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Chavez Relieved, Ready to Face Gerena
by Peter Palmiere (March 20, 2003)
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Jesus Chavez seems to have a sense of relief regarding his participation on Top Rank's Latin Fury Showtime Pay-Per-View card televised from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday, March 22.
The WBC's number-one 130-pound contender was supposed to face former IBF featherweight champion Jorge Paez; the famous "Clown Prince of Boxing" whose laughable and theatrical ring entrances have enchanted the boxing public since his November 16, 1984 debut against Efren Tineo.
Nobody is laughing now, including Chavez who considers himself a friend and great admirer of Paez, as it looks like the 37-year-old veteran, who has fought 95 professional fights, with a record of 76-14-5 (51), may have to retire from boxing.
Paez recently underwent a series of physical tests at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and took an MRI mandated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in light of the many bouts he has fought. The NSAC was also concerned about the situation regarding Paez's February 7 bout with Silvero "Camacho III" Oritz that took place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
(Paez was on his way to a lopsided desicion and Oritz looked like he was ready to quit during a seventh round clinch with Paez when Referee Marty Sammon stepped into the action to break the clinching fighters apart and to have a careful look at Ortiz because of the punishment he was taking from Paez. During the referee's break, when Paez had his guard down, Ortiz suckered punch the former champ with a left hook to the chin and Paez was down. After 8 minutes of conferring with officials of the California State Athletic Commission, Sammon announced a TKO victory for Ortiz. Later on, the commission reversed the desicion and gave the fight to Paez on a disqualification. However, despite the reversal of the desicion, the blow to the head was administered and the KO took place.)
The MIR revealed that although Paez was no longer in immediate danger, there could be real medical complications 10 to 12 years down the line. Paez was allegedly shaken by the news and after consulting with the physicians involved in his case as well as family members and close friends, he decided to take up to three to four months to decide what to do regarding his boxing career.
Chavez, in a phone interview with MaxBoxing.com, expressed his concern about Paez (who he refers to as "George", the English equivalent to "Jorge").
"At first I was disappointed," Chavez said regarding Paez having to drop out of their scheduled fight, "but later I understood it was for the better for George's well being and I think that's the most important thing — fighter's safety. Top Rank called me and told me the fight was off. They gave me Carlos Gerena as the new opponent. I did not know what to think of it at the time. I was surprised and needed some time to think things over and I think I made the right choice."
Gerena, a hard-nosed fighter from Puerto Rico, beat Jesus in an eight-round split desicion victory on January 7, 1995 in San Antonio, Texas. Chavez is itching for revenge.
"At first, I wasn't too sure about the fight but I have been training so long for a fight on March 22, so I think it's the perfect opportunity to avenge that one loss," he said.
The first fight was still vivid in Chavez's memory.
"The people in San Antonio thought I had won the fight because I took the fight to him," he said. "I think he had a lot more going for him being that he was an Olympic boxer and he was up and coming. I had everything against me that night and it showed, but I am looking forward to revenge this Saturday."
Chavez felt the first loss, however controversial and close, was heartbreaking and it showed in his actions.
"I was young in my career," Chavez related. "Yeah, it was hard but then I hadn't lost a fight since 'till I fought Mayweather so that makes me kind of forget about it. You try to put that behind you."
Pressure is on both fighters with only three weeks notice to fight each other. They know each others style and both know what to expect from each other. And they both share another thing in common. Both suffered losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Chavez' corner (after a game effort by Jesus) threw in the towel after the ninth round on November 10, 2001 and Gerena was stopped by Mayweather at the end of the seventh round on September 11, 1999
Chavez also addressed the issue regarding the difficulty of preparing to fight one opponent and then having it substituted by another fighter; one that had beaten him in the past.
"It's difficult," Chavez said, "because I was getting ready to fight the guy from Thailand in January and that fight got postponed because he fought that guy from Japan. Now I am fighting March 22 and he fell out because he said he had a shoulder injury. And now to have George Paez come aboard and that falls apart. It's been difficult for me to get ready to prepare for one fighter and they changed the opponent more than twice now. I'll just train harder, readjust my focus and bring all that anger and frustration into the ring on Saturday night."
Chavez said the love and support of his family and friends helped him through the hard times.
"The situation with Carlos Gerena is nothing compared to what I have been through before," he said. "I am prepared. We are looking for better things. We are ready for Gerena. I am ready. If he's not ready, He's in trouble."
In other news, former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo is also off the card (he was to face Julio Diaz) due to fracturing his right hand in training. Ernesto Zepeda will replace Castillo. Both Castillo and Paez will be in attendance at ringside March 22.
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