LAS VEGAS (AP) – As Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was called to the stage Wednesday for the final press conference before a fight that has captivated his native Mexico, his opponent was slumped in a chair and staring at his phone.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. later kept yawning, fueling critics that claim the son of one of the greatest boxers remains unengaged and unmotivated.
Chavez insists this time is different. Five years after testing positive for marijuana after a loss and following numerous instances of struggling to make weight, the 31-year-old former middleweight champion knows the significance of Saturday’s bout with his rival countryman on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
“Yes,” Chavez said through a translator, “this is an opportunity to show people.”
Wearing a white tracksuit and sporting large, square sunglasses, Chavez (50-2-1, 32 KOs) said he weighed 168 pounds. He needs to get to 164 1/2 by Friday to reach the catchweight limit for the pay-per-view bout at sold-out T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.