By Chris Williams: For what it’s worth, trainer Freddie Roach thinks that his new unbeaten fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) will knock John Duddy (29-1, 18 KO’s) out tonight in their 12 round fight for the obscure WBC Silver title at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas. Even if Chavez does stop Duddy, which I highly doubt, what difference does it make?

Duddy is pretty much a B level fighter, just as Chavez Jr is. How is that win supposed to make me think that Chavez will have any chance when he’s finally thrown in the deep end and put in with either Miguel Cotto or WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

Chavez Jr. is going to be massacred by either of them if and when he gets put in with them. I don’t know that Roach is serious about Chavez being able to stop Duddy. He’s probably just blowing smoke up everyone’s backside by saying that. After all, Roach also said that Manny Pacquiao would stop Joshua Clottey, and we saw what happened in that fight. Pacquiao got bruised up and Clottey went the full 12 rounds without a scratch on him.

I think Roach is a good trainer, but there are limits with what any trainer can do when faced with a fighter with limited talent. I do think Roach can help Chavez be a better fighter, but probably not nearly enough to make him a future world champion. Sure, I can see Chavez winning an obscure like the Silver title or one of the other made up belts, but not a real world title.

Even with the divisions being watered down with four belts, I don’t see Chavez ever winning a title in the light middleweight or middleweight divisions. But I’m sure Roach will keep making bold predictions about how good Chavez is going to be. I can’t wait to see what Roach’s prediction will be when Chavez Jr. is facing a guy like Sergio Martinez or Cotto.

I won’t be able to take him serious at that point. I don’t, however, think Chavez’s promoter Bob Arum will allow him to be put in with a guy like Martinez. It would be too one-sided and Chavez would be carved up like a turkey for thanksgiving. Arum will go ahead and put Chavez in with Cotto, another Top Rank fighter, rather than letting Martinez beat Chavez to a pulp. Roach can make predictions until he’s blue in the face for that fight, but I doubt anyone will be listening anymore.