12 Legends of Christmas: Julio Cesar Chavez

Mexican icon with a distinctive style backed down from nobody

Name: Julio Cesar Chavez

Nickname: JC

Date of First Fight: 5th February 1980

Date of Retirement: 17th September 2005

Titles: World titles at super-featherweight, lightweight and light-welterweight

Biography:

Julio Cesar Chavez Gonzalez was born on 12th July 1962 in Obregon, Mexico. As part of a large family, Chavez grew up extremely poor and turned to boxing to provide a better life for his mother, who worked hard doing domestic jobs.

After working on his skills as an amateur, Chavez moved to Tijuana to box as a professional, earning money. His first fight came in 1980, aged 17. Chavez fought a string of debutants early on, mostly in Sinaloa, and was soon boxing 10-round fights.

His first big title opportunity came in 1984 when he defeated fellow Mexican Mario Martinez to win the vacant WBC super-featherweight. After this victory, Chavez never looked back.

He made several successful defences, beating good opponents like Rocky Lockridge, Juan Laporte and Roger Mayweather, who he knocked out in two rounds. Chavez moved up to lightweight and knocked out quality Puerto Rican Edwin ‘Chapo’ Rosario to become a two-division champion.

His stay at 135 pounds was short-lived as he moved up to challenge old foe Roger Mayweather for ‘Black Mamba’s’ WBC super-lightweight title. Chavez won by retirement in round 10, but his lengthy run of defences was close to coming to a premature end in 1990 when he won a controversial bout against Meldrick Taylor. Chavez was losing on the cards when the referee jumped in with only seconds to go and stop Taylor on his feet.

In 1993, over 132,000 fans packed into the Azteca Stadium to witness their hero knock out Greg Haugen in five rounds. Later that year Chavez moved up briefly to challenge Pernell Whitaker at welterweight. Julio received a draw in a fight he seemed to have lost. Chavez did indeed lose for the first time in 1994 when Frankie Randall defeated him in Las Vegas.

Chavez fought on for a further nine years, losing twice to an up-and-coming Oscar De La Hoya and suffering a knockout loss to Kostya Tszyu for his old WBC super-lightweight title. Chavez lost on his final-ever pro appearance in 2005. He took part in 115 contests overall.

Chavez boxed professionally for 25 years in total, and he won world titles in three weight classes. He won Fighter of the Year honours and pound-for-pound recognition from the Ring Magazine and Boxing Writers of America.

He made nine defences of the WBC super-featherweight title, two defences of his WBA lightweight belt and 16 total defences of his super-lightweight strap. In 2010, Chavez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Chavez was an aggressive fighter with a lot of technical ability. He pressured opponents to head and body, closing the distance and attacking the body with his left hook.

Julio took on commentary work for Mexican TV after retiring. He was once featured in ESPN’s top 50 fighters of all-time countdown. Two of Chavez’s sons took after their father and entered the ring. Julio Junior won the WBC middleweight title in 2011, while Omar was a hard-punching super-welterweight contender.

Image Credits: Marca, Boxing News.