By Eric Thomas: Dan Rafael is reporting that WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez’s recent 12th round TKO win over Britain’s Ryan Rhodes drew an incredible 1.6 million viewers on HBO’s Boxing After Dark (BAD), making it the largest amount of viewers since 2007 for a BAD broadcast.
Chavez vs. Zbik
Chavez-Zbik draws 1.5 million viewers on HBO, making it the highest BAD total since 2007
By Dan Ambrose: Last weekend’s fight between WBC middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik (30-1, 10 KO’s) and challenger Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) brought in huge numbers in terms of viewers on HBO, according to news from Dan Rafael on his twitter page.
Roach needs to teach Chavez Jr. some defensive skills
By Dan Ambrose: WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) may be the World Boxing Council champion for the time being after defeating the previous WBC champion Sebastian Zbik by a close, some controversial, 12 round majority decision last Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Weighing 15 pounds more than Zbik at 180 lbs the fight of the fight, Chavez Jr. was able to wear Zbik down in the second part of the fight using a body attack and helped along with his much bigger size.
Kellerman: Chavez Jr. isn’t the champion of anything
By Dan Ambrose: HBO analyst Max Kellerman sounded off about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. capturing the World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight crown last Saturday night against champion Sebastian Zbik by saying that Chavez Jr. isn’t a real world champion, Sergio Martinez is. It’s likely that few boxing fans would disagree with Kellerman about that, as Martinez is seen as the main champion at middleweight.
Chavez Jr. to face Cotto next rather than Sergio Martinez or Rubio
By Dan Ambrose: Instead of putting newly crowned WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) in with Sergio Martinez or Marco Antonio Rubio in fights that Chavez Jr. would almost surely lose and lose badly, his promoter Bob Arum is reportedly going to match Chavez Jr. up with WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in October. It’s unclear whether this will be a catchweight fight where Chavez Jr. meets Cotto halfway between 154 and 160 of at the full weight.
Chavez Jr. beats Zbik, looks horrible
By Gerardo Granados: Last night, unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) was awarded with the victory against Sebastian Zbik by MD12, thus becoming the first Mexican fighter to conquer a world title in the middleweight division by winning the WBC middleweight belt.
Chavez decisions Zbik
By Dan Ambrose: Weighing a whopping 180 pounds the on Saturday night, number #1 ranked World Boxing Council middleweight contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) was forced to go life and death to beat WBC middleweight paper champion Sebatian Zbik (30-1, 10 KO’s) by a 12 round majority decision at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The final judges’ scores were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112.
Chavez-Zbik early results: Martirosyan halts Roman
By Jim Dower: In easily the best fight on the entire undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sebatian Zbik fight at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, unbeaten junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 19 KO’s) took out Mexican Saul Roman (34-9, 29 KO’s) with a 7th round stoppage. Martirosyan, who had a serious cut underneath his right eye and a bloody nose, knocked Roman down in the 7th with a charging attack.
Roach: Chavez Jr’s body punching will be key to victory over Zbik
By Dan Ambrose: Photo: Naoki Fakuda: Trainer Freddie Roach believes that his fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) will emerge victorious tonight in the 25-yer-old Chavez’s first attempt at winning a title in a bout against WBC middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10 KO’s) at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Roach sees the young Chavez’s body punching as a major key to him winning the fight and giving Chavez his first major title.
Chavez-Zbik & Martirosyan-Roman this Saturday on June 4th
By Dan Ambrose: This Saturday night number #1 ranked WBC middleweight contender Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) will be making his first stab at the big time when he takes on WBC middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10 KO’s) for the World Boxing Council title at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Also on the same card, #1 WBO & #4 WBC junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (29-0, 18 KO’s) will be facing 30-year-old Saul Roman (34-8, 29 KO’s) in a 12 round bout for the vacant WBC Silver light middleweight title in a WBC semi-final title eliminator.