INS agent Richard Gonzales, who has worked on Chavez's case for more than three years, acknowledges it's a long shot. Chavez is an aggravated felon and is therefore ineligible for any appeals or permanent waivers. Gonzales says he has nothing against Chavez personally, but a law is a law. "I think he's turned a leaf," Gonzales says. "The guy's got a talent; he's got a skill, and he's taking full advantage of it. I can respect that. As far as his integrity, he is a convicted felon, but I think he's on the road to being a productive individual."
Hines' response is that Chavez wasn't an aggravated felon when he was deported the first time. Back then, she says, "His crime [armed robbery] was not even considered an aggravated felony. The law changed, and now it's considered an aggravated felony. That's one reason why we think we might be able to get a pardon."
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John Anderson
Jesus "El Matador" Chavez works out at Lord's Gym in Austin two weeks ago. It was here that he transformed himself from no-name to No. 1, living and sleeping in a smelly room at the back of the gym.
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Chavez's promoter in Tijuana is working on getting the fighter a temporary parole to fight in Austin in late June. But that presents problems of its own. Promoters won't be quick to schedule an opponent until they're certain Chavez will get a visa. On the other hand, the INS won't issue a temporary visa unless a fight has been scheduled. Chavez's lawyers are wrestling with the conundrum. If El Matador fights some smaller bouts in Austin, they figure he will demonstrate to the government his commitment to boxing here and his willingness to leave voluntarily afterward.
Until then, there is Delicias. He has beaten everyone there is to beat in Mexico and says he's proven his rehabilitation in every way imaginable. He is a worthy opponent for WBC Superfeatherweight Champion Floyd Mayweather--and he deserves a shot at the belt before he gets too old to compete.
Here in exile, El Matador's life is perpetual motion. He spends all of his hours working out. Even with his series of prison tattoos, he's a good-looking guy. But he has no time for a girlfriend, he says. He saves his money for his biggest expense--a $500-a-month phone bill to the states--and prepares for a dream that may never come.
Potential trouble lurks on every corner in this rough-and-tumble town. People drink to curb boredom, and they drink a lot--all day long. El Matador struggles to stay above it all. "I've got more time in my life now than I got anything," he says. "I definitely have more time than money."
El Matador has only one more man to beat until he can rest easy. His professional record is a stunning 32-1-0, with 21 wins coming by way of knockout. He lost his one fight in 1995 and has never in his life been knocked out. Until he has punched Floyd Mayweather to the mat in the United States, El Matador will continue to rise at 4:30 a.m. and run up that mountain, leaving behind his problems in the diesel and dust.
