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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) -Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has a request for boxing fans who revere his famous father: Take a closer look at the son.
The 21-year-old Chavez (33-0 with one draw and 26 KOs) says he's ready for the biggest bout of his young career Saturday night, meeting Ray Sanchez (20-1, 15 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight bout.
"You look at your career as steps," Chavez said through an interpreter. "This is another big step, a step that I hope will lead me where I want to go."
The elder Chavez is considered by many the greatest boxer of his era. He retired two years ago at age 43 with a record of 107 wins, two draws and six defeats with 86 knockouts, winning six world titles in three weight divisions.
"There's a lot of nostalgia for the old man, and the kid has caught people's attention," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "Sanchez is the first big test for him, so there's a lot of interest."
The elder Chavez, who will attend the bout, said this fight offers a great measuring stick.
"My son should be able to (win) because he has trained real hard. We'll find out where he is," said Chavez. "This is the toughest fight in my son's career."
The career track for Chavez Jr. has been cleared, no doubt, by his bloodlines. The elder Chavez couldn't recall being in a televised bout until his 44th fight, his first world title opportunity.
The son has had almost all of his fights on TV, including this one on pay-per-view. Junior knows there are big gloves to fill, but he's comfortable carrying the hopes of millions of Mexican fans.
"There is a lot of pressure because of my name, because of who I am, but the expectations have been there the whole time," he said. "People expect me to be great every time out. I just expect to do my best."
Father and son use similar styles. Both agree Junior learned much from his father, incorporating training regimens and other elements.
"He inherited everything I have," the elder Chavez said. "In this fight, Julio is going to show everything he knows and everything he learned from me."
It won't come easy against Sanchez, who like Chavez views this contest as his own coming-out party.
