by Alex P. Vidal
SAN DIEGO, California — Mexico’s upcoming boxing superstar Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. has issued a challenged to newly crowned International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.
“Yes, I’m ready for Manny Pacquiao,” Chavez, 23, declared while surrounded by at least three bodyguards. “I want to fight Manny Pacquiao next.”
Chavez (39-0-1, 29 KO’s) watched at ringside as Pacquiao dismantled Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in the second round in the “The Battle of East and West” 12-round championship rumble in Las Vegas, Nevada last May 2.
He acknowledged Pacquiao’s strength and speed but Chavez said his size and force will be too much for the Filipino ringster who is hyped as the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound.
The son of the legendary former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight boss Chavez Sr. has been dispatching patsies in several 10-rounder encounters and is currently crown holder of the mediocre WBC Latino light middleweight crown.
His “qualification” to face Pacquiao is reportedly his unblemished record although the IBO ranked him only as number 26 contender in the light middleweight division.
Chavez has not beaten any world-ranked contender and his most recent win was on March 28, 2009 against unheralded Luciano Leonel Cuello in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico where he won by 10-round unanimous decision.
Chavez’s management team however has booked him to face journeyman Jason LeHoullier in a 10-round non-title scrapper in Mexico City on July 25, 2009.
Before the Lehoullier fight, Fernando Beltran, Chavez’s promoter, has made initial negotiations with Top Rank for his ward to be given the chance to fight Pacquiao in the light middleweight division.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who had earlier mentioned Chavez’s name in a lottery for Pacquiao’s next opponent, has not yet responded to Beltran’s proposal but was expected to shoot it down as Pacquiao does not reportedly intend to shift from light welterweight to light middleweight which is 10 pounds heavier.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO’s) is also being lined up to fight either Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosely and the winner between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez who will fight on July 18 in Las Vegas.
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