"Latin Kings": Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio Martinez

Stats
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Age: 26
Hometown: Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Nickname: "Le Leyenda Continua" (The Legend Continues) , "El Hijo De La Leyenda" (The Son of the Legend)
Height: 6'0"
Reach: 73"
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 46-0-1 (32 knockouts)
Ranking: Number 3 ranked middleweight
Major Titles Held: WBC Middleweight (2012-Present)

Sergio Martinez
Age: 37
Hometown: Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nickname: "Maravilla" (Miracle)
Height: 5'10"
Reach: 75"
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 49-2-2 (28 knockouts)
Ranking: Number 4 pound-for-pound, and number 1 ranked middleweight
Major Titles Held: WBC Middleweight Title (2010); WBO Middleweight Title (2010); The Ring Middleweight Title (2010-Present)
*Stats and rankings provided by BoxRec and The Ring

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (left) and Sergio Martinez (right)
before their Saturday night title fight.

  Depending on who you ask, this weekend holds a special place in many peoples hearts. To the Mexican community, this Sunday (September 16) marks their 201 year independence from Spanish rule, but to the boxing community at large, this weekend is about much more than independence. This Saturday, two of the middleweight divisions most talented champions are finally crossing paths, as Ring champion, Sergio Martinez, takes on the often criticized but talented, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. This match-up has been talked about ever since Martinez' two-round decimation of former champion, Paul Williams (39-1-0). For two years, Martinez has tried to lure the young champion into the ring, but the most recent instigations by Martinez came after the WBC stripped him of his title and instead awarded it to Chavez Jr. Luckily, the talk and hype is finally over as both are set to face off in a fight that many feel has potential to be a "Fight of the year" candidate. The question still remains however, will the young lion over power the older fighter and dominate the middleweight division? Or will the more experienced fighter overwhelm his young challenger, further solidifying his already Hall of Fame worthy career?

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. celebrate his KO victory over
then undefeated Andy Lee.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been called many things throughout his career. Undisciplined, spoiled, and coddled are just a few that come to mind. There is one thing that Chavez Jr. does have going for him, and that is his determination to silence all of his detractors. Ever since he came into the sport, many professionals have questioned Chavez' bringing up in the sport. With zero amateur experience, many feel he was protected while coming up the ranks when he was often matched with fighters who offered little to no in-ring resistance. After years of criticism, Chavez has finally stepped up to the plate as he took on fights that, at least on paper, seemed like a real challenge. Chavez showed just how meaningless that "paper" really is, as he dismantled veteran, Marco Antonio Rubio (53-5-1) , and the always tough Andy Lee (28-1) in his last two outings. Chavez was finally able to do what he hadn't been able to earlier in his career, and that was finally silencing his critics. Chavez most surprising performance came against the aforementioned Andy Lee. In the early rounds of their 12-round fight, many saw Lee slowly building a points lead against the always confident Mexican. Things quickly changed towards the middle rounds however, as Chavez surged back and overwhelmed the previously undefeated Lee en-route to a knockout victory in the 7th round. This has been Chavez' most thrilling and telling performance to date, as many now feel he has matured into a fighter who is ready to take over the middleweight division. Going into Saturday's match against Martinez, the most notable advantage for Chavez is his size. Although he weighs in as a middleweight, he shows up about twenty to thirty pounds heavier by fight night. It's his size advantage that will be pivotal in his attempt to defeat the seemingly unstoppable Martinez. As the bigger man, Chavez will be able to bully the smaller man around the ring, while keeping him at bay with power shots and effective movement. Although Chavez seems to lack the one-punch knockouts power many desire, he makes up for it with his seemingly unending flurries of crippling body shots that were made famous by his legendary father. This fight will be no different from the others as far as his expected game plan. Only exception is that Chavez will have to be much more wary of keeping his chin out in the air, as Martinez has proved that all he needs is one punch to put his opponent down for the count. If Chavez is able to effectively work angles while intelligently defending and battering the body of an oncoming Martinez, expect Chavez Jr. to earn both a unanimous decision victory, as well as the respect he has longed for throughout his career.

Sergio Martinez (left) takes two rounds before landing the
finishing blow against the massive Paul Williams (right)

Sergio Martinez is one of the most unique cases in boxing today. As many know, Martinez is known as a "late-bloomer" to the sport due to the fact that he didn't begin boxing until he was 20. One would have never guessed based on his most recent string of dominant performances including names like Kelly Pavlik (36-1), Paul Williams, and Serhiy Dzinziruk (37-1-1). Martinez has quickly become the elite fighter of the middleweight division which seems to have acted as a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, many legitimately view Sergio Martinez as the number one fighter in his division, but because of that title, everyone seems to want to avoid him. This has forced Martinez and his camp to actively call out other fighters, most not even in the same weight class. Luckily, Chavez Jr. finally answered the call as audiences will finally learn who is the best middleweight in the world. Going into this fight with Chavez, Martinez will have to rely on his superior speed and power to take down the imposing Mexican. Although Martinez is the smaller man, he has the reach of a much larger one. This blend of attributes gives him the potential to be a massive problem for Chavez, as Chavez hasn't faced a fighter quite at the Martinez level. To win this fight Martinez just has to do what he does best which is mixing power shots, while still moving in and out of the pocket. If he does this while listening to his corners advice, expect Martinez to run away with a unanimous decision win.

Prediction

As both fighters answer the first bell, Martinez will come out the aggressor against the slow-starting Chavez Jr. Martinez main attack with be shots to the body, while winging the occasional power punch. Chavez will defend most of the shots as he then tries to answer with his own. Martinez will take the first round due to his aggression and general output, while Chavez is seemingly playing catch-up. This same routine will continue in the early rounds as Martinez continues to increase the power an overall out-put. As the middle rounds approach, Martinez has built a healthy lead but is beginning to breath heavily. Chavez now begins to get in the fight, as he now tries to push Martinez towards the ropes. As he backs Martinez up, he will continue throwing shots to the body while mixing in an uppercut. For every Chavez flurry however, Martinez answers with his own power shot as he closes the round with a flush power hook that will rattle the young champion. Chavez wins the round, but Martinez and his corner are encouraged by that final shot. As the 7th round opens, Chavez comes out a bit more tentative, but still trying to remain busy. Once again, Martinez catches Chavez Jr., forcing the champion to take a knee. As the ref gives Chavez an eight-count, he  rises and continues on with the fight. By this point, Martinez smells blood and he once against charges the weakened champion. Martinez will begin pounding away at the body and head of Chavez Jr. to the point at which the ref will have no choice but to stop the abuse.

This fight can play out in many different ways, but it's looking like the idea of Martinez as the victor is showing the most consistency.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (left) faces off with Sergio Martinez (right)
in their weigh-in before Saturday's fight.

Pick: Sergio Martinez def. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via knockout (KO)