It has been a tumultuous few days for former titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The 37-year-old, who has not seen action since a 2021 decision over David Zegarra, recently accused his legendary father of beating his spouse and collaborating with Jr’s ex-wife to try and kill Jr. Now, TMZ reports that Chavez Jr was arrested this past weekend and charged with “illegal possession of an assault rifle.”
Per the report, authorities found what’s called a “ghost gun” in Chavez’s (53-6-1, 34 KO) house, meaning an untraceable firearm that’s commonly sold as a kit and subsequently built by the owner. Possessing one is not in and of itself a crime, but if said ghost gun was, in fact, an assault rifle, he’s in quite a bit of trouble.
Chavez’s career, which began in 2003 and peaked nine years later with a knockout of Andy Lee, went from wobbly to off the rails following his decision loss to Sergio Martinez. Constant weight issues, multiple failed and/or skipped drug tests, and a string of flaccid performances resulted left him 3-4 in his last seven with a bevy of burned bridges.
He’s a very easy man to mock. The failson. The Large Adult Son. The buffoon in pink underwear shoveling cereal into his mouth as his father desperately tries to walk him through a game plan. I don’t feel like mocking him for this, though not out of a sense that his struggles immunize him from criticism.
I’m certain he had a rough childhood; money doesn’t shield you from pressure or temptation or violence from those tasked with your well-being. Odds are he was set up to fail from the very beginning, crammed into shoes he could never fill. That doesn’t give him the right to pay hurt forward, especially since what money can do is afford him every opportunity to get the help he needs.
I think at this point I just don’t want to see him screw up anymore. It sucks to watch someone make bad choice after bad choice after bad choice. I want Chavez to realize what he’s done, realize that’s not who he wants or needs to be, and get it together. You’re never too old to turn things around; all you have to do is decide to be better tomorrow than you were today.
Knowing Chavez’s history and the many, many self-inflicted setbacks that could have been rock bottom, I doubt that’s the next chapter in his life. But I’d rather see a comeback story than keep kicking this sandbag.