Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is planning to return to action in July after a long layoff. And if he wins, latest boxing news indicated the former World Boxing Council middleweight champion could earn a shot at Gennady Golovkin.
Chavez, who has a 49-2-1 record with 32 knockout victories, recently reunited with Freddie Roach. The 56-year-old Roach, who will train the son of a legend for the first time since their split in 2012, told BoxingScene that Chavez's next fight is part of his preparation for a possible showdown with Golovkin.
Golovkin holds a perfect 35-0 record with 32 knockout victories. The 33-year-old has four middleweight world titles but could soon move up to the 168-pound division after failing to secure a showdown with Mexican boxing superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
In the event Golovkin moves up to the super middleweight division, Roach feels Chavez could be ready to face the Kazakh knockout artist after one tune-up fight. The Hall of Fame trainer said he is interested to see how Golovkin will perform at 168 against a fighter like Chavez.
"I want one tune-up fight, at least, maybe two, and I want 'Triple G'. I want to fight him at 168 and see how bad he really is," Roach said of Chavez's possible fight with Golovkin, who is the reigning World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, International Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation middleweight champion.
Roach added he is happy now that Chavez looks focused on regaining his status as one of the pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He was known for skipping training camps over the past several years, but the veteran boxing coach said he is impressed with Chavez's work ethic so far.
Chavez, who previously trained under Joe Goossen and Robert Garcia, has not fought since escaping with a hard-earned decision win over Marcos Reyes in July last year. Roach said that the 30-year-old Mexican could return to action on July 16 in Los Angeles or Texas, adding a fight against J'Leon Love could be announced soon.
"It seems that everything is already a fact," Roach told ESPN Deportes, referring to the Chavez-Love bout. "I'm not sure if already signed but there is at least one agreement put together, but they are still finalizing the details."
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