By Miguel Rivera

Former WBC super middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was very self-critical in the days leading up to his ring return this coming Saturday night.

The bout will be the first for Chavez Jr. in 27 months. He was last seen in the ring back in May of 2017, when he dropped to a catch-weight of 164.5-pounds and was dominated by countryman Saul "Canelo' Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

"I realize today what I wasn't doing well back then, not only as a boxer, but as a person... I was not in tune, people want to see me well prepared, in my proper weight and fighting with the best," said Chavez Jr. to TUDN.

"The moment when you begin to only fight for money or other things, instead of looking to be the best, I think you are wrong."

After the loss to Canelo, Chavez Jr. confessed that he took "time off to determine if he was really" motivated to continue his path in boxing.

"I have put in a maximum effort [in the gym] like I've never done before in my entire life... to recover the boxing level that I lost. I have prepared myself consciously, everything hurts, because the truth is I had not boxed in some time. But I assure you that I will give everything in the ring," said Chávez Jr.

"People will support me whenever I do things well. I am grateful, I'm very happy for the love they have given me since I started my career."

On Saturday, at super middleweight, Chavez Jr. will face Colombian fighter Evert Bravo in San Juan de los Lagos in Jalisco, Mexico.

He fully admits his career is at stake, and a loss would be the end of the road.

"Of course I am obligated to win," said Chavez Jr. "The pressure is on me and it's big. If I lose, I will retire, because I shouldn't be losing to these types of opponents.

"I will go step by step, I will work very hard, something that I did not do in my career in the last few years. Ever since I lost with Sergio Martinez, I stopped being a boxer at 100%. I want to be world champion again, I really want to get back in the ring."