Press Release: One night before the Super Bowl, a world championship doubleheader will transpire on “Super Saturday’’ on Showtime. Making his first start since he won the IBF lightweight belt in a bout against Laevander Johnson that resulted in Johnson's tragic death 16 months ago, Jesus “El Matador” Chavez (42-3, 29 KOs) will defend against IBF interim champion Julio “The Kidd’’ Diaz (33-3, 24 KOs) in the telecast’s opener (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).  Chavez has not fought since then for a variety of reasons, but on a Showtime conference call this week, he shared his thoughts.

Question: Jesus, this is your first fight in 16 months.  How are you doing?

Chavez:  I am feeling pretty good.  I am pretty psyched to get back into the ring.  I know it has been a long journey for me, both mentally and physically, but I think that I have done a pretty good recovery on those issues. I have never really fought any easy opponents. I think taking on and getting ready to fight Diaz in my first outing after 16 months is quite a task for me.  I have done it before.  I had a break just as long after my fight with Eric Morales and I took on Carlos Hernandez. So I have been in this situation before. I am looking forward to boxing again with Diaz and regaining and maintaining the world championship status. 

Question: Jesus, you have had so many problems.  Are you healthy or do you feel you will have to fight with a certain amount of pain and injuries for the rest of your career?

Chavez:  I am not sure.  I am ready to fight.  Obviously, there are some aches and pains every once in awhile, but nothing that should stop me from competing at my level.

Question: What is the biggest challenge you will face against Diaz given the time off? 

Chavez:  I am not sure exactly what it will be until I am in the fight. Right now, I am just concentrating and preparing for the fight.  We have had a phenomenal training camp and we are as ready as can be. 

Question: Jesus, how difficult is it for you to mentally overcome and get into the fight after having been through the tragedy that you have been through?

Chavez:  I think in this matter: I have been blessed with the Levander Johnson family. [Johnson passed away from head injuries a few days after losing his title to Chavez].  They have been very supportive of me and of my continuation of my boxing career. I have managed to conduct myself well and I do not know about it taking a toll or it is going to hinder me in any way in the fight.  But then again, I will not know until I am in the fight again.

Question: Jesus, can you detail the specifics of your injury? 

Chavez:  I injured my left shoulder. I think it has been wear and tear because it just started to hurt and it continued to hurt. I did not really regard the pain. I thought it was my left hand just having some swelling. But after awhile, it just started hurting and I went and got it checked out and it turned out that I had a torn rotator cuff.  So I had to have surgery from that and go from there.

Question: Jesus, was it just the shoulder or did you also have an elbow problem?

Chavez:  No, just the shoulder.

Question: And how is it feeling now?  Have you had any setbacks after the surgery?

Chavez:  No.  I have a pretty good doctor.  I have been with him through two other surgeries before and the team that he hooked me up for rehab did a wonderful job and had me ready to go.

Question: Jesus, did you have two other surgeries on that arm?

Chavez:  No, separate arms.  I have had both of my shoulders surgically fixed.  So they better watch out.  I have got two brand new arms. 

Question: At some point between then and now, did you also have your appendix taken out?

Chavez:  Yes, I did.  That happened about two months ago. 

Question: And how are you doing since then?

Chavez:  I am doing well. It is unfortunate I have had all these medical setbacks and have had some stop and go’s in my training. But right after that surgery, I was in the gym the next day. I was not working out, but I was in there walking around and watching everybody work out. Sitting on the sidelines for a year and a half had me starting to feel like a benchwarmer.  The way I look at it, it is time to get off my rear and take care of business. 

Question: Do you feel hungry to fight again?

Chavez:  Hunger like I have not experienced before.  Wanting to succeed, dedication and all that.  I am indeed the champion in this situation, but I consider myself the underdog based on everything that has happened to me. I know there are a lot of questions directed to me right now and most of them are whether I am physically and mentally going to be ready because of what happened.  But I think I am going to answer everybody’s questions on Feb. 3 and leave it up to that. My hard work is going to pay off. I am hungry, I am mean as I can be and I have two brand new arms.  Do not be surprised if even the referee goes on this one. 

Question: Jesus, when was your second surgery on your other shoulder?

Chavez:  In 2003. 

Question: Jesus, you went through something very traumatic with the Leavander Johnson situation.  Did you seek professional help to help deal with the emotional toll that it took on you?  Or did you talk to fighters who have had an opponent die after a fight?

Chavez:  I did get a little bit of professional help briefly.  I was not in there too long.  For some reason, I did not think it was helping me much.  I think that I am a lot stronger mentally to sustain the therapy work that I was working on.  So I opted to stop getting that kind of help.  Like I said before, the biggest challenge is going through the situation.  I think my biggest encouragement was my family, friends and the Leavander Johnson family helped me through.  There is no other better way to go about that.  It was worth every cent. 

Question: How long were you in the therapy?

Chavez:  A month or so. I would go in once a week.  So maybe (I had) four sessions and decided that it was not for me.

Question: How much personal contact have you had with the Johnson family since?

Chavez:  Briefly, sporadically I have talked to Craig Johnson. Actually, he is the only person I have talked to. He seems to be the Levander Johnson representative. When I was in New Jersey for the funeral, I got a chance to meet the family, friends and public officials from New Jersey. It was a beautiful ceremony. I just felt so welcome and I felt like a warm embrace. There were no hard feelings for what had happened.  I think that was probably the biggest breakthrough that I have had.

Question: Have you talked to Craig since then?

Chavez:  Yes, I have talked to him last week as a matter of fact.  Actually about two weeks ago.

Question: What has he told you about the situation in terms of you coming to terms with it?

Chavez:  Well, recently, we just asked about each other’s families and is everything OK.  We do not touch the subject as far as grieving or anything like that.  It’s a procedure that I think we are all trying overcome at some point and we probably do not want to touch it.

Question: Would you have preferred taking a tune-up fight against a lesser opponent?

Chavez:  Sure, but that is not what has happened.  The IBF required that I fought the No. 1 contender and here I am. I am doing everything possible and everything I can in myself, both mentally and physically. Like I said, I do not appreciate taking any slack in my career.  I never have and I will not stop doing that now.  I take on the biggest and baddest contenders out there.

Question:  Jesus, what is the best advice you have gotten during these last 16 months?

Chavez:  There has been so much that I could not point to any one particular thing out. I have friends and a loving community surrounding me. There is not one specific comment that I would pick out in this matter. They are all good.

Question: Jesus, with regard to your physical problems, can you talk a little about your initial disappointment when the injury first occurred?

Chavez:  The opponent then is no more or less than the one I have in front of me now. I never have and I never will discredit any one of my opponents by name or gender or character. I prepare for each one of my fights 100 percent and to the best of my ability.  It was a little discomforting to give up a big fight. The only difference in this matter was the payday. 

Question: During the injury and sabbatical, was there ever a time you considered retiring?

Chavez:  No, that is nothing that came to mind.  I am a warrior and that seems to be the story of my life.  I am an overcomer, an overachiever and I am going to have to prove that once again.

Question: What do you know about Julio Diaz? 

Chavez:  I know Julio well from watching his family, his brothers on television and watching some of his fights. I am a big fan of their boxing style. As a matter of fact, Julio Diaz and I shared a dressing room once in Las Vegas. There is nothing but respect.  I think the respect is mutual. Like he said earlier, nice and tender outside the ring, but that is outside.  Inside he will show his true colors and I am going to show mine. 

Question: Jesus, with your fighting style so grueling and relentless, have you ever thought about what is going to happen when you get to a point where you do see another fighter injured?  Are you going to be able to pour it on like you used to before the injury? 

Chavez:  I think that is something that we are going to have to come to terms with.  That is a pretty natural and normal question as far as whether I am going to be the same fighter after what happened. None of us really knows exactly how you are going to perform the next fight out because sometimes they say the fighters are made for each other and sometimes there are fighters for another.  So it is difficult to say.  If I have someone hurt, do you expect me to take it easy?  I do not think anybody on my team expects me to soften up because I think something tragic is going to happen.  I think that is for God to decide.


Question: Jesus, do you feel frustrated because you did not fight Marc Antonio Barrera?

Chavez:  No, I think I have pretty much answered that question already.  I am just as excited to fight Julio Diaz as I would have been Marc Antonio Barrera. I am just excited to be on the card. Glad to have been on this conference call with the media. Looking forward to Feb. 3.  You have to take chances and do what you have to do.  I am glad to take the chance and be in the ring with Julio Diaz and it is going to be a great fight for both him and me.  We have great expectations of each other and we are going to show that. 

AA

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