Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will make his return from a long layoff when he faces Andrzej Fonfara on Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Chavez, who has not fought since scoring a unanimous decision win during his rematch with Brian Vera in March 2014, will collide with Fonfara for the vacant World Boxing Council International light heavyweight title.
Chavez, who holds an impressive 48-1-1 record with 32 knockout victories with his only loss coming against Sergio Martinez in September 2012, said that he has renewed focus heading into the fight.
The 29-year-old former world champion said that he is more dedicated to his craft and has improved mentally inside and outside the ring. He was previously suspended for using marijuana, but he reiterated that he has changed a lot over the past year.
Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. also said in a recent interview that his son is now more focused on boxing. He said there has been a "180-degree turn" in his son's career and he is quite confident Chavez Jr. will become a world champion again in the near future.
The fight against Fonfara on Saturday will be Chavez's first fight under new trainer Joe Goossen. Like the elder Chavez, Goosen also said Julio Jr. has shown improvements and maturity based on what he saw from the Mexican boxing superstar in training camp.
"I matured over my years, once I had a kid and a family, and I think the same has happened with Julio," Goossen told ESPN. "Life becomes clearer when you put away the immaturity. You realize that you have a future and if you really want to access what's available to you, then you are going to have to work hard and dedicate yourself to it."
Chavez Jr. is an overwhelming favorite heading into fight night, but Fonfara is also determined to score an upset and get a big fight again later this year, and Goossen knows they are facing a dangerous opponent.
Fonfara, who holds a 26-3 record with 15 knockouts, is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision victory against Doudou Ngumbu in November at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.
Before winning against Ngumbu, Fonfara pushed Adonis Stevenson to the limit before taking a unanimous decision loss in their WBC world light heavyweight title fight in May last year.
Predictions, Live Stream & Where To Watch
Chavez is expected to go all out as he is aiming to prove he is worthy of a title shot this year. Fonfara is expected to have his moments on Saturday night, but Chavez will likely score a knockout in the late rounds of the bout.
The Chavez-Fonfara fight card will kick off at 10 PM ET and will be shown live on Showtime. More live stream and how to watch information are available on this link.
