Alfredo R. Berrios 8y

Chavez Sr. worried about Junior's lack of discipline

LOS ANGELES -- Former middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. unexpectedly left his training camp in Big Bear Mountain in California during the weekend and his father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. said he’s worried about his son’s lack of discipline and that he may be on a rocky road.

“I don’t know what happened, I’m extremely disappointed, sad and very worried about his indiscipline,” said Chavez Sr., who first broke the news Monday on ESPN Deportes' A Los Golpes show. “Really, he was training very hard at Big Bear and all of a sudden he left, he came down.”

Chavez Sr. said he was concerned that Chavez Jr. leaving camp -- where he's been training for a fight tentatively set for April 30 challenging super middleweight titlist Badou Jack -- was not just to take a break from his training. Chavez Jr. had been training for weeks at Big Bear under the supervision of trainer Robert Garcia, who was at his corner for his previous fight against Marcos Reyes in July.

“I don’t think he left to do good things,” said Chavez Sr. “That worries, stresses me.”

Chavez Jr. posted a photo on his Instagram account on the Santa Monica coastline later in the afternoon and told ESPN Digital Salvador Rodríguez that he never "escaped" camp, but went to Los Angeles to check his heel with a doctor and later went to the beach to run.

“I don’t know what happened, I don’t know why he said that. I came down from Big Bear to Los Angeles to check on my heel, then later went and ran in Santa Monica, I took the time to see my daughter and I’m returning to do sparring because my heel feels better,” said Chavez Jr. “Maybe he got mad because I don’t do things as he likes to. I respect him because he’s my father, but I’m 30 years old.”

Chavez Jr., who has had problems making weight in recent fights, has twice failed drug tests and been suspended. He was also arrested for a DUI a few weeks before a 2012 middleweight title defense.

Chavez Sr. said on A Los Golpes that he preferred that his son retire from boxing and that the proposed fight against Jack be cancelled.

“If this boy, my son, continues with this lack of discipline, his lack of responsibility ... I’d rather have him retire, that he not fight,” Chavez Sr. added. “This kid wants to do what he wants, train what he wants, at the time he wants. I’m disappointed of his (lack) of discipline, his apathy.”

The legendary Mexican boxer said he can’t cover up any more the problems that his son has regarding discipline inside and outside the ring and that he will immediately stop helping him on his training if the Jack fight is still on. Sources have said that the fight would be announced Friday and that Texas is the leading candidate to host the event.

"I can’t cover up any more, I can’t keep on faking that Julio is the same person of old and that breaks me," said Chavez Sr. "His lack of discipline, trying to do things his way ... that I don’t agree."

Chavez Jr. said that he would keep going down to the beach one or two days a week to combine his training in the mountains, Monday through Saturday, with exercises at sea level.

“... I have not failed. I know this fight can change the history of what has happened, all bad things are behind me,” said Chavez Jr., who is with powerful advisor Al Haymon.

Chavez Sr. said he will continue to watch over his son as a father, but that he knows where he can wind up if things go wrong.

“I hope ... We will wait. For now, I’ll take some distance from him,” said Chavez Sr. “He had asked me to be there and help him ... I can’t be there covering up, I’ll keep away from him. If he’s going to misbehave, to do things the wrong way, he knows where he will wind up.”

Salvador Rodriguez, from ESPN Digital, and ESPN.com's Dan Rafael contributed to this report.

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