When reports started surfacing about a potential matchup between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a couple months back, many weren't sure it was a realistic option. Not only because of the now settled Al Haymon and Golden Boy feud, but also because both men were very distant when it came to their weight. Eventually, both men settled on a catchweight of 164.5, and while Alvarez was moving up almost 10 pounds, the bigger concern was Chavez moving down to a weight he hasn't made since 2012.
The vital role of making sure Chavez hits the contracted weight lies in the hands of strength and conditioning trainer Angel Heredia. Heredia has worked with many top names in the sport and has garnered a reputation for being one of the best in the business. With a one million dollar penalty for every pound Chavez is over the weight limit in the fight contract, the pressure and stakes are that much higher for Heredia. Angel was asked if he would be able to get the weight-challenged Chavez down comfortably when he spoke exclusively to FightHype.
"We have no issues. After the fight we had in December, he went home and took a couple weeks off and chilled out a little bit and enjoyed himself with his family. I told him not to put on more than 20 pounds and he did okay. In January, he started running around and that's when the negotiations started with Canelo. Obviously I told him the best way to start making the weight easy is to start early, just like the way we did it last time. We have a lot of time to make the weight, so it won't be a problem. Right now he's 180-181 because he's been training and he's been doing conditioning. So by the time he gets to me, he'll be 40% ready to go, which means I take over and take him all the way to 100%," explained Heredia.
"Once he starts with me, it's really, really high intensity nonstop. Obviously the training is going to be harder and he's going to lose more calories easier. Plus I'm going to be monitoring his diet; I'm going to be monitoring everything. I'm going to be there with him in the same place and same camp. We're going to be in the same house, so I'm going to have more control and I will definitely oversee what he will be eating. 164.5 is not going to be a problem. It's not going to be a problem at all because we're doing it with time and I'm an expert in making sure fighters make weight. And obviously yes, its a million dollars that nobody would want to pay."
Heredia and Chavez had long talked about working together and late last year they finally teamed up. While they had attempted to work together before, it wasn't until Chavez reached out and realized he needed to make a change and needed help doing things correctly that allowed the two to link up.
"We spoke and he told me he wanted to get back into the game and he felt he was doing the wrong things and wasn't training properly. He felt he was not being told exactly what to do and still trying to make weight in the last week and doing all these old techniques, which to me are very irresponsible. So we had a long talk and I told him I can get you back in the game and I would love to work with you. We clicked and at the end of the day, we are still together. So once we got a date from Al Haymon, I went to Sinaloa and started camp and he was very happy with how we trained. We had very good chemistry together," Heredia would tell FightHype.
Heredia isn't the only new person to become part of team Chavez as Julio went out and tabbed the legendary Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain to be his new trainer. The addition also reunites Heredia and Beristain once again as both have had great success working with Juan Manuel Marquez. Working with Beristain makes Heredia happy and he feels they can duplicate the success they have had in the past.
"I was very happy, Luis, that Nacho is training Chavez because I know that the first choice was Freddie Roach and that didn't happen. The second choice was Robert Garcia and that didn't happen because I guess it was a conflict of timing and distance. So I was actually telling Mr. Chavez, 'Why don't you just talk to Nacho? He's already in Mexico City.' So they got happy about that and Nacho said if Angel is involved, then I'm going to get involved because I know he's going to get him in shape, get him on weight, and give me a good Julio. He actually took the job right away and I was very happy because I worked with Nacho before with Marquez. It's very motivating to work with a man who knows so much about boxing, but at the same time, we have a lot of chemistry. He allows me to do my work properly. I never get involved in his boxing and he doesn't get involved in my conditioning, so we click very good. And besides that, Nacho has experience and knows how to make combination work. He knows how to work with a fighter and bring out certain abilities," explained Heredia.
While the big emphasis with Chavez for this fight is making weight, Heredia was asked if he will also try to improve other areas in Chavez. Heredia says that making the weight is a focal point, but so will be improving his fighter's power and his speed. He feels those improvements will show up on fight night and he's so confident of what he will be able to achieve with Chavez, he's putting his money where his mouth is.
"I'm going to tell you like this, I made a few bets with some friends and I also placed a $20,000 bet that Julio will win. We have a great team with Nacho and also Jose Luis Zaragoza, who also worked with Marquez and does the mitt work. My father is involved as well in the camp and he was also with Marquez. Everyone is already talking crap, but what people don't understand is that Julio has lost fights because he was not properly trained. He has setbacks in his discipline and his timing was off, but Julio is a very talented boxer. He's very smart, he knows his boxing and understands his boxing. He has potential and he's like a sponge; everything you tell him to do, he'll do it and he does it very good. With him, endurance is definitely not going to be a problem. He's going to have endurance to go 40 rounds," said Heredia.
Heredia has always stated that one of his signature improvements in fighters is increasing their power punching. The biggest proof of that was Marquez's 2012 epic knockout of Manny Pacquiao, which Heredia feels history can repeat himself as he feels confident Chavez can knock Alvarez out.
"I'm going to focus on [Chavez's] speed and his timing so he can be explosive and definitely power is coming along with it. So we're going to work every angle possible. Canelo is a good fighter and has proven he has got better over time and is a very dedicated fighter. He's a very disciplined fighter and he knows he's going to fight a Julio that is not only bigger than him, but a stronger puncher in my opinion. So now, I want to make Julio an even better puncher so he can win this fight by knockout. I want him to be stronger so he can knock out Canelo Alvarez and we don't leave it to the judges. That's just my goal as strength and conditioning coach. Is it possible? Definitely. Everybody thought Pacquiao was never going to be knocked out and look what happened. Marquez caught him right on the chin in their fourth fight. Everything is possible, and yes, I made a lot of bets and I know Junior can do it. Junior is very strong and right now, he's the Junior we want to have because he's motivated and he's hungry.
Needless to say, Heredia has his work cut out for him, but he'll be the first to tell you that getting Chavez down to 164.5 isn't going to be easy and will take a lot of hard work. But that's his expertise and exactly what he's being brought in to do. This is a goal for him and the type of assignments and big fights he wants to be a part of. He promises to bring in Chavez at not only the weight limit, but at his best physical shape possible.
Both Chavez and Alvarez will be undergoing random style drug testing administered by VADA, which Heredia believes is a good thing and is happy the testing is being done. He believes all the hard work he and Chavez will put in will result in another great victory.
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