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By: Francisco Martinez
Boxinginsider.com ran into Robert Garcia and asked him about his new “pupil” in Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who’s coming off a 9 round TKO loss by the hands of Andrzej Fonfara. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. plans on getting back in the winning column with the help of the legendary (2011) “Trainer of the year” Robert Garcia who runs the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, CA.
Boxinginsider.com: “What’s the plan for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.?”
Robert Garcia: “He wants to get back to the top. I think being the son of (Julio Cesar) Chavez Sr. is a lot of pressure, everything comes easy for him but you learn from your mistakes. It seems like he has”
Boxinginsider.com: “You have been expressing for the past few years how you could help Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. be a better fighter. Did you push for this or is it something that just happened?”
Robert Garcia: “I didn’t push for it. For the past few years I have been expressing how I would like to train him because I know the talent he has, the qualities. I didn’t seek him out. We had talked on various occasions but never had an agreement. Now it seems that we have it. We will start camp on Monday (Next week)”
Boxinginsider.com: “What weight division do you think his next fight will take place?”
Robert Garcia: “He (Julios Cesar Chaves Jr.) will move down to 168lbs (Super Middleweight). This next fight will take place at that weight”
Boxinginsider.com: “What are some of the names that have been talked about as an opponent?”
Robert Guerrero: “His next opponent is (Marcos) “El Dorado” Reyes from Chihuaha (Mexico). Then after he wants to fight again in September not sure against who but I recommended he does two or three fights. I can’t say easy fights because no fight is easy. Quality fights so he can get some time and confidence working with me. Then the coming year, mid year, look for the bigger fights. I want to work with him a little bit first. Look for comfortable fights so we can start learning. Everybody does it. His dad (Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.) use to do it. A lot of fighters are doing it now. Danny Garcia, Leo Santa Cruz, have been criticized for it but in all reality I don’t know why they criticize it. It’s a part of a Boxers career. The whole world wants to see them in wars. Let’s be conscious that they risk their life’s and deserve two or three quality fights then a big fight. It’s a intelligent way to run a career”
Boxinginsider.com: “When he (Julios Cesar Chavez Jr.) was with Freddie Roach, Roach said it was difficult to get him to do things he didn’t want to do. Do you think that’s going to be a problem?”
Robert Garcia: “Look, I think it has a lot to do with communication, confidence. (Julio Cesar) Chavez needs a team that understands him. I want him to do certain things but he (Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.) has his own comforts as well. I have to get use to them as well. So we have to communicate and I think with (Freddie) Roach he didn’t have communication. (Freddie) Roach is the best trainer in the world and probably in the history of Boxing but there wasn’t communication and to begin with they don’t speak the same language and (Freddie) Roach only saw him while in the gym. I want to be responsible for him (Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.) in the mornings, the weekends, I want the opportunity to live with his family get to know them, not just know (Julio Cesar) Chavez the fighter but the person and his family, all of that.
That’s what I do with my team and all my fighters. We work that way and I think it’s given us great results and everyone is happy and the work that has to get done gets done”
Boxinginsider.com: “What Happen with (Javier) Pelos Garcia in his BKB (Big knockout Boxing) fight? Was it a weight issue?”
Robert Garcia: “In Boxing you never know what can happen. His opponent was a quality fighter he should have convincingly beat but there’s things that happen in training camp. I didn’t have time to train him for that fight because in that moment I was working on this new gym in Riverside (C.A.) so I was there in the mornings every day. I would be there from one in the afternoon to two plus I had to work with Mikey Garcia (Brother) he (Javier Garcia) chose to train at three in the afternoon, I couldn’t be there in that time but we left a team in charge but if I’m not there then things don’t get done right.
So what happened, happened. There’s no need to blame anyone. He chose to train at a time when I couldn’t be there so it can be a thing where maybe I should have advice him to train at six in the morning, you have to train at six in the morning but at the same time it’s a thing where he, himself should have trained at six in the morning with out me having to tell him. World champions like (Jesus) Cuellar, fighters in the level of (Ivan) Redkach and all the other guys where there at a time when I could help them.
So in all reality I had no control over that. He chose that time and what happened, happened. Things happen, I mean I was with (Evgeny) Gradovich his whole camp and he just lost. So things happen”
Boxinginsider.com: “Kell Brooks has been calling out Brandon Rios. Is that fight possible? Any negotiations on that fight?”
Robert Garcia: “There’s talks, I was there (U.K.) with the promoter and talks with Top Rank (promotions) are on going for a August date but that’s all Cameron Dunkin’s job (Brandon Rios manager). At the same there has to be a neutral agreement. One of the issues right now is the gloves. They don’t want us to use the gloves Brandon (Rios) has used in all his fights. They’re saying they won’t allow those gloves. So those are the little things we have to figure out before we can accept the fight. I would imagine the purse (Money) is also important being that we would go to his back yard and he’s a great fighter and the purse (Money) has to be right for the whole team. It’s a fight we really want but things have to be figured out”
