Julio Cesar Chavez Junior VS Brian Vera: A Rust Coloured Affair With A Shocked Audience In UD For Chavez

Jim Lampley: ". . . the build up for which has been dominated all week by the absurd, almost comical, situation surrounding Chavez' inability to make weight. A fight originally contracted to take place at 162 pounds has been negotiated upward three times until yesterday they weighed in at 173 or less for tonight's event. . ."


Round 1: As expected, it looks like they're in two different weight classes, like they bloody well should be. Junior is the one moving around and Vera, the significantly smaller of two pressure fighters, doing the chasing. Chavez is looking slow of hand. Chavez lands a good right to the body and left to the head. They sound like belting shots. Vera is amused, like usual. He's here for a fight, like usual. Very good head movement is on display for Vera and good lateral movement by Junior. Vera really does seem significantly quicker with his hands. Some very wide hooks by both men toward the end of the round. Vera's having a good time though, smiling.  I give it to Vera. Chavez is uncharacteristically hesitant. Vera, 1-0.

Round 2: Vera comes charging out of the gates as soon as the bell sounds. Again, I can only say Junior's hands look very, very slow. Vera is the one moving forward here throughout most of the round still. I'm very surprised by this. I give this one to Vera as I score it live. You could argue Chavez's punches have heavier impact-they probably do, but Vera certainly outscored him, by my observation. 2-0, Vera.

Round 3: Again, bell rings, Vera comes rushing in. He likes this. A lot. Vera is just flatly out-hustling Chavez Junior. He's the only one jabbing also, for the most part. Boy, Chavez looks awful to me. He slips in a hard hook but he just doesn't seem to have his usual steam. Big right cross by Chavez. Vera takes it well. Again, the hardest shots, Chavez, but so few that Vera, to me, simply outworked him clearly. 3-0, Vera, for me.

Round 4: Again, Vera rushes out at the bell. Chavez really seems rusty. Very rusty. This is the worst I've seen him look in some time. Since before he stepped up in opposition. Even in his wide, wide points loss to Martinez he looked infinitely sharper and more game. Chavez gets Vera with his one solitary hard left hook, but, like the other rounds, Vera's the one putting them together. Vera, 4-0.

Round 5: Chavez lands a heavy left hook, Vera a heavy right hand. Vera still seems wholly undeterred by Chavez's one at a time pot-shotting. Chavez is starting to wake up a bit now though. A big right by Chavez. He's starting to see that it's slipped away from him, I think. Chavez complains of low blows, the referee warns for them. I didn't see the low blows. I think Chavez's shots may have been enough to take this round, this time. I give this one to him. 4-1, Vera.

Round 6: Chavez wobbles Vera with a right right hand. He lands another, and a left hook. That clearly had Vera stung but Vera comes back, flailing away. I think that was the first time in the fight that Vera was concerned by Chavez's power at all. Chavez is turning the tide in a big way in this round. He lands a good counter straight right. Chavez is able to land that counter left hook to the head about whenever he wants it. Most of the fight it's just been a matter of not throwing it. What surprises me is that he, of all fighters, isn't committing to any real body work. But, just the same, Chavez takes that round clearly. 4-2, Vera.

Round 7: Chavez is finding a home for power shots with the straight right and left hook to the head. These punches are always there when he throws them. He's starting to go to the body finally. Good straight one-two from Chavez. Vera twists and turns his way in but he's getting clocked hard. Big overhand right by Vera. Left hook to the body by Chavez, multiple shots by Vera. Vera is still muscling forward and landing. Chavez getting tagged hard. Vera seriously wobbled by a left hook at the tail end of the round! Chavez must take it for me, but Vera had almost snatched it at the end. That counter left really probably won Junior the round. Great shot. 4-3, Vera.

Round 8: I love how Vera is still stalking Chavez. But that's not to say I'd instruct him to do so, were I in his corner. I just love Vera for being Vera. He eats a big right and flurries on Chavez, bravely. Good uppercut by Vera. Vera's mixing up his harder shots with his "point-scorers" smartly. He eats another big one though. Vera is still throwing combos on Chavez. Vera wants it inside, throwing those uppercuts. I love this guy! Again, Chavez with a big shot, Vera throws a mess of shots and lands his own big uppercut. Chavez trying to tag that body. It's hard going for him. Vera, for me. He's just not letting go of this one. I think he can win this. Chavez can't keep up the pace. 5-3, Vera.

Round 9: I think Vera just hurt Chavez with an overhand right. Surprising. Chavez complains about low blows. Again. He seems to want the ref to fight some of this fight for him. Chavez tries to get Vera on the ropes to slam his body. Vera says no, he doesn't want to be there and Chavez can't do anything to keep him there either. Chavez really wants the ref to help him with the body shots. I don't think the ref is on the payroll. Vera is spurred on by all of this as he tees off. Big right hand by Chavez and Vera takes another good one soon after and seems to not care at all. Vera seems to care even less about Chavez's complaints than he does that Chavez has shown he can hurt him. Vera, 6-3, on my card.

Round 10: Another good counter left by a seemingly exhausted Chavez. Vera showing no respect and throwing punches in bunches still. Big body shot by Chavez. But he's letting Vera all over him. Good right hand by Chavez. Vera has been smiling at him in this round but I know he's felt some of these. He's still far more energetic than Chavez. Chavez is trying to muscle it but he just doesn't seem to have much left. Vera is clowning! Wow. I call it to Chavez Junior on that round. 6-4, Vera. Let's see what the judges say.

They have it a UD for Junior. His career is saved, and not from any help of himself, with everything in his favour.

The translator for Chavez says Chavez is complaining about dirty fighting and fractured hand. "20 headbutts" he says. Wow. Just wow. The crowd is booing.


Quotes:
Jim Lampley: "8 rounds to 2? That score is preposterous."

(For the record, that judge is listed as 98-92, Marty Denkin-Really Marty? Really?)