By Jim Dower: Unbeaten middleweight contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) won’t be traveling to the Phillipines with trainer Freddie Roach to help get Manny Pacquiao ready for his November 13th fight against Antonio Margarito at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. Promoter Bob Arum, who just found about this, said in an article at Primera Hora, “if this is true that then it means that Chavez Jr. doesn’t want to fight Cotto.”

Arum wants Julio to train with Pacquiao to help him get ready for the Margarito fight. At the same time, the training with Pacquiao would help Chavez Jr. get ready for his big money fight against WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, who Chavez Jr. is supposed to be fighting on December 4th.

Arum said “I cannot make an announcement until I speak directly with him [Chavez Jr.], but he needs to go to the Philippines to train with Freddie. In the event that he cannot, then we will seek another opponent for Miguel.” Is Chavez Jr. having second thoughts about fighting Cotto now? If so, this would be the second big named fighter that Chavez Jr. won’t be facing. A couple of months ago, former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik was mentioned as an opponent for Chavez Jr.

However, the management decided not to make that fight for some reason. Few people gave Chavez Jr. any chance of beating Pavlik, just as few are giving Chavez Jr. any chance of beating Cotto. However, even if he were to lose, it would be a big payday for Chavez. This would be the first big test for Chavez, who has fought only one fringe contender during the entirety of his seven year pro career. The WBC made Chavez the mandatory challenger for WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

Could it be that Chavez and his team prefer that fight to the Cotto bout? Either way, you would figure that Chavez has very little chance of beating Martinez and will likely get dominated by Martinez. However, Chavez has a better chance of finishing the fight on his feet if he faces Martinez than if he faces the slugger Cotto, who often knocks out his opponents.

Boxing fans have been really excited about the Cotto vs. Chavez Jr. bout ever since it was first talked about. It would be sad if the fight doesn’t come off because Chavez Jr. or one of his people have had second thoughts about it. He can’t keep fighting B level fighters for the remainder of his career. Sooner or later, Chavez Jr. has to step it up and this would seem like the perfect time.