Bob Arum says Miguel Cotto next for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has said that if prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. defeats Alfonso Gomez on December 4, he will put him in the ring against WBA junior middleweight champ Miguel Cotto.
Chavez (41-0, 30 KOs) will take on Gomez at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Arum said the fight with Cotto would be projected for March 2011.
Originally, the two were set to meet in December, but were unable to go through with fighting vows due to conflicting schedules. Freddie Roach, who trains Chavez, has been occupied in the Philippines training Manny Pacquiao for his upcoming November 13
bout with Antonio Margarito. He will likewise be training WBA junior welterweight champ Amir Khan for his fight with Marcos Maidana in December.
In response to the news that Chavez would not able to take part in a December bout, Cotto opted to sit out the rest of the year instead of accepting fight offers from Vanes Martirosyan and others. Cotto suggested that the new offers did not meet his standards
and wished to remain inactive until other opponents become available.
"If he wins this fight, I'm going to put him in against Miguel Cotto," Arum boasted. "Cotto's still a terrific fighter and he won't be intimidated by the Chavez name. Is Julio ready for a challenge like that? I don't know."
Chavez and promoter Top Rank have taken criticism in recent months for failing to sign on with worthy opposition. Instead, many claim Chavez has been pampered into his deceptively remarkable record. Cotto, on the other hand, has had less fights than Chavez,
but has fought much stronger competition and is a three-time titlist. Chavez advocates say that his ‘padded’ record is due to him not competing as an amateur before going professional.
Chavez is already a huge Mexican draw. He is the son of legendary Mexican fighter Julio Cesar Chavez.
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