WBC Middleweight Title at Stake

What’s green and gold, something every boxer covets but only a few actually earn?

The answer of course is the gleaming World Boxing Council (WBC) championship belt that many past and current champs have slung proudly across their shoulders after besting their foes in the ring.

Now 25-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (42-0-1, 30 KOs) has plans to grab that belt from the fists of Germany’s Sebastian Zbik (30-0, 10 KOs) in their June 4 clash at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Attending the recent news conference announcing this upcoming showdown in Southern California, I watched the two sluggers keep it all kosher with no trash talking or angry outbursts from either camp.

But for both men, their June bout will further propel the victor’s career path–and at stake is the WBC Middleweight Championship.

It’s the “Battle of the Unbeatens.”

It’s the “Mexican Warrior” vs. the “German Gladiator”: Who will walk away with the heralded bright green strap?

For Junior, he can stall all naysayers who will continue to spew that he will never be like his father, beloved boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez. For Zbik, this is his golden opportunity to get his name out there in front of U.S. fans, who up until now may not have had the chance to see him fight. Zbik’s previous bouts have all taken place in Germany, Hungary, Austria, Spain and the Czech Republic.

And both fighters also say they are excited to be fighting in L.A.

Culiacan’s Chavez Jr. is returning to fight in the City of Angels after six years since his 2005 bout at STAPLES. For 29-year-old Zbik, this is his grand debut on U.S. soil.

On the dais, Team Zbik stressed the importance of this bout, which will air on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark.”

Dietmar Poswar told us that Zbik will be only the fourth German fighter to fight for a world title, and in the footsteps of heavyweight champ Max Schmeling. In hopes of defending his belt, the slickster from Schwerin, trained by ex-lightweight champ Artur Grigorian, also gets a shot at gaining thousands of new fans.

WBC Supervisor Craig Hubble took to the podium to represent the famed organization and WBC President Jose Sulaiman. “We are proud to have this bout between the undefeated Zbik and the ‘Son of a Legend’ Chavez Jr. at this legendary venue,” Hubble stated. “And I am thrilled to be working with these promoters in this historic event.”

Also on stage and taking the mic were both the boxers, along with Top Rank President Bob Arum, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, Fernando Beltran from Zanfer Promotions and Baltimore Ravens and fighter Tommy Zbikowski, who will be featured on the undercard along with the return of female fighter Christy Martin.

The title fight and the stacked undercard will occur in one of the biggest Mecca’s of the sport. The love of the sweet science is epic in L.A. and has been for decades. In fact, one of the most memorable fights I’ve attended was one at STAPLES when Shane Mosley dismantled Antonio Margarito in their now infamous collision in January 2009. Their fisticuffs even had a record-breaking attendance on that night with 21,000 fans packing the arena.

Now Chavez Jr. and Zbik’s main event hopes to draw a crowd in their own international battle. Tickets for their tussle just went on sale this week. And both boxers repeated they are very honored to be in this title bout in downtown L.A., promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Universum Media Network, Tecate and STAPLES Center.

“I am very happy to get this opportunity to fight for a world title so that I can fulfill my dream of becoming a world champion,” Chavez Jr. said. “And what better city to do it in than Los Angeles, where my father won his first championship? My father has always considered Los Angeles his second home.”

Chavez Jr. already owns a WBC Silver Middleweight Championship belt after beating Billy Lyell in January of this year. He has also won a WBC Latino title, a WBC Continental Americas strap, along with a WBC Youth World title back in 2006. He will now square off against Zbik in hopes of adding a newly coveted trinket to his collection of shiny belts.

And it is that belt that Team Chavez wants. On stage for a group photo, I saw Chavez Jr.’s coach Freddie Roach playfully clutch at the championship belt Zbik currently holds. But it is Roach’s protégé and the son of a living legend that will ultimately be the one to claim the belt in the squared circle.

After the speeches were made, I chatted with Dietmar Poswar from the Zbik camp who was the “keeper of the belt.” Poswar had the German pugilist’s WBC belt zipped up in a special case but proudly brought it out again so I could look at it up close. WBC Supervisor Craig Hubble joined us as we viewed the leather and medallion encrusted belt that JCC Jr. and his trainer Roach have their sights on.

On June 4, will Junior walk away with his hand raised, his head held high, and with Zbik’s WBC Middleweight Championship belt around his waist?

Or will Zbik defiantly defend his title–and deny Chavez Jr. of adding a new world championship to his cache of belts?

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. wants to make a name for himself and hopefully build his own legacy.

But first he needs to outbox and outsmart Zbik in their scheduled 12 rounds of war to capture the belt.

Tickets: 800-745-3000

Photos by Maria Hedrick