PHOENIX – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. underwent surgery for a fractured nose and needed 10 stitches for a cut above his left eye following his controversial loss to Danny Jacobs on Friday night at Talking Stick Arena.
Chavez is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks, according to members of his camp. He asked for a rematch with Jacobs.
However, any chance at an immediate rematch appeared unlikely after a bout that ended with angry fans tossing debris into the ring in outrage at Chavez’s abrupt decision not to continue after the fifth round.
Jacobs said he wants to move on in a quest to win a super middleweight title.
“I want to fight the biggest in the division,’’ he said. “… There’s Billy Joe Saunders and a lot of other champions.” One of them, Callum Smith, was at ringside Friday.
Jacobs (36-3, 30 KOS), a former middleweight champ, also said he wants a rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin, who beat him in a close decision at 160 pounds.
Chavez (51-4-1, 33 KOs), who was at 172.7 pounds at the weigh-in and appeared to be at least 190 at the opening bell, accused Jacobs of dirty tactics. He said he was injured by headbutts and elbows from Jacobs. However, video shows that Jacobs cut Chavez above the eye with a right hand. Another right hand in the fight appears to break Chavez’s nose.
Chavez’s corner informed the referee Wes Melton and ringside physician Dr. Robin MacDougall that he couldn’t continue because he couldn’t breathe. Apparently, his breathing was restricted by blood from the fractures in the nose. However, MacDougall said he was never got to examine Chavez, who was taken to a Phoenix hospital after the bout.