Chavez Jr vs Martinez Blog: JCC Jr on Criticism, Perception, and Making His Own Name

For quite some time, you took criticism for supposedly building your success on your father's name. Have recent fights, including the knockout of Andy Lee, proved that you deserve to be taken as seriously as any fighter? Do you feel any urge to beat Sergio Martinez to quiet your remaining critics?

"I will always be criticized for being perceived as riding my father's coattails and I have learned to live with it. I am proud of my father's accomplishments. Not only is he a Hall of Fame member but he is also universally acknowledged as the best fighter to ever come out of México -- a country that has produced an incredible amount of world champions. I am proud to be his son and I am proud to have his name.

"Like my father I want to be the best but I want to write my own story. I don't want to be known only as the son of Julio César Chávez, I want to be is the next Julio César Chávez. I want to honor my father by continuing the family championship lineage and enhancing the legacy he originally endowed.

"Because I started my boxing career so late and without the benefit of an amateur career I have had to work harder and face intense media scrutiny. But that's OK, it has helped to make me the fighter I have become. I will let my record speak for itself on whether I should be taken seriously or not. In the past two years I have knocked out Andy Lee and Peter Manfredo and won decisions over Marco Antonio Rubio, Sebastian Zbik and John Duddy.

"On September 15, my victory over Sergio Martínez will give me my own level of recognition. Whether that finally satisfies my critics remains to be seen but I know it will be an exciting chapter, with many more to come, in the story of Julio César Chávez Jr."

Episode two of 24/7 Chavez Jr./Martinez debuts Sat, Sept. 8 at 12:30am ET/PT.

Chavez Jr. vs. Martinez takes place Sat., Sept. 15 live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.