They say timing is everything in life, and Marcos Reyes believes he couldn't be entering a more opportune time to be squaring off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Just three months after Chavez (48-2-1, 32 KOs) was stopped for the first time in his career against Andrzej Fonfara, Reyes will get his chance on Saturday in a 10-round super middleweight bout at the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, Texas (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET).
Reyes (33-2, 24 KOs) enters the bout having won 20 of his previous 21 fights dating back to 2010. But because of Chavez's last name, Reyes believes his only chance at securing a victory will come via the knockout.
A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, the 27-year-old Reyes spoke with ESPN.com about what an upset victory would do for his career.
What does this opportunity mean to your career?
I'm so excited because I have the opportunity to show the world how good I am. It's a great opportunity for me to fight with Chavez Jr. I'm so excited and happy.
When you watched tape of his April loss against Fonfara, what did you see?
I saw that he's a human, like me. He can fall down, so that's one of the things I'm trying to do in this fight -- taking him to the floor. I plan on knocking him down.
Considering the mounting criticism against him, how vulnerable do you think Chavez is for an upset loss?
I think this is the perfect time to fight with him. His career is going down and I am going up. I'm a hungry fighter, and I want to show the world how great I am. So this is the time for me, and he is going down. I need to take advantage of that state of mind for him.
Opinions were split during Chavez's run as a middleweight titlist between believing in him as a legit fighter and crediting his success to his last name. How did you view him?
I think both of them. He's a good fighter. He has skills and he has abilities in the ring. But most of his career, he has been a shadow of his father.
How much of his recent struggles inside the ring would you chalk up to being mental?
It's more mental. He doesn't have the discipline. He doesn't like to train. He just likes to get money. He used his father's name and now he's a former champ. So I think he is going down, mentally. He ... has had [drug] problems. He hasn't wanted to train as much. So I need to take advantage of them.
What do you want to teach fans about who you are as a fighter?
I want to show the fans, first of all, that they know me, because most of the people don't know me. I want the fans to know about me that I'm a great fighter and I have the discipline. I am a hungry fighter, and I have skills. I know how to box, I know how to make a fight toe-to-toe. It's what I am going to show on [Saturday].
What do you feel are your greatest strengths in the ring?
I have many skills. I have a good defense, good footwork and I am a puncher. I have almost 70 percent knockouts in my career. I have defeated plenty of big names, like Jose Luis Zertuche, Rogelio Medina, [Luis Ramon] "Yori Boy" Campas and David Lopez. I have defeated all of those guys. In my pro debut, I started with [four] rounds. In my second fight, it was 10 rounds. For my third fight, it was for [12 rounds] for a Mexican title. Since then, I have been fighting 10 or 12 rounds throughout my career. In 35 fights, I have 24 fights that have gone 10 rounds, so I have experience.
Will it be more important for you to box Chavez or look to brawl with him?
I think I am going to need to do both. Sometimes he likes to box, and other times he is looking to fight. If I don't look to fight and throw punches, and if I don't seem bigger than him in the fight, the judges will give him the fight. So I need to be looking for the knockout all the time. I need to knock out Chavez so I can win.
Chavez recently added new trainer Robert Garcia, whom you worked with for three fights in the past. How much will that help him?
It's the same thing. He just trained with him for like a month. You can learn nothing new in a month. You are the same type of boxer and type of fighter. So it's not going to be an [advantage] for him. I think Robert knows, because he worked with me, that I'm a better fighter than Chavez. I have more skills and am a more intelligent fighter. Chavez just wants to go to the inside fight, but I know how to control that tactic. I have good footwork, a jab and good skills in the ring. I can make my fight.
How much did watching the career of Chavez's father influence you to become a boxer?
I would watch Chavez Sr.'s fights beginning when I was 5 years old. I watched his first fight with Oscar De La Hoya, as well as the second time. That's one of the reasons I became a boxer, because I have an idol and it was Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
With that said, is it more exciting or bizarre to find yourself years later preparing to fight Chavez's son?
It's weird, but it's exciting at the same time. Fighting with that big name is so exciting to me. I'm so happy for this fight. I'm so happy to show the world that I'm a bigger fighter. I'm excited because I have a fight with the son of my idol. I'm just so excited.
What will a victory do for your career?
If I can beat Chavez, I can go to the top of the rankings and fight for a world title. I have always wanted to be a world champion, so I need to first defeat Chavez.