Jesús Chávez facts for kids

Jesús Gabriel Sandoval Chávez (born November 12, 1972) is a Mexican former professional boxer. He competed from 1994 to 2010. He is known as El Matador, which means "The Matador" in Spanish. Chávez became a world champion in two different weight classes. He held the WBC super featherweight title from 2003 to 2004. Later, he won the IBF lightweight title, holding it from 2005 to 2007.

Early life and challenges

Chávez was born in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. As a child, he became a legal resident of the U.S. However, he faced some big challenges early in his life, including legal issues that led to him being sent back to Mexico. Despite these difficulties, he worked incredibly hard to return to the U.S. and pursue his dream of boxing.

Professional boxing career

Jesús Chávez had a long and exciting professional boxing career. He fought many well-known boxers and won several important titles.

First title chances

Chávez's first chance to win a world title was against the famous WBC Super Featherweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Chávez fought well but had to stop the fight in the 9th round.

After this fight, Chávez bounced back. He won the WBC Super Featherweight title on August 15, 2003. He beat a strong champion named Sirimongkol Eaimthuam in a twelve-round decision in his hometown of Austin, Texas.

Tough fights and new titles

Chávez lost his WBC title in his very first defense to the two-time champion Erik Morales. It was another exciting fight where Chávez showed great courage. Even though he was injured during the fight, he kept fighting hard. Morales won the decision, but Chávez earned a lot of respect for his effort.

In his next fight, Chávez took on former IBF Champion Carlos Hernández. In a thrilling 12-round battle, Chávez won a close decision.

IBF lightweight champion

Jesús Chávez then moved up to the Lightweight division. He won the IBF lightweight title in a challenging match against Leavander Johnson on September 17, 2005. This was a very difficult moment in his career. Sadly, Johnson passed away a few days after the fight due to injuries. Despite the tragedy, Johnson's family encouraged Chávez to continue his boxing career.

In 2007, Chávez lost his IBF title to Julio Díaz.

On September 6, 2008, Chávez, known as "El Matador," won a fight against Andres Ledesma in Houston, Texas. He knocked out Ledesma in the 9th round. His last professional fight was on October 24, 2010.

Personal life

Jesús Chávez's life story, including his journey to become a legal U.S. resident and his rise in boxing, has been shared in different ways. His story was featured in a film called "Split Decision." A book titled "Standing Eight: The Inspiring Story of Jesus El Matador Chavez" also tells his life story. In 2004, Chávez married Aunisa Stroklund, who was an intelligence officer in the US National Guard.