Mario Cazares is anxious to get into the ring and achieve the most important victory of his career - not only defeating, but also knocking out Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a grueling dueling of Sinaloa fighters.
Cázares (12-0, 6 KO’s) and Chavez Jr. (51-5-1, 33 KO’s) will clash over ten rounds in the light heavyweight division, on Friday, September 25, at the Grand Hotel Tijuana, where they will be the co-main event to the exhibition trilogy between Mexican legends, Julio César Chávez and Jorge “Travieso” Arce.
Cazares’s expectations to become a respected figure in professional boxing were high. And they have raged since in 2004 when he was a gold medalist in the National Olympiad, defeating Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez in the final. However, he made his pro debut eleven years later.
The reason for the delay was a herniated disc in his lumbar region, a condition which persisted until he was 24 years old, and he still needs medical check-ups as well as therapies.
However, 30-year-old Mario did not waste his time and prepared himself in every way. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa and worked hard for an agricultural company in his hometown.
After receiving his medical discharge, he made the decision to go to Los Angeles to train for two and a half years, where he met Panda Martínez, a trainer from Freddie Roach’s gym – and it was at the Wild Card Gym where he sparred with European, South American and American fighters, and he put in such good performances that it caught the attention of Roach himself.
In one of those training sessions, Floyd Mayweather Jr. saw him and was impressed by Cazares, and when he found out that as an amateur he had defeated Canelo, he congratulated him and said, “there are two of us”.
The fighter from Sinaloa, who is even taller than Chavez Jr., is determined and confident in making the fight of his life and defeating the son of the Mexican boxing legend.
“There was a lot of talk about the weight controversy, although there was already a prior agreement, we agreed to fight at 175 pounds because Mr. Julio César Chávez is right [about taking my big shot]. I respect [Chavez Sr.] a lot and he is my idol. It is a great opportunity for me and I am going to take advantage of it, as I am going to beat Junior. I am going to knock him out and I am going to take him out of boxing,” Cazares said.
“[Chavez Jr.] has taken all the advantages, but that has motivated me more, they have awakened that indomitable warrior, that spark within me that will drive me to leave everything in the ring, and I am going to knock him out. Julio has wasted many opportunities, I was only waiting for one and it came to me, and I’m not going to waste it.”