Indonesian boxer Chris John, the WBO world featherweight champion, strikes a pose while training in Big Bear, California, on Saturday. Chris defends his title in Las Vegas on Sept. 19. (Antara Photo)

Chris John Brings In Big Guns Ahead of Vegas Rematch With Juarez

With their fighter overweight and anxious, Chris John’s corner has decided to turn the training up a notch by bringing in Orlando Salido, a former champion.

Chris has been in Big Bear, California, for the past two weeks, preparing for his Sept. 19 rematch with Rocky Juarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Craig Christian, Chris’s manager and coach, said that he had lined up two sparring partners for the reigning WBA featherweight champion.

One of them is Orlando Salido of Mexico.

Salido boasts a 33-10-5 record, with 22 knockouts to his credit.

He won the IBF world featherweight title in 2006, but was stripped of the belt just days later after he tested positive for a banned substance.

Although the 28-year-old Mexican hasn’t fought for a world championship since, Salido is fourth in the IBF’s latest rankings.

With Salido helping him to prepare, Chris said he expected to be a better fighter.

“Orlando has almost the same body posture and fighting style as Juarez, so I think he is a great sparring partner ahead of my next bout,” Chris said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. “I hope training with him will help me to beat Juarez.”

The 29-year-old Indonesian, who has defended his 57-kilogram title 10 times, said his sparing partners were expected to arrive on Thursday.

“Then we will start to work on developing my skills and a fight strategy against Juarez,” he said.

Chris reiterated that he was in perfect condition, saying he had fully recovered from the spell of oxygen toxicity syndrome that forced the Juarez rematch to be postponed. He currently weighs in at 61 kilograms, four more than the weight limit for his bout.

“I feel very healthy, though I still have to reach the ideal weight for the fight,” he said. “I will need only a week to trim my weight.”

When Chris and Juarez met for the first time, last February, the bout ended in a draw.

A rematch was scheduled for last June 27 in Los Angeles, but was scrapped when Chris collapsed during training.

In Las Vegas, the Chris-Juarez bout will be part of a stellar card headlined by the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez bout.

The night’s other appetizers offer a 65-kg fight between former welterweight champion Zab Judah and Antonio Diaz, along with a bout between lightweight brawler Michael Katsidis of Australia and former US Olympian Vicente Escobedo.

Golden Boy Promotion announced on Monday that all of the night’s fights would be shown live in 170 movie theaters throughout the United States.

Antara, AP

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