Middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KOs) will forgo a planned fight against David Medina (22-2, 10 KOs) on March 19 in Mexico, according to Top Rank. There are two reasons. First, Chavez has a mandatory shot against titlist Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10 KOs) in the works for June 4 and nobody wants to jeopardize it. Also -- and more important, according to Top Rank's Carl Moretti -- is the fact that Chavez's trainer, Freddie Roach, and strength coach, Alex Ariza, will be unable to prepare Chavez for the fight because they will be in the Philippines getting Manny Pacquiao ready for his May 7 fight with Shane Mosley. "That was the biggest thing, that Freddie and Alex will be in the Philippines," Moretti said. "That and that the Zbik fight would be right behind it if he fought in March." There had been internal discussion about Chavez facing Medina with a substitute trainer for the March fight, but that idea was scrapped. The Zbik-Chavez fight has not been signed, but the sides are talking, Moretti said. Showtime and HBO have both expressed interest in the fight, too, he said. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=6180513
