Jesus Chavez on His Turbulent Life and Fight With Michael Katsidis

When it comes to stories of athletes rising above personal adversity, no sport can match boxing. And of all those stories, there may not be one as compelling as the story of Jesus Chavez.

Born in Mexico, Chavez moved to Chicago at age 5, was convicted of armed robbery at 16 and deported at 20. But with help from his lawyer, Chavez got back to the United States, where he embarked on a pro boxing career whose greatest triumph was tainted by tragedy: Five days after Chavez beat Leavander Johnson in 2005 to win the IBF lightweight title, Johnson died of brain injuries sustained in the fight.

Chavez didn't fight for a year and a half after that, but he's now fighting again, and he has a big fight against Michael Katsidis set for April 4 live on HBO pay-per-view. In an interview, Chavez talked to me about the fight with Katsidis and his turbulent life.

Michael David Smith: What kind of fight are you expecting from Michael Katsidis on April 4?
Jesus Chavez: I'm expecting a tough fight from Michael and I'm sure he's going to come in ready. I'll come in ready, I expect nothing less from him, and I've prepared myself very well.

Do you watch a lot of tape of Katsidis to get ready?
Honestly, only what's available on YouTube.

So YouTube is the way you scout your opponents?
Not always, but with him there's enough video on YouTube that I can glance at it any time I get a chance.

How is your training going? Are you satisfied that you're in good shape for the fight?
I'm as ready as I'm going to get. At this point I'm just concentrating on maintaining the shape I'm in. There's not much you can do to get into better shape at this point, but I think I'm already in fighting condition.That's good for me because I don't have to worry about being in shape. I'm just ready to go.



I'd like to ask you about a few things in your life that I'm sure are difficult to talk about, but I think a lot of people will want to know. For starters, how often do you think about Leavander Johnson?
Very frequently. There hasn't been a time when I don't think about him. I'm doing what I love to do, and Leavander was doing what he loved to do. I keep him in mind coming into this fight and in every single one of my fights since then.

In preparing to interview you I watched that fight again. Have you ever watched it?
No.

Watching it, you'd never know he was badly hurt. Johnson was still on his feet when the fight was stopped, and he even argued with the referee for stopping the fight. And then after Michael Buffer made the official announcement that you were the winner, you went over and hugged Johnson, and the two of you appeared to be congratulating each other. Did you have any idea he was badly hurt?
Absolutely not.

I'd also like to ask you a little about your childhood. You were born in Mexico. When did you move to the United States?
I was five years old when I came to Chicago.

And then at age 16, you were sent to prison?
Yes, sir. I was sent to prison for armed robbery and after I served my sentence I was deported back to my country, to Mexico.

What was the struggle like to get the right to return to the United States?
I hired one of the best immigration attorneys in the country and she managed to find loopholes in immigration law at that time to get me back, get me reinstated as a resident alien.

And now you live in Austin?
Yes, sir. I've been living here for almost 15 years.

How excited are you about fighting in your hometown?
Very excited. There's so much I've gone through in my career -- Leavander, my injuries, deportation, divorce, you name it. But I'm still winning, I'm still very capable, I'm fighting Michael Katsidis, a great boxer, and I'm happy to be fighting him at home.

You've been through so much in your life. Are there lessons you've learned that young people can learn from?
What I've told people is how to overcome obstacles in life and put stuff behind you and keep trucking. Life goes on and you have to make the best of it.

What do you want fans to know about you?
There are a lot of things. I don't think I get enough credit -- against Michael Katsidis, people don't give me a chance. But my past has made me mentally a lot stronger and physically a lot stronger, and it makes me a better fighter.

What would beating Katsidis mean to your career?
It would mean a lot. Beating Katsidis would definitely reinstate me as a world title contender.

How much longer do you think you'll be boxing?
Only God can tell. I'm going to take it one fight at a time. Michael Katsidis is my fourth fight back after Leavander, and I'm just taking it one step at a time. Don't miss this fight because it's going to be a great one.