Welterweights Chavez, Taylor Will Now Jab for Real

The gamesmanship is over. Now it’s time for Julio Cesar Chavez and Meldrick Taylor to fight.

The two unbeaten junior welterweight champions will get it on Saturday night in a scheduled 12-round bout at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Chavez is a 9-5 favorite.

The battle of psych that preceded the bout was a draw.

Both fighters praised one another and put each other down.

“He’s the best guy I ever fought,” said Taylor, 23, the International Boxing Federation 140-pound champion.

Taylor then finished the verbal combination saying, “He’s going to be in against the best fighter he’s ever fought.”

“It’s my toughest challenge so far,” countered Chavez, champion of the World Boxing Council, which calls the division super lightweight instead of junior welterweight.

“He’s a good boxer,” said Chavez, who then jabbed with: “He doesn’t hit very hard. His only thing is hand speed.”

Taylor feinted with: “He’s methodical. He gives good pressure and takes pressure. He’s patient.”

Then he jabbed with: “The only time he’s effective is when you’re on the ropes. If I get on the ropes, I’m going to spin away.”

Taylor then threw his verbal Sunday punch--”I don’t look at him as a legend. I look at him as just another fighter. I will beat Chavez and I’ll go on to bigger and better things.”

Chavez countered with: “I will win on intelligence, strength and because I’m a better fighter than he is.”

Chavez, 27, of Culiacan, Mexico, has a big edge in experience. He turned pro in 1980 and will take a 68-0 record, with 55 knockouts, into the fight, which is scheduled to start at 10:28 p.m. EDT. HBO will televise the bout.

Chavez held the WBC super featherweight and the WBC and World Boxing Assn. lightweight titles before winning the 140-pound championship. He won the latter by stopping Roger Mayweather in the 10th round last May 13.

He won the super featherweight title in 1984, a few weeks after Taylor won the 125-pound championship at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Demonstrating blazing hand speed and quick feet, Taylor won his first 12 pro fights before getting a 10-round draw with Howard Davis on Aug. 16, 1986.

He quickly resumed his winning ways and became a champion when he stopped Buddy McGirt in the 12th round Sept. 3, 1988.

Taylor, who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham Township, has a 24-0-1 record, with 14 knockouts.

He will receive $1 million for his fourth title defense. Chavez’s purse will be $1.4 million for his third defense.