Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Mar 1, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Bryan Vera (white trunks) trades punches with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. during their vacant WBC continental americas super middleweight title bout at Alamodome. Reuters

Notwithstanding a legal battle between to giant boxing promotions, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is joining the Al Haymon’s team to what was a long-rumoured transfer by one of the better prospects in boxing today.

Chavez Jr., who is the son of former boxing champion and legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, has a single loss in 50 career bouts with 32 of the victories coming by way of knockout.

However, Chavez Jr. has never reached the popular status or success enjoyed by his father during the latter’s boxing career owing to lack of huge fights or huge wins against the top contenders. Currently, Chavez Jr. is ranked 10th in the super middleweight pound-for-pound rankings by The Ring, the respected boxing site which ranks all boxers from all weight divisions.

Al Haymon is also the lead manager for undefeated American and no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in all of boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The 28-year-old Mexican has fought under the Top Rank Promotions umbrella by Bob Arum for his entire career but has had a falling out with Arum’s boxing outfit early in 2014. Chavez’s last match was last March 1, 2014 when he defeated Bryan Vera for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas super middleweight championship via unanimous decision (117-110, 117-110 and 114-113).

Chavez Jr. has actually defeated Vera in his last two fights but lost to Sergio Gabriel Martinez on Sept. 15, 2012 via unanimous decision, 110-117, 109-118 and 109-118.

Arum did not provide much reaction when asked about the Chavez Jr. transfer to rival Haymon’s camp preferring to let Top Rank’s lawyers handle the matter.

“Just talked to the lawyers [Daniel Petrocelli and David Moroso], the lawyers are handling it. It’s not a surprise, at least [Haymon’s] surfaced,” Arum stated via boxingscene.com.

Arum’s and Top Rank’s contention is that they still have one fight left for Chavez Jr. to fight under Top Rank Promotions. For Chavez Jr, his claim is that his contract with Arum’s group ended last September. The failure of Top Rank to bring in the top flight fighters against Chavez Jr. is the main reason for the rift between the two factions.