Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has a gambling problem, 'has lost his head,' says WBC's Sulaiman

As if the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr story couldn't get more dramatic, now even WBC President Jose Sulaiman is publicly slamming the fighter. Sulaiman, who is Julio's godfather and whose organization has without question helped coddle Chavez Jr's boxing career over the years, says that Chavez Jr has a gambling problem, and has "lost his head."

"[He makes all of this money] and just gives it [right back] to the casinos, and that is truly terrible. He has lost his head. He is no longer the young man that I knew. He's become sour and has a passion to throw his money away and that isn't normal," said Sulaiman, who says the young Mexican star has also hurled insults at him.

Tales of Chavez Jr gambling are as old as his career, the same as accusations of being lazy, entitled, spoiled, and whatever else. But for Sulaiman to come out and say this stuff is a real change of pace. Just recently, Sulaiman appeared ready to help Chavez Jr find some excuse to minimize the impact of a failed drug test in Nevada following Chavez's September 15 loss to Sergio Martinez, but this appears to just be spiraling right now, and it's hard to tell at this point where it's coming from.

Chavez Jr had a press statement released that few figure was actually written by him, or even dictated by him, probably, where he accepted responsibility for the failed drug test, which was a positive test for marijuana.

This led to 1,000 jokes, because it's kind of funny, but there is either something bigger at play here, where Chavez Jr may have reached the maximum capacity for his place in the sport, and is sort of imploding because of that, or else that's the story they want to set up. Given the parties and boxing's historical love of the lie, it's hard to tell.

But if Chavez is really sort of hitting an overall wall, the harsh truth is that I doubt few will be surprised by the news. It has built up in the minds of many -- the rumors, the legit stories, the accusations, the valid doubts about his fights in Texas, all of that has played a role in, I think, there being at least some expectation that this was going to be a story with at least one really rocky period where it seemed like the doubters would be "validated," and reality would catch up sooner than later to a fighter who has made a lot of money in part due to mythmaking from promoters, TV networks, and other enablers who have led him to a stardom he perhaps isn't ready for, hasn't earned, and maybe doesn't appreciate.

That's just speculation, and that's just a thought. But if this is going where it appears it might, it ain't good news, and there could be plenty more bumps in the road.