By Salvador Rodriguez

Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. indicates that he will not have Freddie Roach in his corner on September 7th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Chavez will face Brian Vera at a catch-weight of 165-pounds. Chavez last worked with Roach last September, when he suffered the first loss of his career to Sergio Martinez in Las Vegas. The training camp for Martinez was full of holes and there was a lot of tension with Roach and the Mexican star. Roach claimed Chavez was not following his instructions and missing training sessions.

Chavez will have trainer Vladimir Baldenebro, who worked with Julio Jr. for several years in Mexico, fill the role of head trainer. Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza will continue to work with Chavez.

As far as Roach, he is rumored to be training Miguel Cotto on October 5th in Miami or New York City, but he is also said to be training Alexander Povetkin, who also returns on October 5th, but in Moscow against Wladimir Klitschko.