Julio César Chávez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Julio César Chávez |
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Chávez in 2017
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Julio César Chávez González |
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| Height | 5 ft 7+1/2 in |
| Reach | 68 in |
| Born | July 12, 1962 Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 115 |
| Wins | 107 |
| Wins by KO | 86 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Draws | 2 |
Julio César Chávez González (born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a famous Mexican boxer who is now retired. He competed as a professional from 1980 to 2005. He was a world champion in three different weight divisions, which is a very difficult achievement.
For three years, from 1990 to 1993, The Ring magazine called him the best boxer in the world, no matter the weight class. This is known as being the "pound for pound" best. During his amazing career, he held many championship titles. He was so good that he won 89 fights, with one draw, before he ever lost.
Chávez holds many records in boxing. He successfully defended his world titles 27 times. He also set a record for the largest crowd ever at a boxing match. In 1993, his fight against Greg Haugen at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico had 136,274 fans watching. In 2010, he was welcomed into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He is the father of boxers Omar Chávez and Julio César Chávez Jr.
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Early life
Julio César Chávez was born on July 12, 1962, in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. His father, Rodolfo Chavez, was a railroad worker. Julio grew up with his ten brothers and sisters in an old, empty railroad car. His family did not have much money, so he decided to become a boxer to help them.
He once said, "I saw my mom working, ironing, and washing people's clothes, and I promised her I would give her a house someday, and she would never have that job again." He started boxing as an amateur when he was 16. Later, he moved to Tijuana to become a professional boxer.
Professional career
Chávez started his professional boxing career when he was only 17. He quickly showed how talented he was.
Becoming a Champion
On September 13, 1984, Chávez won his first world championship. He became the WBC Super Featherweight champion by knocking out Mario "Azabache" Martínez. He went on to defend this title nine times. He beat famous boxers like Roger Mayweather and Rocky Lockridge.
Chávez then moved up to the lightweight division. On November 21, 1987, he fought Edwin Rosario for the WBA Lightweight title. Chávez put on one of the best performances of his career and won the fight. After this victory, many people started to believe he was the best fighter in the world.
He continued to win, unifying the WBA and WBC lightweight titles by defeating José Luis Ramírez. After these wins, he decided to move up to an even heavier weight class.
Famous Fights and Unbeaten Streak
In the light welterweight division, Chávez had some of his most memorable fights. He won the WBC title by beating Roger Mayweather for a second time.
Chávez vs. Taylor
On March 17, 1990, Chávez fought Meldrick Taylor in a huge unification match. Taylor was winning the fight for most of the rounds. But in the final round, Chávez landed a powerful punch that knocked Taylor down.
The referee, Richard Steele, stopped the fight with only two seconds left. He did this to protect Taylor, who seemed too hurt to continue. This fight was very dramatic and is remembered as one of the greatest of the 1990s.
Chávez vs. Camacho
On September 12, 1992, Chávez fought the exciting boxer Héctor Camacho. Many people were excited about this match. Chávez controlled the fight from start to finish and won by unanimous decision. The judges' scores were 117–111, 119–110, and 120–107, all for Chávez.
Chávez vs. Haugen
In 1993, Chávez fought Greg Haugen. Before the fight, Haugen said that Chávez's winning streak was against easy opponents like "Tijuana taxi drivers." Chávez was very insulted and promised to punish him in the ring.
A world record crowd of 136,274 people came to watch the fight in Mexico City. Chávez knocked Haugen down early and dominated the fight until the referee stopped it in the fifth round. After the fight, Chávez told Haugen, "Now you know I don't fight with taxi drivers." A bleeding Haugen replied, "They must have been tough taxi drivers."
First Loss and Later Career
After 18 successful title defenses, Chávez (who was 87-0) fought Pernell Whitaker in 1993. The fight was very close and ended in a controversial draw. This meant Chávez kept his undefeated record, but many people thought Whitaker should have won.
Chávez's first official loss came on January 29, 1994, against Frankie Randall. Randall knocked Chávez down for the first time in his career and won by a split decision. Chávez won the title back from Randall in a rematch a few months later.
Chávez vs. De La Hoya
On June 7, 1996, Chávez fought a young, rising star named Oscar De La Hoya. Early in the first round, a large cut opened over Chávez's eye. The cut was from an injury during training. The fight was stopped in the fourth round because of the bleeding, and De La Hoya was declared the winner. They had a rematch in 1998, which De La Hoya also won.
Retirement
Chávez had his last fights in the early 2000s. He fought for the last time on September 17, 2005. He retired with an amazing record of 107 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws.
Personal life
Julio César Chávez is the father of two other boxers, Omar Chávez and Julio César Chávez, Jr., who also became a world champion. He also has a daughter named Nicole. Today, he works as a boxing analyst for TV networks like ESPN and TV Azteca. He splits his time between Mexico and the United States.
In 2017, his brother, Rafael Chávez González, was killed during a robbery at his business.
Career in Review
Chávez won six world titles in three different weight classes. He is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He holds records for the most successful world title defenses in a row (27) and the most title fight victories (31).
He was known for being an aggressive "in-fighter" who liked to get close to his opponents. He had a powerful left hook and was famous for being able to take a punch without getting knocked down.
Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson said Chávez was one of the greatest fighters of his generation. Famous trainer Angelo Dundee said Chávez had one of the strongest chins in boxing history. His incredible career and exciting fighting style made him a hero in Mexico and a legend around the world.
See also
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of lightweight boxing champions
- List of light welterweight boxing champions
- List of boxing triple champions
- Notable boxing families
- List of Mexican boxing world champions
