LAS VEGAS — Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, putting his proposed super middleweight bout with Daniel Jacobs on Dec. 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in jeopardy.
Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada commission, told ESPN on Friday that Chavez has been temporarily suspended and would be required to appear before the commission at a hearing scheduled for Nov. 20.
Bennett declined to discuss the reason for the suspension, but it was because Chavez declined to submit to a random drug test last week when a tester from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association showed up at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, where Chavez has been training under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, to collect a sample and was denied. VADA reported the incident to the Nevada commission and Chavez was issued a suspension.
“I have nothing to hide. I’m ready for any test,” Chavez told ESPN Deportes about turning down the test. “The anti-doping guy came here (to the gym) angry. He did not show any credentials as they are supposed to do. Any day I can do the test if they guarantee me it’s the same way for Jacobs. I don’t understand because I have nothing official for the fight.”
Even if all the details of the bout have not been worked out and all of the contracts are not yet signed, once promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing placed a hold on the MGM Grand Garden Arena for Dec. 20, the Nevada commission has the right to activate its enhanced drug-testing protocol, which it did, with VADA handling the collection.
Chavez will have the opportunity to explain himself at the commission hearing. He could have his suspension extended or the commission could accept his side of the story.
Chavez said the fight would no longer take place in Nevada regardless of the hearing outcome because Hearn is trying to move the event to Phoenix. However, if Chavez’s suspension is extended in Nevada, the Arizona commission likely would not license him.
The Athletic first reported Chavez’s temporary suspension.
Should former middleweight world titlist Chavez be unable to face Jacobs, also a former middleweight titlist, the backup plan for the main event of the DAZN card is for Jacobs to fight Gabriel Rosado at a site to be determined.
Rosado (24-12-1, 14 KOs), 33, of Philadelphia, a former two-time middleweight world title challenger, is 1-3-1 in his past five bouts and coming off a decision loss to middleweight contender Maciej Sulecki on March 15.
Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs), 32, of Brooklyn, New York, is coming off losing his world title by unanimous decision to Canelo Alvarez on May 4 and is moving up to super middleweight.
Chavez (51-3-1, 33 KOs), 33, of Mexico — the son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. — has twice failed tests for banned substances. Both were in Las Vegas. He tested positive for a banned diuretic in connection with a 2009 win against Troy Rowland that was changed to a no decision. He also tested positive for marijuana following his world title loss to then-lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in 2012.
Since losing a shutout decision to Alvarez in May 2017 in a fight in which Chavez was roundly criticized for a lack of effort, he has fought only once. He notched a first-round knockout against journeyman Evert Bravo on Aug. 10 in Mexico.
ESPN’s Salvador Rodríguez contributed to this report.