By Scott Gilfoid: I’m not in favor of fighters like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) getting a free pass to get an automatic rematch with the talented and new WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) just because Chavez Jr. was able to knock Martinez down in the 12th.
I know Chavez Jr’s fans are busy flapping their gums about how Chavez Jr. almost got a knockout. Chavez Jr. would have, could have, and should have. But the reality is he didn’t. Therefore, I’d like to see Chavez Jr. get in a little tune-up fight to show that he belongs in with Martinez by taking on former Martinez victim, #5 WBC Matthew Macklin (29-4, 20 KO’s) first before anything is said about a Chavez Jr-Martinez rematch. They already put Macklin in a good position to get a fight with Chavez Jr. anyway by matching him against an easy opponent in Joachim Alcine last Saturday night on the Chavez Jr-Martinez undercard.
Macklin did his part, destroying the overmatched Alcine in one round. So, Arum needs to put Chavez Jr. in with Macklin and then see what happens. If Macklin gets whipped like I think he will, then Chavez Jr. can get the Martinez rematch. But if he loses the fight, oh boy, then forget it. Chavez Jr. will then be weeded out and Arum can go back to matching him against the B level opposition that Chavez Jr’s previously unbeaten record was built on.
I see this as a win-win position for both Chavez Jr. and Macklin. Both guys will do well with this fight. Macklin will get a good payday whether he loses or wins the fight, and Chavez Jr. gets a highly ranked, limited fighter that will come straight at him like his previous victims all have. Macklin is tailor made for Chavez Jr. and there’s no way he can lose this guy. If Chavez Jr. can’t beat him then I feel sorry for him because there isn’t anywhere to go in the division but downward. But I don’t see Chavez Jr. losing this fight. It’ll be fun to watch and I can see Chavez Jr. taking Macklin out in two or three rounds.
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