Chavez Jr. Back in Rehab After Wild Start to Year

The news of yet another stint in a recovery program was broken by Chavez’s father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. via social media video post.

“Hello to all my friends who have asked about my son Julio, I want to tell you that my son is in good hands…My son is in a recovery program. God willing, he’ll be fine very soon and he will be able to talk to all of you,” said the legendary fighter, regarded by many as the greatest Mexican fighter of all-time.

“For everyone who is asking if he is kidnapped, if he is missing. None of that. My son is recovering and very soon he will give you more information. Blessings to all.”

The revelation comes after a whirlwind first two months of this year, full of odd statements, weird social media moments, and dubious outside-the-ring happenings.

In January, El Hijo de la Leyenda, was detained by police in his hometown of Culiacán, Sinaloa for carrying firearms. Although, apparently, nothing more has come from this incident, the run-in merely set the stage for the following wild, two-month run in Chavez Jr.’s life.

Also in January, the 36-year-old fighter posted a video on social media wearing a baseball cap with the image of convicted drug trafficking kingpin, “El Chapo” Guzman. After facing a fierce backlash, he replied with a rambling, fairly incoherent response video, still wearing the cap, declaring that his critics were “sick in the head.”

The former middleweight titlist launched various attacks against Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (who beat him via unanimous decision in 2017) in the first two months of this year, even calling the 4-division world champ a “fat a**.” He claimed that Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso offered to train him so that he could never get a rematch against Alvarez and ruin their investment in the boxing cash cow.

Julio Jr. also lashed out at his father.

“My father’s fans love him as a boxer, but as a person, the truth is he’s a very negative person,” he said via social media. “When I first started training, he drank a lot and he told me ‘Hey, b**tard, what’s up with you? Are you a f*g or what?’”

He would then attack his father’s rehab clinics, calling the people who work there “garbage” and claiming that the patients are so poorly treated they constantly try to escape.

Chavez Jr. did all of the above in the first two months of 2022 while also courting a high-profile pay-per-view bout with YouTuber Jake Paul and posting odd social media videos that alternated between incoherent ramblings and training videos with motivational sayings attached.

The next-generation fighter came into the new year after a rough second half to 2021.

In June, he lost an 8-round decision to retired UFC star Anderson Silva in the co-feature of a Guadalajara card headlined by an exhibition bout pitting his father against Hector Camacho Jr. In what was billed as a night of “tribute” to the “kings” of the fighting Chavez family, Julio Jr. put in a dismal losing effort against Silva while younger brother “Omar” also fell to defeat, matched against the older brother of Canelo Alvarez, Ramon.

The elder Chavez, after his exhibition victory over Camacho Jr., would bring Canelo Alvarez up from ringside and sing his praises to a partisan pro-Chavez, pro-Alvarez crowd.

“Right here you have the best Mexican boxer right now and, possibly, the best of all-time,” Chavez told the world, beaming like a proud father…of a child that wasn’t his. “Canelo has everything you need– force, dedication, perseverance, and discipline…with all due respect, you’re a damn good fighter, cabron!”

After basking in fan adulation and the glow of mutual admiration with Alvarez, the Hall of Famer’s tone changed backstage when asked about his sons’ losses on the undercard.

“I prefer that they just f**king retire already…if they’re not going to prepare,” Chavez replied tersely, with a clear tinge of frustration in his voice.

Three months later, it was reported that Julio Jr. and Omar were both admitted to a rehab facility.

Now, it looks as though Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is back in rehab, again struggling to get his life in order.