, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (47-1-1, 32 KOs) defeated Bryan Vera (23-7, 14 KOs) in a hotly-debated ten-round decision. Originally slated at the 168-pound mark, Chavez Jr. had weight issues, prompting his team to make a deal with Vera’s team to raise the limit to 173 pounds. Vera fought valiantly, but Chavez was awarded a unanimous decision by the judges at ringside, triggering demands for an immediate rematch.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: February 19 (9:15 a.m. & 7:00 p.m.), 22 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (9:45 a.m.), 25 (3:20 a.m. & 11:45 a.m.), 27 (4:30 p.m.), 28 (1:00 a.m.), and March 1 (12:15 p.m.).

HBO2 playdates: February 18 (7:45 p.m. & 11:00 p.m.), 22 (7:15 p.m.), 23 (3:20 a.m. & 4:15 p.m.) 24 (1:15 a.m. & 2:15 p.m.), 26 (10:35 a.m. & 10:15 p.m.) and 27 (11:45 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

SAN ANTONIO – Thursday, Mexican “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. strode across the Alamodome stage to a podium that would conceal, for once, a fairly lean version of Junior, a version of him that surprisingly looked within 20 pounds of his next match’s contracted fighting weight, six weeks out, a match that will be a rematch with Austin’s Bryan Vera, a man who likely deserved a better result than what he received in September and will more than likely deserve better than the savage beating he collects March 1.

“And thank you, Texas,” Chavez said in accented English, to close. “Because this my home too.”

Chavez appeared chastened. Years back, Argentine Sergio Martinez, incensed his WBC belt was unfastened from his waste and bestowed upon Chavez by the late Jose Sulaiman – a man ever more beloved in Mexico, for codifying the country’s importance in prizefighting, than in the United States – arrived at a postfight press conference in Houston after Chavez beat up and beat down Peter Manfredo who, personably enough, indulged bystanders’ curious requests to hear him say “fugettaboutit” after he was stopped and announced a stop to his career (a retirement that lasted, stereotypically enough, nary a twelvemonth), to challenge Chavez in his finest hour, and Martinez was uncharacteristically dismissive too. He asked rhetorically if he wouldn’t knock Chavez out easily. At the time it seemed quite probable.

Fewer than 10 months later, Chavez nearly ended Martinez’s reign as a world champion, coming preposterously close to becoming the linear middleweight champion, affixing himself to a bloodline of Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon and Sugar Ray Robinson and Harry Greb, in a fight that changed both men, shortening Martinez’s career and the lucid years of Chavez’s life. Lost in the justifiable contempt aficionados reserve for Chavez is any consideration for the consequences of the sustained whupping he took from Martinez’s fists, and the incredible number of punches he took square and unmolested to his cranium – each punch nearly the force of what single blow put Paul Williams prostrate on a blue mat in Atlantic City.

Chavez wishes to be taken seriously, by himself and others, one hears from men who should know, and certainly should know better if it is not so – men who’ve seen, fallen victim to, or perpetrated, every hustle yet known in our beloved sport. Chavez does take boxing seriously, they say. If this is so, and again some suspension of disbelief is required, he may now be suffering from a combination of genetics and a damaged brain.

Boxing has rarely come upon a more naturally unsympathetic figure than Chavez; Adrien Broner and Floyd Mayweather, of course, have as large a percentage of attendees at their matches cheering their demise, yes, but those men worked hard to cultivate odious public personalities, and those men, too, remain for the most part popular within their own ethnicity. Chavez, conversely, now holds a unique place in boxing’s landscape as a man who, through no overt effort of his own – through no detectable effort of any kind, one might say – has transformed an entire ethnic enclave, Mexican-American, from a default sort of projected affection, the son of my hero is my friend, to another thing entirely. Chavez is aware of this even without his father reminds him, though Chavez Sr. appears the kind of dad who might be willing to grunt just such a suggestion to a filial epigone like Junior, privately.

Senior’s popularity has a variety of sources, but an occasionally overlooked one is historical: Mexico collapsed in an epic sort of way in 1994 – and such a collapse injured cruelly a proud and surprisingly innocent country, one whose residents, when called upon by their government to help La Patria recover its economic footing, sent gifts and sundries varied as live chickens to Mexico City – and for the next number of years, Chavez Sr. was, as one Mexican journalist put it at what became Chavez Sr.’s final fight, “the only thing that went right for us.” Junior was a part of that Mexico more than Americans, and most Mexicans, care to realize.

Watch the ringwalk that preceded Chavez Sr.’s worst professional moment to that point, his official draw in 1993 with Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whitaker, a singular boxer whom shot commentator Ferdie Pacheco continued to call “Peewee” through the pay-per-view broadcast. Who sits atop one of the entourage’s shoulders, looking down on his father while the legend sings along to the Mexican national anthem before a record-setting crowd in this city’s then-four-month-old Alamodome? It is Junior’s unmistakable chubby-cheeked visage one sees, a face portending a lifetime of weight struggles regardless of profession, spreading tentatively beneath a red headband like his dad’s.

“Son of the Legend” has been part of boxing his entire life, the number of those memories a fair auditor would call euphoric barely outnumbering those classifiable as euphoria’s opposite, and he understands, as Freddie Roach recognized in the first week as his trainer, “the geometry of the ring.” He probably believes he beat Bryan Vera in September, potshotting him the way Sergio Martinez amassed a lopsided lead on Chavez himself the year before, and knowing, as television didn’t show, Chavez’s punches were many times harder and flusher than Vera’s. He also knows how many people hold him in contempt and knows he now deserves it in a way he probably did not before. He is much better than Bryan Vera, and if he is motivated and conditioned – and again, he appeared reasonably trim Thursday – he may put a tragic type of beating on Vera, who for all his activity, is not nearly strong or elusive enough to dissuade Chavez in an emergency.

For once Texas should not worry about judges but ringside medical officials willing to intervene if Vera’s corner comports itself too courageously on March 1.

Bart Barry can be reached via bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 16, 2014) — On the heels of their controversial collision which resulted in a hotly disputed decision, former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR. and Top-Five contender and two-fisted Texan BRYAN VERA will square off in a 12-round super middleweight battle in a rematch to settle their score once and for all. This time Vera will enjoy the home court advantage when they meet, Saturday, March 1, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Chávez Jr. vs. Vera II will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Prospect of the Year, VASYL LOMACHENKO, in only his second professional bout, challenging World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO SALIDO.

The non-televised undercard will feature former World Lightweight Champion JUAN DIAZ, of Houston, looking to extend his three-fight winning streak as he attempts to return to the top of the lightweight division after a three-year hiatus from boxing.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II go on sale This Friday! January 17 at Noon CT. Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

The first Chávez Jr.-Vera fight took place on September 28, 2013, at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. It was action-packed from the opening bell, with Vera giving a career-best performance. The Texan outlanded Chávez Jr. in overall punches while the former world champion connected with the heavier artillery. The judges scored it unanimously for Chávez Jr., a decision that was met with disbelief by fans and media. And thus a rematch was born.

“Chávez Jr. will return to the ring to fight Vera, coming off that controversial decision last September in California,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Chávez Jr. agreed to do this rematch because of the nature of their first fight. We will also have on this card the great Olympian Vasyl Lomachenko, who will challenge defending WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido.”

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to right a wrong that happened to Bryan in his last bout against Chávez Jr. on September 28 in California,” said Arthur Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions. “Bryan fought like a warrior and was denied the victory — not by Chávez Jr. but by the judges. As impossible as it seems, Bryan has been working even harder in the gym to get the win on March 1. I am looking forward to a great event.”

“At times, when a fight’s drama ends in controversy, fans deserve a rematch to write a conclusive final act. On March 1, Chávez Jr.-Vera II will begin in San Antonio’s Alamodome where the last bell of their first slugfest left us in California,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “Opening the HBO show is a fascinating fight pitting professional experience against amateur virtuosity, when three-time world champion Orlando Salido faces two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko, who hopes to usurp Salido’s featherweight title in only his second bout after Lomachenko declared his ascension to the professional ranks.”

“It will be another tough fight with Vera, but I expect that I will be much better this time around,” Chávez told ESPN Deportes in a recent interview. “The long-layoff hurt me in the first fight, so I expect to be at my best this second time. I know I can do much better than the first time and I owe the fans a much better performance and that is what they will get when we meet on March 1 in San Antonio.”

“I am looking forward to the rematch with Chávez,” said Vera. “I know the fans want to see us fight again. especially after my very controversial loss to him. I lost on the very “questionable” scorecards, but to the fans, I was the winner. I’ve gained a lot of fans after the first fight. I am coming ready to fight and am set on a victory in my home state of Texas. I’ll be ready. You can count on that.”

Chávez Jr. (47-1-1, 32 KOs), of Culiacán, México, will be making his 2014 debut in his first fight in San Antonio in over two years. He captured the WBC middleweight crown in 2011, winning a majority decision over undefeated interim world champion Sebastian Zbik at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Chávez Jr. successfully defended his title three times during his 15-month reign, knocking out Andy Lee and Peter Manfredo, Jr. in the seventh and fifth rounds, respectively, and winning a unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio. His thrilling world title loss to Sergio Martinez at their Méxican Independence Day spectacular on September 15, 2012 was the highest-attended boxing event in the history of the Thomas & Mack Center, with 19,186, topping the record set by the heavyweight championship rematch between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, which drew 19,151 in 1999.

Vera (23-7, 14 KOs), of Austin, TX, entered his first fight with Chávez, Jr. having won six of his last seven bouts and riding a 16-month, four-bout winning streak. Vera’s hot streak included NABO middleweight title victories over Sergio Mora, former world champion Sergeii Dzinziruk, and Donatas Bondoravas, with the last two victories coming by way of knockout. Vera, who trains in Houston with Ronnie Shields, is currently world-rated No. 5 by the WBO.

Salido (40-12-2, 28 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México, completed a hat trick last year by winning a world featherweight title for the third time. He captured the vacant WBO featherweight title by knocking out No. 1 contender Orlando Cruz in the seventh round of their September 12, 2013 fight. Salido captured his first world title in his third attempt. After a No Decision to Robert Guerrero in 2006 and a split decision loss to Cristobal Cruz in 2008, Salido finally captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight title in 2010, avenging his loss to Cruz by winning a split decision. His title reign was short-lived, losing a unification fight to World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa later that same year. Salido bounced back in a big way, stopping undefeated WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez in the eighth round in 2011 to capture his second world championship crown. Salido successfully defended that title twice, knocking out Kenichi Yamaguchi and Lopez in a rematch during his two-year reign, before losing it to Mikey Garcia last January. He enters this title defense having won six of his last seven fights by knockout.

Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko (1-0, 1 KO) jumped into the deep end of boxing’s international-sized swimming pool when he made his professional debut in a 10-round featherweight bout against the WBO’s No. 7-rated featherweight contender Jose Luis Ramirez last September 12. It didn’t take Lomachenko long to take to the water. He knocked out Ramirez (24-2-2, 15 KOs) in the fourth round to become the new WBO International featherweight champion. He ended the year as the WBO’s No. 5 world-rated featherweight contender as well as being proclaimed the 2013 “Prospect of the Year” by the majority of the major boxing media.. Lomachenko first gained international renown by winning gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Games as a featherweight and a lightweight, respectively. Known for his all-out aggressive style of boxing, Lomachenko is equally aggressive in plotting his professional boxing plan to a world title where he insisted on making his pro debut in a 10-round bout against a seasoned Top-10 rated contender where a victory could propel him to a world title shot in his next fight.

Diaz (38-4, 19 KOs) will continue his comeback bid in the featured bout, scheduled for 10 rounds at the lightweight class, on the non-televised undercard. Diaz captured the WBA lightweight title in 2004, winning a unanimous decision over Lakva Sim. .During his four-year reign he unified the lightweight titles with knockout victories over Acelino Freitas and Julio Diaz, the respective WBO and IBF champions . After a three-year hiatus, Diaz, 30, returned to the ring wars last year and has fashioned a three-bout winning streak with two of those victories coming by way of knockout.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 14, 2014) — Former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR., his opponent, Top-Five contender and tough Texan BRYAN VERA,Houston’s former World Lightweight Champion JUAN DIAZ, Hall of Fame Promoter BOB ARUM, Zanfer Promotions’FERNANDO BELTRAN, two-time heavyweight champion GEORGE FOREMAN and ARTHUR PELULLO,President of Banner Promotions, will host a news conference announcing the eagerly-awaited rematch — Chávez Jr. vs. Vera II — This Thursday! January 16, in the Alamodome (Stadium Floor – South end.) Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. CT with the news conference beginning at 2:00 p.m. CT.

The press conference will be open to the public.

Media may park in Lot A, located at the South side of the Alamodome, and enter through the tunnel entrance at the arena’s South side near the back loading dock.

Chávez (47-1-1, 32 KOs), of Culiacán, México, making his 2014 debut in his first fight in San Antonio in over two years, and Vera (23-7, 14 KOs), of Austin, TX, will go mano a mano again in a super middleweight bout that both combatants vow will settle the score from their controversial September 28, 2013 fistic debate which was won by Chávez Jr. Chávez Jr. vs. Vera II will be televised live from the Alamodome, Saturday, March 1 on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and 2013 Prospect of the Year, VASYL LOMACHENKO (1-0, 1 KO), in only his second professional bout, challenging World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion ORLANDO SALIDO (40-12-2, 28 KOs), of México. Diaz (38-4, 19 KOs) will continue his comeback bid in the featured bout on the non-televised undercard.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, tickets to Chávez vs. Vera II go on sale This Friday! January 17, at Noon CT. Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased at the Alamodome box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com and via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800) 745-3000.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo,facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing , and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

Operator – Welcome to the Bryan Vera conference call. I will now turn the call over to your host, Marc Abrams.

Mr. Marc Abrams – Hello, everyone, from the media. I thank everyone for joining us today. We’re having a special conference call with Bryan Vera in the wake of last Saturday night’s fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. that was at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, which was the largest–the most viewed fight on cable television this year in 2013. And obviously there’s been a lot of controversy about the decision. So, we’re going to rehash a little bit of that. And obviously people have read maybe in the last couple of days that there’s already been some rumblings about a possible rematch. So, we have Bryan on the call along with his trainer, trainer of champions, Ronnie Shields and promoter Art Pelullo of Banner Promotions, and he can shed a lot of stuff on that. So, let me turn it over to the CEO and President of Banner Promotions, Art Pelullo.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Hi, guys. Who’s on the call?

Mr. Marc Abrams – We’ll find that out in a minute.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Okay. The bottom line is I thank everybody for calling in. Where we’re at now is this is for you guys to ask your questions about Bryan and what the future holds for him. We are talking to Bob. We are talking to HBO about a December date. And should they not be financially in a position to pay for this event, Bob and I are discussing a pay per view event for December. So, outside of that, I think everybody wants to hear from Bryan and Ronnie. So, I’ll just listen in the background till there’s a question.

Mr. Marc Abrams – Bryan, you want to make any opening statements?

Mr. Bryan Vera – No, I’m good, man. Just–I’m ready to answer any kind of questions you have for me.

Mr. Marc Abrams – Okay, Ronnie?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – I just want to say that everybody saw the fight. This fight deserves a rematch because Bryan did win the fight. And I just think everybody, especially all the press, I think you guys need to put it out there that there should be a rematch.

Mr. Marc Abrams – Okay. I guess, operator, we’re ready for questions.

Operator – The line’s now open for questions. If you would like to ask a question, you may do so by pressing star and then one on your telephone keypad, that’s star and then the number one. We do have a question from the line of Brian Fogg with Leave it in the RinG. Your line is live.

Mr. Brian Fogg – Hi. A quick question here kind of for all three of you actually. Going into the 10th round and after the 10th round you guys were all celebrating. You seemed pretty sure of the decision. I guess what was going through your head right before you heard it?

Mr. Marc Abrams – Bryan?

Mr. Bryan Vera – Yeah, for me, I thought Iwon. I was a little bit worried [unintelligible] me and Ronnie [unintelligible] corner where we’re very happy with the way things were going. So, we–I thought for sure we had it man.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Well, for me–.

Mr. Brian Fogg – –Ronnie, what do you think?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – –Yes. For me, I was happy because Bryan followed the game plan to a tee. I couldn’t ask him to do no more than what he did that night. And right after the fight though, I had my suspicions. I really did. But, I told Bryan, “No matter what the decision is, he won the fight.” I say, “No matter what the decision is you won the fight.” And–but always in the back of my mind–I’ve been through this so many times with Pernell Whitaker and Chavez Senior, with Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, with Erislandy Lara and Paul Williams. So, nothing surprised me. But, this was really a blowout by Bryan Vera. And for them to give Julio Jr. a unanimous decision was–it was really ludicrous.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Just to add what Ronnie and Bryan said, he clearly won the fight. In the 10th round, I was sitting with Josh from my office. The bottom line is that he’s a powerful kid. And I knew that if the 10th round went the way we thought it would Bryan would win a unanimous decision. Never thought in my mind that it would so erroneous the scores and so bizarre. I mean, even to this day people are talking about the scores. Even Bob Arum, who promoted the other guy, who has to say–who promoted Chavez. He says, “Well, it was a close fight. Six, four, I call it even.” Even he says that Marty Denkin was off and so was Gwen. I mean, Gwen she’s just bizarre. I mean, she shouldn’t be judging anymore. But, in the meantime where we’re going from here is a rematch and everybody wants to see it. And I understand that Marc Abrams took a poll. There was 60 reporters, 56 saw Bryan win and four saw a draw and nobody saw Chavez winning. So, clearly it’s a bad situation for boxing because it has to be rectified. The only way it gets rectified is another fight in Texas in the state where Bryan’s from. That’s where it’s at right now so far.

Operator – As a reminder, if you would like to ask a question, you may do so by pressing star and then one on your telephone keypad. We do have a question from the line of Lem Satterfield with RingTV.com. Your line is live.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Yeah. Artie, how you doing?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Hey, Lem. I’m good, bud.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Hey, I talked to your buddy, Joe DeGuardia, and I actually talked to Lantle [sp]. You just mentioned where do we go from here. How much pressure in your mind–and I don’t know if you’ve talked to Joe. How much pressure is on the judges in Florida in that fight in particular with Cotto-Rodriguez, which is very similar in my mind to this one where Chavez was the A side and Cotto is the A side. Do you see rightly or wrongly there being any pressure on that situation?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Well, let me just say this to you. You would hope that they would play it straight. I mean, you would hope that they would see the fight, who’s winning the fight and not who’s supposed to win the fight, but you don’t know, Lem, because look what happens. C.J. Ross has–can never withdrawal. So, you would have thought the officials–she gets–she’s forced to resign. You would have thought the officials in California would have taken a page out of what’s going on in Nevada and played it the right way and saw the winner, because he won the fight, not because they wanted to see a certain guy win the fight or have a preconceived idea who won the fight before the event actually took place. So, to answer your question, I have no idea. I have no idea, because part of the problem is with our industry is that the officials are not held accountable for their action. There is no suspension in place. There’s no fines. There’s no review. All of the commissions they stand by their officials right or wrong, which is wrong. I’m a licensed fight promoter. Should I make a mistake, should there be a problem, there are repercussions for me, but there’s nobody that holds the officials accountable. Very few times does anybody say, “Hey, you were wrong. You’re suspended. You’re fined and whatever.” And that’s the basic problem of the officiating, because they’re not held accountable to anybody. So, what they do and as they do it it’s not brought under scrutiny. And what happened in Nevada Keith Kiser got in trouble because he stood by the official blindly, instead of saying nothing and seeing how it played out. He got in trouble with his governor. So, the answer to your question, I have no clue what’s going to happen in Florida. I don’t know the people who are appointing. And you would hope that what goes on in Florida will be a lot better than what happened in California.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Okay, now let me–along those lines really even though you’re going to Texas, and I’d like Bryan–is he–Bryan on the line?

Mr. Marc Abrams – Yeah, Bryan’s here.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Okay, this is for you, Bryan, and for Ronnie. Really even though you’re going to Texas you don’t know what’s going to happen. So, my question is, Bryan, Ronnie, Artie, how do each of you go through a whole promotion, a whole training camp, not knowing for sure whether (A) Chavez is going to come in at the weight he’s supposed to and (B) you’re going to get what you perceive to be a fair shake? Starting with Bryan, how do you put this all behind you?

Mr. Bryan Vera – Obviously, you just go get ready. You don’t really put it behind you, but I’m not going to just stop boxing and give up because of what happened. I’m going to go back and get with Ronnie and get with those guys and talk to Artie. And like Ronnie was telling me earlier, we got to make sure there’s stipulations in the contracts before we sign everything that there’s real punishments, not these little punishments that he can afford, like what he got last time. I mean, we got to put real punishments to where he’s [unintelligible] to not do these things. You know what I mean? And as far as the judges and everything, I mean I don’t know really how to control that. I just know that we have to control Chavez, make sure he comes to the final weight. And I got to let Ronnie and let Artie and Dave Watson, let them guys handle that. And I got to go back to camp and get ready.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Ronnie?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Yes, I think that we can’t worry about the judges. The most important thing is to get Bryan ready. Get him in great shape again and go over the game plan again. And there’s always some stuff that we can go back and change up just a little bit from the last fight. But, as far as the weight is concerned, I think the next time we have to put in the contract that if he doesn’t make weight it’s going to cost him half a million dollars, simple as that, and I think that that’s only fair. This guy walks away with a lot of money, but he tried to dictate everything. He dictated the weight. He dictated the cancellations and all of this stuff. And Bryan he just had to sit back and wait until the fight happened. And when the fight did happen Bryan just did what he was supposed to do and he won the fight. So, I think this next fight come up then they have to abide by the rules or there’s not going to be a fight.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Artie, is there anymore pressure on you? Is there anymore pressure on you right now to make it a more–have more control in the situation? What’s your thought?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Well, I agree with everything that Ronnie and Bryan said. Control’s very difficult now. The way you do it is like they said, you put things in the contract, and he has to live up to what he signs. At the end of the day it depends on how much he wants to be a fighter. I mean–and they’re right, about the officiating, I’m going to go down there early. If everything goes in place and we get the rematch, I’m going to go down there early. I’ll talk to the Texas Commission. I want to have input on who the officials will be as far as–you’re not allowed to have–input who you want, but you can strike people. I’ll get more involved with that as well. But, at the end of the day you can’t control a human being. You can put it in a contract what he’s supposed to do. And whether he lives up to that is a different story altogether. I can’t control my children. I mean–and they love me. So, how am I going to control anybody else?

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – You got it.

Mr. Lem Satterfield – Thanks for having the call.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Brendan Montenegro with roundbyroundboxing.com. Your line is live.

Mr. Brendan Montenegro – Hey, Bryan, how’s everything? My question is as far as weight limit, you started off at one weight and it was changed a few times after that. Are you looking to push it if you do get the rematch to stay at 168 or would you do like a medium of 170 and leave it at that, no if and or buts? And the other question is do you feel that the CompuBox numbers were right that you only landed 176 out of 734 punches compared to his 125 out of 328?

Mr. Bryan Vera – You asking me?

Mr. Brendan Montenegro – Yeah–.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – –That question’s for you, Bryan.

Mr. Brendan Montenegro – Yeah, Bryan.

Mr. Bryan Vera – I don’t even know about the CompuBox punches. I felt like I landed a lot of punches. But, as far as the weight, yeah, he has to be at 168. I think Ronnie agrees with that as well, I believe. I think that we have to make him weigh 168. I have no business fighting at 170 or over 170. I come in at 60 to fight to 68. So, I don’t see why I am fighting at 171.

Mr. Brendan Montenegro – Do you feel you lost a little power moving up or you’re just not comfortable at that weight and you feel that 168 is the max for you?

Mr. Bryan Vera – No, I just feel like it’s their problem. Obviously, I’m bigger and stronger than everybody at 60–a lot of people at 60, but at 168 I also feel strong. But, when we started going over there I’m dealing with a heavyweight–come down and fight like a heavyweight. I mean, for me, I’m trying to make more sense of my career and trying to make a fair playing field. So, I’m thinking 168 is the limit.

Mr. Brendan Montenegro – All right, thank you.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Norm Frauenheim with 15 Rounds. Your line is live.

Mr. Norm Frauenheim – Hi, Artie. I got one question for you. In your talks for the rematch did Bob say that he talked to Julio Jr.? And what’s your sense on whether–I mean given his unreliability through this and prior fights, what do you think the chances are that Julio Jr. will agree to a rematch?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Bob did talk to junior. He said he was interested in a rematch. And I think he needs to do it, because his own fan base is giving him a hard time. I mean, there are many reports down in Mexico that they’re disappointed with him. He didn’t win the fight. He got a gift. And in that world down there it’s very important to be macho, to be standup, and they’re telling him for him to rematch himself. So, I actually think the rematch is very good–a very good chance to come forward. There’s no fights for him right now between now and the end of the year or January or February. Other guys are tied up. So, this would also help us get the rematch.

Mr. Norm Frauenheim – Okay, okay. How about–what do you think, Ronnie? You think he’ll agree to it?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – I think he will agree to it. I mean, I think he–I think he’s on the spot right now. If he don’t agree to it that means he know he can’t beat Bryan, simple as that. If you was a confident fighter–and you could blame it on whatever he want to blame it on, but he know he lost. In his heart he knows he lost that fight. And that’s probably why he won’t take him if he doesn’t agree to it.

Mr. Norm Frauenheim – All right, thanks, fellows. Good luck on that.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – You got it.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Steve Gallegos with thetitlefight.com. Your line is live.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Bryan, how you are today, buddy?

Mr. Bryan Vera – Doing great. How are you?

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Very good. Man, hey, great performance. Man, you definitely won that fight. Yeah, Chavez definitely got the gift. And during the fight, especially in the later rounds, particularly the 9th, Chavez did what boxings [sp] version of what flopping is. And obviously Lou Moret had no–was having no part of that. Overall based on the bad officiating, how would you guys rate Lou Moret’s refereeing performance?

Mr. Bryan Vera – For me being [unintelligible], he did a great job. He took no points away because he knew what I was doing was fair. And I think he knew that Chavez was complaining a lot and doing it because he didn’t want to be in there. He was getting roughed up and complaining because he could, but I thought the referee did a great job.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Absolutely–.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – –The referee was terrific. Lou made him fight and didn’t take any guff from him about all his complaining about the low blows and the head butts. Lou was terrific. He let them become–he let them fight, and the kid didn’t want to fight. He was moaning and groaning the whole night long.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Yeah, I think–.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – –Yeah, absolutely–.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – –He was looking for help. He was looking for help the whole night long. He knew he was losing these rounds, and he was looking for the referee to try to take a point away from Bryan. And everything Bryan threw was legal. He didn’t do nothing illegal. Chavez was trying to use his head. I mean, he was trying to put up all stops. He was looking for help. He got help from the judges, but not from the referee.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Yeah, absolutely. I didn’t see no dirty play, no elbows, no low shot. In fact his trunks looked very high as well. So, yeah, absolutely. And basically with the high Nielsen ratings and the controversial decision, if a rematch goes forward do you guys feel that you have leverage in negotiating a higher purse on Bryan’s end?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Most definitely. Most definitely. Because, he’s going to have to make less and Bryan’s going to have to make more. So–and then–and we’re dealing with that as things go along, but most definitely.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Okay. And, Bryan, you looked very comfortable at the higher weight. Even though you had to come in at 173 you looked sharp. You didn’t look like that it was too much for you. I mean, you’re used to fighting right around 160. Do you think you’re going to stay at super middleweight from here on out or are you going to go back down to 160?

Mr. Bryan Vera – I mean, I always–I talk to Ronnie, talk to those guys after we–after the next fight, but most likely if we go back to 60 where there’s a lot more Opportunity the full weight class there’s a lot of good talent and a lot of big fights. So, I’ll get with those guys and we’ll figure it out.

Mr. Steve Gallegos – Okay. Well, that’s all the questions I have today. Thanks, Artie. Thanks, Ronnie. Thanks, Bryan, for having this conference call, kind of addressing some of the issues of the fight. And you all have a good one. Good luck the next time out.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Thank you–.

Mr. Bryan Vera – –Thanks.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Karl Freitag with Fight News. Your line is live.

Mr. Karl Freitag – Hello. I was wondering the decision to cut the fight from 12 to 10 rounds was that–looking in retrospect do you think that was a good decision considering Bryan seemed to have a lot more energy at the end of the fight?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Yes, I think it was a good decision, because, look, Chavez, I’m telling you, he was 200 pounds–easily 200 pounds. And I know Bryan. I know what kind of condition he was in. He was in great condition, but I know coming down the stretch that Chavez was going to try to put his weight on him, and he was going to try to be fitting down on a lot of his shots. So, I didn’t want to take the chance. I know Bryan was faster than him regardless, but still at the rate Bryan was throwing punches on a big guy like that. And people have to understand Bryan’s power was still there, but Chavez was able to assault more because of how big he was. And I still hear the same question, “Well, when Chavez hit him he [unintelligible] Bryan.” Well, if a 200 pound man hit you, he’s going to rock you every time, but he only hit Bryan with a couple good shots that kind of made Bryan go back a little bit, but at the same time Bryan worked him. Bryan threw over 700 punches in this fight and that’s a lot of punches for a super middleweight, let alone a guy that’s had to fight at a light heavyweight. I mean, look at the light heavyweight average. Go and look at the light heavyweight average and look at what Bryan did and you’ll see why I cut it down to 10 rounds.

Mr. Karl Freitag – Before the fight did you look at the officials and give any thought considering that like Gwen Adair’s 80 and Marty Denkin’s 79? Was that a consideration to complain or was there even an option because this wasn’t a title fight?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Who’s that addressed to?

Mr. Karl Freitag – Anybody on the Vera team.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Well, first of all, they didn’t appoint the officials until Friday. Second of all it’s impossible to replace them unless you have cause. So, the answer to that is there’s nothing you can do unless you have enough time and you have to have cause to replace them.

Mr. Karl Freitag – Yeah. Okay. And you’re talking about doing this fight in Texas. I know Chavez has a history in Texas. He wasn’t tested after one of his fights and that led to some situation. Would–do you consider Texas to be a neutral ground or more Chavez territory or more Vera territory?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Well, if you’re asking–Bryan, why don’t you answer that first, and then I’ll take it, and then you and Ronnie go first.

Mr. Bryan Vera – I mean, for me, I think it’s more my territory. Obviously it depends on where it is, too. San Antonio he has a lot of people, but I’m right here in Austin right down the street. So, I don’t know. I mean, the judging–I seem to be all right with the judges over here. [Unintelligible] gives a fair shake. And I mean you can never tell with them but I think it gives me more of an advantage that we’re here in Texas for sure.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – And if you’re asking me, I think that, like I said earlier in the conversation, I would go to Texas and sit down with them and see what’s going on and who they would appoint and have a little bit better handle in it. I don’t think Dickie Cole, who is the–like their Executive Director wants to be in a position to be criticized that the fight would be another scandal like it was in California.

Mr. Karl Freitag – Okay, great. Thanks very much.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – You got it.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of David Greisman with boxingscene.com. Your line is live.

Mr. David Griesman – Actually, my questions have already been asked. Thank you.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of James Myer [sp] with Tha Boxing Voice. Your line is live. James Myer, your line is live.

Mr. James Myer – Sorry, about that. I was on mute. But, anyway, this question is for Bryan and Ronnie. I just wanted to know if you guys have gone back and scored the fight? And if so, have you guys–did you guys see anything, any actual footage of the fight that you might change going into a rematch that won’t allow the judges to score the way they did on Saturday?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Go ahead, Bryan.

Mr. Bryan Vera – I would get with Ronnie about it, but I mean to me it looked like I won the fight more clearly than [unintelligible] but I would have to just go back to the gym with Ronnie and let him determine on whether I need to make changes now. But, as far as myself, I felt like I did what I had to do to win it and it seemed clear to me.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – And as for me, I haven’t watched a fight back. I mean, I don’t need to watch it back really. I caught it the other night, and I saw like the last two rounds of the fight but that was it. But, I mean, look, I saw it live and I judge every round–every round for my fighters I judge it and I judge it fairly, and if Bryan was behind I would have told him that he was behind during the fight, but I didn’t tell him he was behind because he wasn’t. He was winning the fight and that’s why I just kept telling him–every now and then Bryan would put his hands down and get hit with a shot. And I just told him, “Don’t be macho. You don’t have to be macho. Just stick to the game plan.” And he went back and he did that. And as far as a rematch is concerned, it’s not in me to tell my fighter to train because he’s got to impress–because he’s got to do something special because he’s fighting Chavez Jr. in the next fight. No. We train. We put the fight plan together and that’s the way we do it. We can’t–because we don’t know how judges think. We don’t know how they’re going to be that night. We just got to do the best that we can possibly do, get in great shape, follow the game plan and win the fight. And whether the judges see it that way or not, in my heart of hearts we know Bryan won the fight. That just plain and simple as that. Everybody thought he won the fight. So, that’s enough for me. And in the next fight we have to train harder and just add a few more wrinkles to what we already know how to do.

Mr. James Myer – Also, regarding the weight–you guys being a little bit stricter on the weight loss policy have you guys thought of any sort of rehydration clause or are you guys that far into negotiations where you talked about stuff like that?

Mr. Artie Pelullo – If you’re asking me, we’re not–if he makes 68 and that’s agreed upon weight, it’d be pretty hard to put a number in there that he can’t be heavy than whatever, but I don’t know the answer to that question because we don’t have a fight yet. We haven’t had–we don’t have 100 percent from him, and HBO is hemming and hawing at this time as they’re looking at their budget. So, if it’s not then–going to be on HBO or then it would be on pay per view. So, right now, we’re trying to put together that the fight does happen before the end of the year on the 7th or the 14th.

Mr. James Myer – All right, great. That’s all the questions I had. Thanks a lot for your time.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – I’d just like to say something. I need to get on a plane. So, if anybody wants to talk–ask me anymore questions that’s fine. If not, I’m going to get off. Everybody else stay on with Bryan and with Ronnie. So, if there’s nothing else for me, I’ll wait a second and find out, and then I’m going to get on this plane.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Robert Morales with Los Angeles Daily News. Your line is live.

Mr. Robert Morales – Thank you. Yeah, I actually have–you’re okay, Artie. I have one question for Bryan and one for Ronnie.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Okay, then I’m going to say goodbye. Ronnie, and, Bryan, and Marc, you guys keep talking. Thanks, guys, all the reporters–.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – –Thank you–.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – –For coming onboard. We need your help. And because of what you’ve done and because of the outcry and the outrage on how the decision went there could be a bigger fight in the second fight and that’s what we’re working on. So, everybody have a good day. I’ll be on cell. I’ll be in LA. Chow.

Mr. Bryan Vera – Take care.

Mr. Artie Pelullo – Bye, guys. Bye, Ronnie. Bye, Bryan–.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – –Bye.

Mr. Bryan Vera – Take care.

Mr. Robert Morales – Okay, so, Bryan, I’m curious, immediately after the decision was announced, what went through your head?

Mr. Bryan Vera – I mean nothing really. I just felt sick to my stomach, man, because I mean, you heard the crowd. The crowd booed. And I just knew that I won the fight, man. We all felt the same way. I really had no thoughts. I was kind of disgusted, man. So, I just prayed, hopefully, we can do this again.

Mr. Robert Morales – Ronnie, I’m wondering. I know that this is not what you want to see a decision that your man apparently deserved it and didn’t get. But, let me ask you this, Bryan did give a very, very good performance, one of the best, and I know he’s gotten better recently as time has gone on. We all know that. I thought this was a terrific performance by him. Do you think that even though he did not get this decision that his performance alone helped him in his career?

Mr. Ronnie Shields – I think without a doubt. I think people have to also look at all the hard work Bryan put into this fight. Sometimes it takes a name to make you fight your best. Let me tell you something, we had 17 weeks of hard work. And every time the fight got canceled, I brought him down a little bit, and then when it was on we picked it back up, and we had to do this like four times. So–and Bryan didn’t complain one time. I’ve been with guys before that have complained, “Oh, this ain’t going to never happen,” this and that, and they get themselves down, but Bryan just kept pushing and pushing. And I think it showed. It reflected in the fight that he worked hard that he definitely worked harder than Chavez did. And for them not to see that and not to give him the fight that’s–to me these guys didn’t do their job. And someone said something about their age. It don’t matter how old you are. If you can see the fight, realize that both guys trained. They trained hard. They–this is their living. This is what they do for a living. And it don’t affect these guys in one way or another. They don’t care that they gave the fight to a guy who didn’t deserve it. And that’s the thing about is not one of these judges have come out and said one thing. “This is what I saw. This is what it is.” No, nothing. You heard nothing. Because, I’m telling you, I don’t know if they was paid off. They could have been. Like Vergil Hunter said, he saw some suspicious things going on around wayside. Hey, maybe it was. And again these judges should have a heart and come out and say, “Oh, yeah, we took some money to give him the fight,” or “I made a mistake. I didn’t–maybe I didn’t look at it the way I supposed to be looking at it.” Say something and let the public know. If they call themselves fair and honest, then come out fair and honest and say what you believe now.

Mr. Robert Morales – I see. I see. Outstanding. All right, Ronnie, thanks. Man, I appreciate it.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Thank you.

Operator – Our next question comes from the line of Gina Carano with TRU Boxing Headz. Your line is live.

Ms. Gina Carano – Hi, Bryan. This is Gina. How you doing?

Mr. Bryan Vera – I’m doing good, Gina. How are you?

Ms. Gina Carano – Good. My question’s for you. I have just more of a statement and then a little bit of a question. I’m sure you know that Twitter totally blew up that night. It was out of control. I mean, Chavez-Vera was one of the top trends on Twitter. And I know it’s one thing for boxing fans to say it’s unfair that my fighter lost, everybody was saying it, Bryan. Networks were saying it. Writers were saying it. Other boxers were saying it. Fans were saying it. So, I mean I definitely know that the judges say that you lost. We know that you didn’t. But, how did it feel to gain that much respect and support from some incredible people?

Mr. Bryan Vera – That part of the whole thing made me feel good just because I was a little down after the fight. I mean–and it was just a bad–it was a bad situation to be in, but all the support and all the people that were talking on Twitter, Facebook, and all those things, they definitely brought me back up and they made me realize that I got ripped off. You know what I mean? When you have that many people and that many judges and that many press [unintelligible] people calling me the winner then that tells you right there.

Ms. Gina Carano – Absolutely. That’s my only question. Thanks.

Mr. Bryan Vera – Thank you.

Operator – Our next question comes from the Brian Fogg with Leave it in the RinG. Your line is live.

Mr. Brian Fogg – Actually, I had a question for Artie, who already left. So, I’ll just drop him an e-mail. Thank you though.

Operator – We have no further questions in queue at this time.

Mr. Marc Abrams – Okay, just want to thank everyone for being on the call, Bryan and Ronnie as well. If you guys need to get in touch with Bryan, everyone has my e-mail address, and I’ll be able to accommodate you guys as this process develops over the next couple of months. So, thanks again for–everyone for being on, and we’ll talk to you guys soon. Thank you.

Mr. Bryan Vera – All right, very good.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – Take care, Bryan.

Mr. Bryan Vera – Ronnie, I’ll talk to you soon, man.

Mr. Ronnie Shields – All right, bye.

Operator – That concludes this afternoon’s teleconference. You may now disconnect your lines.

PHILADELPHIA (September 30, 2013)—This past Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, WBO #1 Ranked Middleweight Bryan Vera put in an amazing performance that should have propelled him to a victory over former WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Vera won the fight overwhelmingly on all social media sites and the below link compiled by Boxing News polled nearly sixty writers and NOT ONE saw the fight for Chavez and only seven went so far as to score this a draw.
http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/latest/feature/brian-vera-scored-the-winner-over-julio-cesar-chavez-jnr-by-53-members-of-the-press

The entire world on HBO Championship Boxing, with the exception of the three judges at ringside, saw that Vera controlled the action and outlanded Chavez in the bout. Vera also threw 406 more punches and was more consistent throughout the fight.

“I won the fight like everybody else saw.”, said Vera.

“If I get another opportunity, especially in Texas, it will be more of a level playing field. I felt like I proved that I am one of the best Middleweights and Super Middleweights in the world and nobody expected that.”

“We are extremely proud of Bryan. He is a true professional and he went out there, did his job and clearly won the fight”, said Banner Promotions President Arthur Pelullo.

“I have been getting calls from all over from people who saw Bryan go out there and win. With this performance, Bryan clearly won the fight in the court of public opinion and it opened up more doors for him. HBO I know wants him back and the first order of business is to pursue the rematch. Bryan gave into all of Chavez’ demands regarding the weight so now it’s only fair to concede something to Bryan. Chavez should man up and give him a rematch”

Said Vera’s manager David Watson, “This is what Teddy Atlas talks about with the terrible judging. Bryan did everything that was asked of him. He trained hard and did everything the right way and went out there and did his job, what kind of message does this send? We know he won. The world knows he won. We know that he can’t win unless he knocks Chavez out because of the unfair judging. He carried and controlled the fight and the only people who thought Chavez won were the three judges.”

“Ever since we walked out of the ring, people have not been happy about this and I know the public wants to see a rematch.”

Mexican “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – the man whom middleweight champion Sergio Martinez alternately calls “a lie” and “the lie” – likely lost the chavezweight championship of the world to Bryan Vera, Saturday, were we able to get scorecards in what Shakespeare called honest hands (“And put in every honest hand a whip / To lash the rascals naked through the world”), but that is irrelevant to both Chavez’s legacy and his promoter’s immediate plans. And probably Chavez didn’t lose boldly as television said he did.

Live from the inanely named StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., came Chavez’s 173-pound fight with Texas middleweight Bryan Vera, a man long on chin as he’s short on defensive wherewithal, in a match that presented what scoring difficulties come whenever one man hits another disproportionately harder and less often than he gets hit. Official scores all went for Chavez: 96-94, 97-93, 98-92. My scorecard did not concur, finding for Vera, but as my vantage came via television’s profoundly distorting lens, I’ll defer to personal experience and flee our sport’s social predators as they perpetually pack in pursuit of dissenting judges.

Regardless of record or baubles, it is enough to see Son of the Legend struck repeatedly, is it not? So goes the strategy for promoting Chavez henceforth, in a subtle way fans recognize even when they do not grasp it: the more outraged a man was with Saturday’s decision, the more hardily he hoped for a larger and better opponent to do Chavez wrong and thorough-like, for attendance figures show very, very few disinterested folks feel strongly enough about Bryan Vera or his career to demand a rematch, and if the remainder of strong feelings about Saturday reasonably then can be summarized as “I’d like to see Chavez’s bitch ass beat unconscious,” will anyone be sated by a rematch with little Bryan Vera so much as a run-in with super middleweight champion Andre Ward, or something vengefully served by light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson?

How rich it was to see Junior deftly maneuver the compulsories of Saturday’s prefight-promo video (not “Punching in the Rain” but the other one), citing his professionalism and habit of making weight, every time, in a manner nimbly unconscious of his same body having missed weight at least three times, four if one counts the postponement, and having missed it in a way to make his fight-contract a fight-expand, a miss so gloriously wide countrymen Erik Morales and Jose Luis Castillo now appear pikers beside him. It was an out-of-body trick Chavez pulled, talking about himself like a talent scout proud of this Chavez kid, disciplined as he is, before he treated the inexpressible joy of pending fatherhood – and show us a professional fighter not prone to sympathetic pregnancy symptoms! – in what might have been a piece of only slightly embarrassing symmetry, had the Legend in the moniker “Son of the Legend” spoken of his ineffable pride at siring a lad like Junior, had the HBO production crew not already spent its budget making it rain elsewhere.

Bryan Vera outworked Chavez, while neither out-defending nor out-slugging him, making furious an HBO broadcaster otherwise reliably derisive of judges who score activity alone, but so what? Cheering for Chavez to get beaten is a thing that transcends what petty barriers otherwise divide us; who but Son of the Legend – his country casting about for a new hero, anything to look away from Cinnamon Alvarez for a spell – agrees to fight at a rust-removing 162 pounds then takes the scale 2 1/2 from the light heavyweight limit, smiles jubilantly, raises his hands triumphantly, and hits a most-muscular pose in peach micro briefs?

And that was not the best of Chavez’s stylishness – as he would go on to tire expectedly in the second half of Saturday’s fight and ape his vanquisher, the aforementioned Sergio Martinez, dropping his hands, hanging his arms loosely, and hopping at Vera with lead power shots. Fortunately nothing tragic happened at StubHub Center, and let us not conflate tragedy with travesty, because Chavez was not conditioned well enough to do his signature left-shoulder corral and whale Vera for more than five-second increments.

Had Chavez a whit of conditioning, he might have beaten Vera severely, as the Texan’s defensive tactics approached self-sabotage in their carelessness; Vera dropped his right hand as an offensive prerequisite – he did not attack, even with his left, until his right was secured on the metallic-rust waistband of his trunks, allowing himself to be hit flush with left-hook leads, the successful landing of which surprised Chavez enough to embolden him. It is not a just world that sees someone like Chavez so much better outfitted for combat than someone serious as Bryan Vera, but there was nothing just about the entirety of last week’s spectacle, and but for the 34-minute denuding Martinez performed on him in 2012, the concluding 90 seconds of which saw Chavez nearly return himself to regally adorned splendor, what about Chavez’s career has even feinted justice’s way?

A thought that came to mind between rounds Saturday, as Chavez Sr. called for a right cross to the body that would be the most debilitating blow his son landed in 30 minutes: Does the Legend ever imagine what it would be like to fight Son of the Legend, does he ever shunt fatherly considerations and empathize with those men who have none of the benefits given his son, benefits he did not have? Does Julio Cesar Chavez, in other words, ever suspend disbelief and catch himself accidentally cheering a Bryan Vera to whup his son, the way his longtime fans now do?

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Put a pair of boxing gloves on Peter Pan and you’ve got Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. A man-child, emphasis on the child.

The real fight for Chavez Jr. is whether he ever grows up. It’s a question that has begun to take on urgency as he enters his late 20s after a series of exasperating, often embarrassing missteps that leave doubt about whether he cares about his craft or his dad’s legacy.

Anybody who has met Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs) knows him to be likable. There’s an adolescent charm about him. He’ll make you laugh, unlike his feared dad, the proto-typical hard man whose meltdown stare could make you look over your shoulder in search for a quick exit to safety. Like him or not, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was a serious guy. Through 48 fights, his son isn’t.

That might begin to change Saturday night against Bryan Vera (23-6, 14 KOs) at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., in an HBO-televised bout. But it’ll take more than just one fight for Chavez Jr. to get beyond a reputation that only got worse last September in his loss to Sergio Martinez.

There was his bizarre training camp, conducted mostly at a Las Vegas home in early-morning workouts. Then, there were 11 one-sided rounds, all in favor of Martinez, before a wild 12th that saw Chavez Jr. suddenly wake up with a ferocious knockdown of Martinez. Chavez Jr. nearly stole the fight with a knockout. It made you wonder what he might have accomplished with some real roadwork instead of a few laps around the couch in the living room of that comfortable Vegas’ rental. Then, there was the subsequent news that Chavez Jr. had tested positive for marijuana. Ah-ha, everyone joked. No wonder he didn’t start working out until about 1 a.m., what with the midnight munchies and all.

For his promoter Bob Arum and loyal cadre of Mexican fans, that dramatic 12th is the flash of brilliance that illuminated his potential. It represented what he could be. But maturity is about staying power. And that’s what has yet to be seen from a very nice kid, yet one seemingly without the requisite accountability that comes with being a grown-up pro.

He says the right things. In a conference call Tuesday, Chavez Jr. said he accepted responsibility for his failed drug test, which initially led to a controversial $900,000 fine levied by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. After Arum took the bully pulpit and condemned the size of the fine, it was reduced to $100,000. Even that seems a little high by today’s standards, laws and PEDs. Voters in Colorado and Washington made pot legal in their respective states. It’s not as if Chavez Jr. tested positive for HGH, EPO or some other chemical acronym. A positive test for marijuana doesn’t put him in Lance Armstrong’s league. Pot is about as much a performance-enhancer as a bacon cheeseburger. Still, it was also a sure sign that his mind wasn’t on the fury he was about to encounter against the disciplined Martinez.

With the inevitable question Tuesday about Chavez Jr.’s positive drug-test, Arum was back on the bully pulpit.

“I want to go on record as saying that there is nothing wrong with smoking pot,’’ Arum said. “There is nothing wrong with marijuana.’’

Colorado and Washington voters agree with Arum, always candid and quick to confront an issue. In some ways, perhaps, Arum is expressing how public opinion on pot has changed over the last 10 to 15 years. Bill Clinton didn’t inhale; Barack Obama did. But Arum might regret the timing of this one. He’s got a fighter who needs to grow up.

Chavez Jr. doesn’t need another excuse to train the way he wants, eat what he wants, or smoke a joint whenever he gets the urge. Excuses are enablers, which have proven to be Chavez Jr.’s toughest opponents.

Even for Vera, there are troubling signs of some of the same. Vera is tough, but lacks the talent so often evident in Chavez Jr. Chavez’ struggle to make weight has led to a reported agreement, –173 pounds instead of the junior-middleweight’s 168 — and 10 rounds instead of 12. It looms as another excuse, a way for Chavez to slip through another loophole that has allowed him to avoid accountability and prevented him for reaching his potential.

In the art of match-making, Top Rank has been brilliant with Chavez Jr., who didn’t start with the bedrock of fundamental skill learned over an amateur career. It has moved him carefully and against opponents who have allowed to him to display power and instinct.

Yet, there’s still an unresolved challenge: Himself, his own immaturity.

If he can’t win that one, does Top Rank or anybody else think he has a chance against Gennady Golovkin, or Andre Ward, or even Canelo Alvarez?

Didn’t think so.

LOS ANGELES (SEPTEMBER 26, 2013)—Below are quotes from Wednesday’s press conference in advance of Saturday’s Super Middleweight showdown between former WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and WBO #1 ranked Middleweight Bryan Vera that will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The show is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions and will be televised LIVE on HBO’s Championship Boxing.
Bryan Vera (23-6, 14 KO’s)—“It has been the longest camp I have ever been in so I am not lying when I say I am in the best shape of my career.”

Arthur Pelullo—“Bryan knows he is fighting a great young fighter and it’s going to be a great night of boxing. We feel that Bryan will have an excellent night. When Bob Arum called me about the fight, Bryan didn’t blink an eyelash and said yes. He knew this could be a career changing fight. He wanted this fight from the get-go. He understands the formal task in front of him. He is a great fighter and he is coming to win the fight.”

David Watson (Vera Manager)—“This is going to be a great exciting fight. Bryan has prepared for it. You are going to see two prideful fighters going at it.”

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s)—“I am very happy that fight night is coming very soon. I think it’s going to be a great fight for the audience. You are going to see the best Julio you have ever seen.”

Bob Arum—“People who know and understand boxing know that this will be a tremendous event and very exciting.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. –“We are very happy that the fight is getting closer. I can assure that you will see a great fight on Saturday. I know that Bryan Vera will give a sensational fight. We know my son is in for a tough fight on Saturday but we have a lot of confidence and we know that he will come for a victory.”

Fernando Beltran (Zanfer Promotions)—“I know that Chavez has a very tough opponent in front of him. The people are the winners of this show as they will see a sensational match.”

Tony Walker (HBO)—“The challenge of Bryan Vera will be very formidable.”

Photo by Shane Sims / Banner Promotions

LOS ANGELES (September 25, 2013) — Hall of Fame promoter and Jenny Craig acolyte Bob Arum concluded his remarks at today’s final Julio César Chávez Jr. – Bryan Vera press conference at the Millennium Biltmore hotel with the proclamation, “Wait for the Weight!”

What would a Chávez Jr. fight week be without a concern about his official weight? It took up the majority of the questions during Tuesday’s media conference call that he and Arum hosted.

The contract weight for Saturday’s super middleweight rumble is a maximum of 168 pounds for the two fighters.

“Julio must be a Union man because he seems to be working for scale for this event,” said Arum with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

A member of Team Vera suggested that Tecate Light sponsor the official weigh-in and that Chávez change his middle name from César to Cerveza.

Friday’s official weigh-in will be streamed live from the Gold Room at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (506 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90071-2607), beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT via www.toprank.tv.

************

Chávez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs), of Culiacán, México, making his 2013 debut in his first fight in the Los Angeles area in over two years, and Vera (23-6, 14 KOs), of Austin, TX, riding a 16-month, four-bout winning streak, will go mano a mano This Saturday! Saturday, September 28, under the stars, at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Chávez vs. Vera will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $20 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased online at http://www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR., (46-1-1, 32 KOs), of Culiacán, México, makes his 2013 debut in his first fight in the Los Angeles area in over two years. He will go mano a mano against No. 1 contender BRYAN VERA 23-6, 14 KOs), of Austin, TX, who is riding a 16-month, four-bout winning streak, This Saturday! September 28, under the stars, at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Chávez vs. Vera will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

BOB ARUM: It’s nice to be on this call and it will be good to see Julio César Chávez Jr. get back into the ring after an absence of a little over a year. Julio has a great fan base and everyone is anxious to see him perform at the StubHub Center on Saturday. We have a full card o nine bouts with some great prospects including Óscar Valdez, Jose Ramírez and Diego Magdaleno. It should be a really fun night. Now we can hear from Fernando Beltran on his feelings about the event.

FERNANDO BELTRAN: Hi everybody. I think it is going to be a very exciting night of boxing. Julio César Chávez will be back, which is very important, after almost a year absence. He is very hungry and is coming with everything for this bout, including Daniel Sandoval who is a knockout artist. It’s going to be a great night and we are going to have a packed house.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: It has been a real good training camp. I have been training real hard for this fight for the past three months. I am excited to get back in the ring and am very happy to get back in the ring.

Can you confirm what the official weight will be for the fight?

BOB ARUM: We will take a look at what the fighters weigh tomorrow and then we will decide what the weight will be. There is ne determination on that. I know what Julio Sr. said but I know that he misspoke when he said it.

How do you feel about coming back after your first loss?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: It is very important to me. I am coming off a loss and I want to show everyone what I am capable of doing. I worked real hard and I am looking forward to getting in the ring to show everyone that I am back. Of course I want to regain the position where I was before the loss against Martinez.

There is a lot of talk about your present weight. Are you having trouble?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: I think it is time for me to move up to 168. That is the goal we have been working on for this fight. We want to do the best that we can to get near that weight. I just felt that at 160 my health was not going to be good. Health-wise I think that 168 is good for me and I would like to continue my career at 168. This is not a championship fight but I will be close to 168 for this fight.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: The only way I will go to 160 is to fight Martinez again. That fight is so big that it would be worth the sacrifice to make.

How much do you weigh now and how much will you weigh tomorrow?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: I weigh 173 right now.

Julio, how do you feel about the talk about your training habits?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: People have to realize how hard I trained for this fight. It wasn’t easy making 160 but yet I became a champion at 160. I had four title defenses at 160, came within a couple seconds of knocking out the best 160-punder in the world. So you can’t say I wasn’t ready to fight in those fights. I made the weight and I showed everyone what I am capable of doing. I don’t think people realized how hard it was to make 160 and how much I had to sacrifice to make 160.

Bob do you think this reputation is warranted?

BOB ARUM: It is very difficult when a young man starts at the age that he did. He had a completely different body than the body that he has now. Now he has matured and he is a big, big kid. There are light heavyweights that look smaller than he does. We have to question ourselves whether he stayed at 160 too long even though he was able to make the weight because I really believe that if you struggle to make weight that you deplete yourself and you can’t give as good a performance than if you fight at a more natural weight. Julio is a big man and for him to get down to 160, he might still do it, but it would be a tremendous sacrifice for his health and his ability to perform in the ring. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist but I have been around the sport for a long time and that’s what I see.

Looking back, how do you feel about the suspension and smoking?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: You know, you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It happens, I am human. I thought it was excessive what I got but it comes with the territory. I need to show everyone what I am capable of doing. On Saturday night I want to give a great performance. I am really looking forward to erasing all of those bad memories that I had.

BOB ARUM: I want to go on record that there is nothing wrong with smoking pot. There is nothing wrong with Marijuana. Any sentence for an athlete that has smoked marijuana other than smoking while he is in the ring is unconscionable and wrong and now even WADA has said the same thing. Let’s be honest. There is nothing wrong with pot and it absolutely cannot be beneficial. I know what Julio said about doing wrong but I don’t think he did anything wrong by taking Marijuana two weeks prior to his fight with Martinez

BOB ARUM: The rules have changed and there is a doctrine that states that if the rules have changed it applies retroactively. So it was unfortunate. Those were the rules of the commission but those rules were preposterous and have now been changed and it should be specified.

Julio, what would you like to accomplish next in boxing?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: I am looking to win a world title at 168, something that no other Méxican has done. That is one of my goals and maybe move up to light heavy to win a title there. But all I’m thinking about now is how I look on Saturday and then I will think about what’s next. I know I am going to repeat myself, but I would sacrifice everything to make 160 because I do want that fight.

How is it working with your dad as head trainer?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: The most important thing is he is going to work my corner. He has always been in my training camps – supervising it and looking over what I am doing. But the key to all of this is he is going to be in the corner giving instructions. Before he would come up yelling and screaming and no one would know what is going one. He was doing it unprofessionally and now he is doing it professionally. He is now going to be in the corner giving me instructions and that is going to be very important.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: My main trainer for this fight is Baldomir Valdinegro – he has worked with me for nine years and has always been in my corner and is the one in charge of the boxing aspect of this operation. And my strength trainer is the one that put me at 158 for my last couple fights at 160 and has worked real hard on my conditioning and meals. He is going to have me make the weight and do it the right way.

Has Sr. been in camp on a daily basis?

JULIO CEÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: He is in camp at least three days a week.

Have you spoken to Vera’s camp regarding weight?

BOB ARUM: To be frank, I have talked to Vera’s promoter Artie Pelullo and I will be having breakfast with him tomorrow morning in Los Angeles at the Biltmore hotel to discuss it. Artie is a professional promoter and we always seem to find a solution.

Will you be working with Robert Garcia for your next fight?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: I need to see how I do with this fight. The guys have been working real hard in this camp and I have to see how I look and how I feel. I am not saying ‘no’ to Robert Garcia or Freddie Roach. I just want to see what comes up next and we’ll go from there.

How is the cut you recently got in sparring?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: The cut is going very good. I suspended one week of sparring. I continued to train, never stopping and I am ready to fight.

BOB ARUM: I think Julio is an enormous talent and has always performed at a very high level. I am proud of his performances and even in the Martinez fight whereas throughout the fight Martinez was getting the best of him, Chávez didn’t quit and he almost pulled out the fight miraculously in the last round. I never doubt Julio’s performances. He is a great athlete and he always gives 100% in the ring.

I am proud of the way he fights. I am proud of the way he entertains the crowd and I think the adulation of the Méxican fans for Chávez Jr. is very well justified.

Julio’s father was great champion; Julio Jr. had no amateur background and became champion. How do you think he has handled that and should he be given credit for that?

BOB ARUM: I think he should get enormous credit. We all know about athletes whose fathers were world famous and how difficult it is for them to excel in the same sport. But I think he has carried himself well and become his own person. He isn’t a carbon copy of his father’s own style. He has his own style. And I think he has done very well. Boxing is a very tough sport and the fighters that succeed the most are the ones that come from impoverished backgrounds. He didn’t come from an impoverished background because of who is father was. He has dug deep and I am very proud of what he has done in the ring.

What damage was done to Jr. in the Martinez fight?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: After that fight, I didn’t have to go to the hospital – I wasn’t cut. There was nothing other than some scratches or bruises that you would normally get after being in a fight for 12 rounds. Other than that, I was fine and my body was fine. I never had to go to the hospital or anything else. I went to a nightclub right after the fight so you know I wasn’t hurt. Any reports to the contrary are totally false. I was fine. I could have gone another 12 rounds if I needed to. I don’t think he could have but I know I could have.

How comfortable will you feel with who will be in your corner?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: The important thing, I know those guys and I have been around those guys. Baldomir has been with me for nine years and my father knows him very well. Cornejo has been with me the last four years and my father knows him very well. The key is that my father is going to be in the corner. He is going to look professional – no more screaming and yelling and running up and making me lose my focus. I think it is going to be great for all of us.

How do you reflect on the long year away from the ring and all the changes?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: There has been a lot of changes in my life. I am coming off a loss and coming off a suspension. There have been a lot of things that happened in my career and my personal life. My girlfriend is pregnant and I am going to be a father for the first time. I think it has been a blessing that I have been able to concentrate on my personal life. I wasn’t ready to fight so this makes it great and I am ready to get back into the ring and concentrate on my professional life once again.

Do you know the baby’s sex? How do you feel about being a father?

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: It is a girl. It will be a new life for me. I am very happy and excited all the time. My girlfriend and I will have a baby in January and it changes a lot of things in your mind. Everyone knows how special a bond is with your daughter and I am looking forward to it.

BOB ARUM: Tickets are going very well at StubHub Center. I think there are less than 500 left. We may have to open the outer reaches of the stadium to accommodate more people. It’s going to be a great night of boxing. to watch Julio and Vera battle it out. We have a great middleweight fight with Matt Korobov vs. Grady Brewer. I want to thank HBO for airing the event and I want to thank Tecate for sponsoring who has been there for and been a great partner in our events.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR: I want to thank everyone that is involved – Tecate, Top Rank, HBO. I am very happy and excited to get back in the ring and I want to give the fans a great fight which is what I always try to do.

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $20 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased online at http://www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

CARSON, CALIF. (August 29, 2013) — Former World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, JR., returning to the ring in his 2013 debut, and No. 1 contender BRYAN “The Warrior” VERA formally announced their fight at a packed Los Angeles press conference today. Taking place Saturday, September 28, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., the Chávez vs. Vera 12-round super middleweight rumble marks the first time Chávez has fought in the Los Angeles area since June 4, 2011, when he won the world title over undefeated interim world champion Sebastian Zbik. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Banner Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets to Chávez vs. Vera, priced at $200, $100, $50 and $20 (plus applicable taxes and fees), can be purchased online at www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

“Vera is the real deal, a warrior,” said Chávez. “Years ago I sparred a few rounds against Vera when I was in Dallas during the Pacquiao vs. Margarito event. Vera was pretty intense and I knew he could fight. We were in a ring set up inside of the Gaylord Hotel. So this fight on September 28 will challenging for me. I am just so happy getting back into the ring after such a long layoff. I think about the Sergio Martinez fight every day. A little of me died inside when I lost that fight. Could I have done better? Of course I should have but it did not happen. Now we have Vera who is aggressive and punches hard. I wanted to come back against a great fighter and Vera is all of that. I plan to win this fight and then we will discuss my plans for 2014.”

“We could have stayed around and fought WBO champion Peter Quillin but we know what is at stake with all of this,” said Vera. “I feel like I been in camp for three fights. I expect to be victorious in a great fight on September 28th.”

Chávez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KOs), of Culiacán, México, returns to the ring for the first time since his thrilling world title loss to Sergio Martinez on September 15. Their Méxican Independence Day spectacular was the highest-attended boxing event in the history of the Thomas & Mack Center, with 19,186, topping the record set by the heavyweight championship rematch between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, which drew 19,151 in 1999. He captured the WBC middleweight crown in 2011, winning a majority decision over undefeated interim world champion Zbik at STAPLES Center, just a few blocks away from where his father won his first world title, in 1984, at the old Olympic Auditorium, when he knocked out Mario Martinez to capture the vacant WBC super featherweight title. Chávez Jr. successfully defended his title three times, knocking out Andy Lee and Peter Manfredo, Jr. in the seventh and fifth rounds, respectively, and winning a unanimous decision over two-time world title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio.

Vera (23-6, 14 KOs), of Austin, TX, who enters this fight having won six of his last seven bouts, is riding a 16-month, four-bout winning streak. Vera’s current hot streak includes NABO middleweight title victories over Sergio Mora, former world champion Sergeii Dzinziruk, and Donatas Bondoravas, the last two victories coming by way of knockout. Vera, who trains in Houston with Ronnie Shields, is currently world-rated No. 1 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

PHILADELPHIA (August 16, 2013)—Due to a cut suffered by former WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the twelve round Super Middleweight bout between Chavez Jr. and WBO number-one ranked Middleweight Bryan Vera has been pushed back to Saturday September 28th at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

The bout, which was originally announced for September 7th is promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions and will be seen live on HBO.

Chavez (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) suffered the cut earlier this week while sparring and forcing the bout to be moved back three weeks.

Vera (23-6, 14 KO’s) of Austin, Texas has been training intensely in Houston.

“We are happy that after Chavez suffered the injury that the fight could be rescheduled so quickly”, said Banner Promotions president, Arthur Pelullo.

“Bryan has been training hard and has been thinking about this fight for the better part of six months. We know he will put on a great show and that this is a great opportunity for him”

LOS ANGELES (August 15, 2013) — A training camp injury incurred by former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. has forced the cancellation of his fight with Bryan Vera, which was scheduled to take place Saturday, September 7, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Information on a new date and new venue for Chávez Jr. vs. Vera will be announced shortly.

A refund will be offered at the original point of purchase. If tickets were purchased from AXS via Purchase By Phone or through www.axs.com, refunds will be received automatically via AXS. Tickets purchased from the STAPLES Center box office can be refunded there, beginning today, Thursday, August 15, 2013. Those who purchased tickets at any other outlet should reach out to that original point of purchase and contact them directly for a refund.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

PHILADELPHIA (July 29, 2013)—On Saturday September 7th, former U.S. Olympian and undefeated Demetrius Andrade will vie for his first world championship, when he takes on fellow former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan in a twelve round bout from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The bout, which will be televised live on HBO Championship Boxing, will be the co-feature to the Super Middleweight clash between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Bryan Vera.

Demetrius Andrade of Providence, Rhode Island was a former world amateur champion and has a perfect professional mark of 19-0 with thirteen knockouts and is currently the number two contender for the WBO belt.

Vanes Martiroysan of Glendale, California is 33-0-1 with 21 knockouts.

Andrade, who is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Star Boxing, was scheduled to contend for the belt on July 6th but an injury to then-champion Zaurbek Baysangurov forced the title to become vacant, thus setting up this showdown of undefeated former Olympians.

“I am looking forward to this fight and have been waiting for this fight ever since I walked into the gym at age 7”, said Andrade.

“I always wanted to be champion of the world and on September 7th I will be crowned champion. I wanted to win an Olympic gold medal and since they took that from me, I am going to take this world title.”

“I was a 2008 Olympian and he made it in 2004. I will show him that if I was around in 2003 and 2004, he would not have made the team”, finished Andrade.“This will be an outstanding fight and we worked hard on getting this fight on HBO”, said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.

“We feel that Demetrius has all the talent to become a star in this sport and only needed the opportunity on this kind of stage and on September 7th he will get that chance. I want to thank my partner Joe DeGuardia, HBO, Top Rank and the WBO for making this great fight. I have a feeling that after September 7th, not only will Demetrius be a world champion but he will be a household name and in line for even bigger fights.”

PHILADELPHIA (July 18, 2013)—On Saturday September 7th at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Brian Vera will step into the ring with former WBC Middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in what will be the biggest test of Vera’s career.

The fight is promoted by Top Rank, Banner Promotions and Zanfer Promotions and will be televised live on HBO Championship Boxing.

Brian Vera (23-6, 14 KO’s) is currently ranked number-one by the WBO in the middleweight division. Vera is currently on a four fight win streak with victories over former world champions Sergiy Dziznriuk (37-2-1, 24 KO) and Sergio Mora (24-3-2, 7 KO).

This fight had been in the works since May and due to the fight being close to finalized a few times, Vera has been training for weeks in Houston, Texas.

“I will be fully prepared. I have never had this much time to train and prepare”, said Vera.

“I feel like I already have a head start and I am going to make everyone proud. I am going to win”

The fight will be contested at 168 pounds, which Vera has no problem with.

“I have actually fought three times at that weight and Chavez hasn’t. I know the weight will not affect me and I will be strong at the weight”

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) is coming off his first defeat in his much anticipated showdown last September against Sergio Martinez. Vera believes he is set up in the right spot to pull the upset.

“He is probably taking me lightly but it doesn’t matter. I will be 110% on fight night”.

Chavez Jr. like his father, is a darling among the Los Angeles sports fans, as this will be his 3rd appearance at the STAPLES Center. (Chavez Jr. won his world title in the arena versus Sebastien Zbik) but Vera sees a silver lining going into the hostile environment.

“Fighting in Los Angeles is better than fighting him in Mexico City”.

Vera knows that a win will only bring him the biggest fights in the Middleweight division.

“A win will turn my whole career around and it will change my life”.

Chavez Jr. who tested positive for a banned substance after the Martinez fight and sat out the subsequent nine month suspension has had his share of outside the ring negatives and Vera knows that it could factor in as the fight draws near.

“He is only human like everyone else. Of course the suspension, the fines and some of the other stuff that has been said about him will play on his mind.”

“I just want to thank my trainer Ronnie Shields and the people at Plex Performance as well as my manager David Watson, my promoter Banner Promotions and the rest of my team. I will make them proud on September 7th”.

Tickets go on sale this Friday at $250; $150; $100; $75 and $50 (Plus applicable taxes and fees) and can be purchased online at www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the STAPLES Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10 am – 6pm.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing,on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions orfacebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo,twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.