Former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of an assault rifle last weekend in Los Angeles, as initially reported by the TMZ website and later confirmed by the boxer’s father via social networks.
According to TMZ, police responded to a call from a concerned fan who believed the boxer could be a danger to himself or others. The fan has not been identified.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Julio César Chávez: The blockbuster fight 25 years ago featured a man who epitomized Mexican boxing and a man who’d be criticized for not being Mexican enough.
TMZ Sports reported that Chávez Jr. was detained by Los Angeles police after the boxer allowed officers into his home, where they found the rifle. The 37-year-old former middleweight champion and son of legendary boxer Julio César Chávez Sr. was then transported by police to the LAPD’s Valley Jail Section in Van Nuys.
According to the TMZ report, authorities found what is called a “ghost gun” in Chávez’s house, the term given to a firearm that is impossible to trace because it has not been legally registered.
Chavez was arrested Sunday at his home in Sherman Oaks. He is still in custody and will be arraigned on Thursday morning, his lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, said in an interview Tuesday with The Times.
“The most important issue is Julio’s well-being at this moment. He has an incredible support system, and we just want to make sure to put him in the best position to succeed and to get through what has been a difficult couple of months,” Goldstein said.
Chavez has no history of possessing firearms, the lawyer said.
“The next step is to get him out of custody,” Goldstein said. “To put him in the best position to go on with his life. The paramount concern of everyone is his well-being.”
Shortly after the arrrest, Chávez Sr. confirmed the news by posting a statement on social media.
“Thank you for being on the lookout and worrying about my son Julio,” the post read in Spanish. “Unfortunately I confirm the news that spread today. My son Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested.”
“We are working together with his lawyers to resolve his legal situation. It’s been a long road, but I don’t lose faith. I pray to God that this is the moment that finally propels my son toward a useful and happy life.”
Chávez Sr. asked for respect for his family at this time and said that due to the legal situation they would not make any additional statement.
“The national and world boxing community is dismayed by the current situation of our champion Julio César Chávez jr. The WBC family in unconditional support to the Chávez family and especially to our beloved champion JC Chávez. Everything will be fine with the favor of God,” Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council and a friend of the Chávez family for many years, said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The 37-year-old has not fought since he won a 2021 decision over David Zegarra in Culiacán, Mexico. His life outside the ring, especially his battle with drug addiction, has been in the news more in recent years than his boxing career.
Chávez Jr. also has had a turbulent relationship with his father, and even accused him through his YouTube channel a few days ago of trying to kill him and kidnap him by placing him in detoxification programs. Chávez Sr. responded to the accusations on social media that his son’s health conditions had worsened and that he could no longer help him.
TMZ Sports reported on Nov. 5, 2022, that Chávez Jr.’s wife, Frida, contacted authorities on Oct. 24 expressing concern that Chávez Jr. had ingested a “concerning amount of pills and may need medical attention.”
Thanks in part to his father’s famous name, Chávez Jr. has had a financially successful career in boxing since his professional start in 2003. But his athletic success has diminished. He captured the WBC middleweight world championship in 2011 against Sebastian Zbik, winning by majority decision in Los Angeles.
Another of his major victories was a technical knockout of Andy Lee a year later.
But after his loss to Sergio Martínez in September 2012, problems making weight and failing doping tests — along with some questionable judges’ decisions — have tarnished his career.
In 2017 he faced Canelo Álvarez in a contest he clearly lost to the Jalisco native in Las Vegas, but earned a payout of at least $3 million. In 2021, he lost a split decision to veteran MMA fighter Anderson Silva in a boxing match held in Guadalajara.
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