Lem's latest: Chavez case review, Williams update

An attorney for former WBC middleweight titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. provided "a status update" concerning the fighter's positive post-fight drug test to the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, and said that he will be ready for an official review of the case in February, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer.

Having tested positive for marijuana metabolites consistent with the use of the drug in the aftermath of his unanimous decision los to RING champion Sergio Martinez in Las Vegas last September, Chavez's infraction could lead to a suspension, a fine or both. Kizer said Chavez is being represented by Las Vegas-based Colby Williams and Don Campbell of the Campbell and Williams law firm.

"We're still in the process of going through the formalities of securing his new visa so that he can re-enter the United States," said Sean Gibbons of of Chavez's Mexican-based promoter, Zanfer Promotions. "Today was just his attorneys letting the Nevada Commission know that we're in the process of doing that." 

"The attorney just gave us an update in a nutshell. They said that (Chavez) has been in Mexico, and that he's hopeful that they will (get a visa) by next week," Kizer said.

"They're hoping to meet with Chavez face-to-face, and that after that, they see no reason why they shouldn't be ready to go during our normal February meeting which will be sometime during the second half of February."

Gibbons also said that Chavez had a minor surgical procedure performed on his nose after facing Martinez.

"Julio had his nose worked on after the Martinez fight," said Gibbons. "He just had his nose cleared out. After you get hit in the nose 100 thousand times, it starts to add up. The Martinez fight was the one that pushed it over the edge."

In the meantime, Martinez will face unbeaten British contender Martin Murray on April 27 in his native Argentina on HBO with plans to "pursue a rematch" on Sept. 14 against Chavez Jr.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum informed RingTV.com in December that "we'll probably have Chavez either in May or June" to fight in Las Vegas.

TRAINER GEORGE PETERSON SAYS PAUL WILLIAMS' 'MINDSET IS STRONG'

Former two-time welterweight titleholder Paul Williams, who was paralyzed from the waist down following a motorcycle accident in May of last year near Atlanta, is "in good spirits" and living in Augusta, Ga., according to his manager and trainer, George Peterson.

"Only time and prayer will help his situation, and he's putting his time in," said Peterson. "We're putting our time in, and he's doing his out-patient rehab. His mindset is strong, and that's just Paul. He's coming along, and we all know that this is going to take time."

In the meantime, Peterson has two other fighters in action.

Peterson's junior middleweight Brandon Quarles (9-0, 2 KOs), of Alexandria, Va., has Friday night's clash of unbeaten fighters against hard-hitting Daquan Arnett (9-0, 6 KOs), of Winter Park, Fla., who will be after his fifth knockout in his six fights from the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif., on Showtime.

But Peterson will be in Sunrise, Fla., for a light heavyweight clash during which his fighter, Thomas Williams (11-0, 8 KOs), a 25-year-old from Fort Washington, Md., will pursue his fifth straight stoppage win against Damar Singleton (8-1, 4 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, at the B B and T Center.

RICO RAMOS TO FACE RONNY RIOS ON FRIDAY

Quarles-Arnett is part of a card to include junior lightweight Ronny Rios (19-0, 9 KOs), of Santa Ana, Calif., against former titleholder Rico Ramos (21-1, 11 KOs), of Pico Rivera, Calif., in the main event on ShoBox: The Next Generation.

Promoted by Golden Boy and a 22-year-old former national amateur champion, Rios is facing a 25-year-old in Ramos who is coming off June's majority decision victory over Efrain Esquivias to rebound from a sixth-round knockout loss by Guillermo Rigondeaux in January of last year.

Arnett, 20, will be in his ninth fight of the year against Quarles, 26, having fought once per month since May. Arnett's eight wins during 2012 included six knockouts, the last of which was a fourth-round stoppage victory over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Wiggins, who dropped him in the third round in November.

The card will also include the return of bantamweight Randy Caballero (17-0, 9 KOs), of Coachella, Calif., a 22-year-old who will be after his third knockout in four fights against an opponent to be determined.

MARYLAND PROSPECT FOX PURSUES NEW HEIGHTS

Unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Alantez "SlyAza" Fox, of Forestville, Md., will pursue his ninth victory without a loss and his second consecutive knockout win on Saturday night at The Rosecroft Raceway in Forestville against Julius Kennedy of Windsor Mill, Md.

A 6-foot-5 20-year-old, Fox takes a mark of 8-0-1 with four knockouts into his clash with Kennedy (7-2-1, 3 KOs).

"My handlers are giving me the opportunities and it's up to me to capitalize on them. My career is in the best hands, but this is boxing, and at the end of the day it's on me to do the right things inside the ring and out," said Fox, who is promoted by Boxing 360 and will be in the main event for the first time in his career.

"This is a benchmark fight on the road to my ultimate goal and I can't overlook the importance of each outing and the lessons I can gain from them. It's an honor to headline a fight in my home state and ticket buyers will be treated to a very entertaining night of boxing."

Fox is coming off December's first-round stoppage victory over Jimmy LeBlanc that helped him to rebound from a September's draw with New York's Frank Glarza (8-0-1, 4 KOs) in a clash of unbeatens.

"There are a lot of talented prospects in boxing, and Fox is one of them. But what separates him from the rest is his desire to outwork the competition," said Mario Yagobi, of Boxing 360.

"This kid has an insatiable appetite for hard work and if you couple that with his maturity it's easy to see what makes Fox so special. On January 12th the Maryland fight fans will get the chance to see a future star on his way to the top."

Fox is trained by his father, Troy Fox.

"I think that he'll be noticed by the boxing public in this area a lot closer. He really has a lot of skills and can go a long way in boxing. Alantez can punch, he can move, and he's got a lot of skills. He's like a Paul Williams, physique-wise," said local event promoter Gene Molovinsky.

"He's almost like a freak because he's so tall and lean. He's a strange looking guy in the ring at 6-foot-5, and he's punching down on his opponents. He's an imposing figure who is not skinny, but who has a well put-together body. His reach is hard to describe."

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Photo by Chris Cozzone, Fightwireimages.com

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Team Fox

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com