Canelo def. Chavez Jr. via shutout decision: 5 biggest takeaways

3. Chavez is finished as a marquee attraction

If anyone was on the fence about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. as a marquee attraction, last night confirmed that he’s finished as a viable draw. Up until now, Chavez had several things going for him, a few of which were grounded in irony — namely, the prospect that he’d finally wise up and harness the full extent of his talent, and the perverse exercise of comparing him to his father.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has finally deceived boxing fans one too many times. Indeed, no one can take away the fact that Chavez did at one point hold the WBC middleweight title, but his loss to Canelo confirmed that any false hopes pinned to Chavez are magical thinking.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Chavez has to retire. He could conceivably settle into super middleweight and reel off a string of wins against inferior opposition to rebuild his confidence and keep him active. And, because of his name, it’s not entirely inconceivable that he earns his way back into a significant fight. The difference, though, is that this hypothetical shot for Chavez will not even get within shouting distance of pay-per-view.

It took far longer than it should have, but boxing fans have indisputable, unimpeachable evidence of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s myriad flaws. While Chavez doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed, it’s time to dismiss him as a fighter worth following with any serious interest.