Vanda ready to tattoo Chavez Jr.

By Andy Samuelson

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Good thing Matt Vanda’s buddy still hooks him up with free tattoos, otherwise the welterweight boxer from St. Paul, Minn., would be shelling out a fortune for all the ink that covers his upper torso and runs down both arms.

“Use to be my good friend would give me a free one for every knockout,” said Vanda, whose first tattoo, a Notre Dame Fighting Leprechaun, came courtesy of his mother in celebration of his 15th birthday.

“I don’t get as many knockouts anymore, but luckily I still get the tats for free.”

Vanda (39-7, 22 KOs) said he would welcome a KO Saturday night in his rematch against undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (37-0-1, 29 KOs), who defeated Vanda by a controversial split decision in Mexico in July.

But no matter the outcome during the five-bout “Final Impact” show at Mandalay Bay — which includes an IBF World Flyweight Title fight between Moruti Mthalane and Nonito Donaire, and a WBA World Super Flyweight Title bout between Isidro Garcia and Jorge Arce — Vanda has already picked out his newest skin illustration in the form of a scorpion in honor of soon-to-be-born daughter, Vivianna, a Scorpio.

“It’s a little bit tough not to be there (for the birth),” said Vanda, whose wife is due on Halloween. “But I got to kind of blank that out right now.

“If she comes before I get home, I’ll be happy. If not, it would be great to be there when she’s born.”

Vanda wasn’t the only one with family issues on his mind Tuesday at the Top Rank gym. Before his workout for the news media, Chavez Jr. answered questions about the pressure he feels to meet the expectations of being the son of legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez.

“Because we have the same name, it’s going to always be there. I knew that was going to be something that would always linger throughout my career,” said Chavez, whose only blemish came in the form of a draw against Carlos Molina in 2005.

“I think that I’ve been able to deal with it very well. I know he was a great boxer, and I’m just trying to live up to what he did.”

That next opportunity comes against the 12-year veteran Vanda, who Chavez Jr. scored a 10-round split decision over this past summer at the Palenque De La Expo in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.

One judge scored the bout 97-93 for Chavez, while another had the fight 96-95 in favor of Vanda. The final judge gave the most-talked-about tally with Chavez winning 100-90.

“Unfortunately everybody puts that on me, like I had something to do with that,” said Chavez, who said he was sick with a fever during the bout. “The judge is supposed to do his job. If he can’t do his job, then that’s not my fault. But everybody seems to put it on me, like he gave me that whole fight.”

Vanda said he harbors little anger over the result.

“It was a close fight, it could have went either way. That was a mistake, but I knew we weren’t going to win without knocking him out,” he said.

“It was nice to have a little support from the Mexican boxing fans, they’re great fans who know the sport. I think I’ve gotten a win or two that I didn’t deserve early in my career, and it all evens out over the years.”

Vanda said he looks forward to Chavez’s stationary style, but says the support will probably again be heavily against him.

“It might be a little more fair, but it’s his promoters, it’s his team. It’s me against the world and that’s the way I like it,” said Vanda, who knocked out Dezi Ford last month in Minnesota.

“I really wouldn’t want it any other way because it makes me fight better. Pressure is on him, I just came to do my job and kick his (expletive) for 10 rounds. Or less.”

Chavez Jr., chuckled about that prediction, saying he feels more comfortable fighting Vanda a second time and that the fight wouldn’t be as close with him at full health.

“If it’s any tougher, I lose. It can’t be harder than the first time,” Chavez Jr. said.

“He knew me very well. Now after fighting him once, I know what he can do and what I have to do.”