By Dan Ambrose: Freddie Roach feels that World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10 KO’s) will be a very tough fight for his unbeaten fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KO’s), who faces the 29-year-old Zbik on June 4th at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California.
Roach feels that Chavez Jr. may have an extra edge because Zbik hasn’t fought in almost a year since July 2010 when he defeated a second tier opponent. Zbik, like Chavez Jr., has fought exclusively 2nd tier guys his entire seven year pro career. This fight should be titled “King of the Bs”, because Chavez Jr. and Zbik have dined on Bs without dabbling with the A level fighters.
Technically, Chavez Jr. has fought one A level fighter when he beat fringe contender John Duddy last year in June. However, not too many people saw Duddy as an A level fighter. As such, we’ve got Zbik and Chavez fighting it out for a paper title that was given to Zbik by the WBC after they stripped the best middleweight in the division Sergio Martinez. Had Martinez not been stripped, Chavez Jr. likely wouldn’t be in the equation. He’d like move around him and continue to face B level fighters until a fight against someone like Miguel Cotto would open up for him. Speaking of Cotto, Chavez Jr. will likely be facing him in September if Chavez Jr. can beat Zbik next month.
Speaking with the examiner.com, Roach said “It [Chavez-Zbik] is a tough fight. Zbik is a very good fighter. Chavez is doing very well….More important was his [Zbik] inactivity. He hadn’t fought in a year.”