MANY people finding themselves in isolation are taking up new habits. In Rocky Fielding’s case, he’s texting Julio Cesar Chavez Junior and asking for a fight.
“I just tagged him in something [on Instagram], put a post up and tagged him saying something. I woke up in the morning and he’d sent me a message with his number saying, ‘Tell your guys I’m free and ready. No problem, here’s my number. Tell Eddie [Hearn, Fielding’s promoter] to ring,’” Rocky explained. “I saved his number and sent him a Whatsapp saying, ‘Hello Julio. Let’s Facetime.’ He was saying what for. I said let’s have a chat and sort the fight out. Then I forwarded the message on to Eddie. He said that they fancied the fight as well and being realistic maybe September obviously with what’s going on.”
His conversation with Chavez Junior would progress, even stipulating a weight. “We were just Whatsapping then on Sunday morning he said do you want to fight me at 175lbs? I said yeah, let’s do it,” Rocky revealed. “I tried to Facetime him but he wouldn’t answer.”
“He [Chavez] said he was fighting a 10 rounder in May. I texted back saying where are you fighting, your back garden? Because there’s no boxing happening for a while. Being realistic it’s September,” Fielding added. “I said I’ll travel no problem and he hasn’t got back to me yet.
“So killed a couple of hours while I was isolated.”
For Fielding though this opportunity makes sense. “After his fight with [Danny] Jacobs and where he’s at, and I’m not in no position to be mandatory for world titles,” the Liverpudlian says. “I’m eager to get back in and fight. He’s obviously a big name and a decent fight.
“Eddie’s mentioned a few of his American prospect guys. I’m not in boxing to be a name and to fight a prospect. I’d pack it in if that was the case. I’ve looked at my career, I’ve won Prizefighter, the English title, Commonwealth, British, the world title, fought Canelo [Alvarez]. I’m not going to go, ‘Alright I’ll fight one of your prospects who’s coming up.’ Use my name kind of thing.”
Chavez Junior’s last fight encompassed seemingly everything that is wrong with his career. Ahead of his December bout with Danny Jacobs, he missed a VADA drug test, he came in well over the stipulated weight limit, retired on his stool after five rounds and finished being pelted with garbage. A bizarre episode to say the very least.
“He’s just a barnpot isn’t he? He’s off his head. I follow him on Instagram and every post he’s in the living room, punching the bag or he’s got a sweatsuit on and he’s training in the backgarden. He must train constantly but in the house. Before the fight with Jacobs he was in a garage, in some ring, hitting the pads with some guy who didn’t look like he could hold the pads. Then had Freddie Roach in his corner at the fight. He’s just training himself. His discipline’s not there. But he looked like he was doing well against Jacobs, I don’t know where he’s at. If it could be made, I’ll take it,” Fielding said.
Fielding and Chavez Junior have an opponent in common. They have both fought the outstanding Canelo Alvarez. The Mexican stopped Fielding, inside three rounds, while Chavez went the distance. But Junior was negative in their 2017 clash. The Briton was hurt early on with body shots but he went down slinging punches. “I know I made a few mistakes. I made mistakes and got caught. When you make a few mistakes at the level below or with [Tyron] Zeuge, I made a few mistakes I got away with. I knew with the fight with Canelo you can’t give nothing away because you get caught with it. I did. [At] that level, I stepped up, made mistakes and got caught with it. I’ve worked on it,” he said. “It’s the highest level I’ve been at.
“I caught him with shots but they weren’t as effective as the shots I caught Zeuge with. At the lower level you stun them but with him he just shook it off and come at me… The plan was to get to six rounds and then just go and have it. But I just done it too early, from the first round, made the mistake and got caught.”
“[Chavez] went in there and he didn’t throw a shot, just coasted it just to get through it. Two Mexicans, a big massive fight. Everyone was like it’s going to be a great fight. It turned out to be the opposite, a sparring session. Canelo didn’t get out of second gear. He just paced it out and won,” Fielding argued. “I think [Chavez] just didn’t want to have it, getting stopped, knocked out probably. Maybe the weight, 164lbs wasn’t it? He’d made the weight, he’s probably thought he’s killed himself and never had the energy to step the rounds or step the pace up or nothing. You don’t know. I had a go, I caught [Canelo] with some good shots but he just shook it off.
“I threw more in three rounds at [Canelo] than [Chavez] did in the 12. Chavez has had his good performances and he’s been a world champion, the [Sergio] Martinez fight [was good]. I think his ambition’s burned out. But I think it’ll be a good fight. I’m up for it.”
Fielding is aiming to make one last run and try to fight his way to a world title shot. “I just want to finish on being in big fights and good performances, give it your all and then finish off. That’s where I’m at,” he insists. “Any big fights I’m up for, big names, what benefits me.
“A world title, I’ve got ambitions for that.”
