Julio César Chávez

For his son, who is also a boxer, see Julio César Chávez, Jr. For the Paraguayan historian, see Julio César Chaves.

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Chavez and the second or maternal family name is Gonzalez.

Julio César Chávez
File:Julio Cesar Chavez1 Champ.jpg Chávez in 1995
Statistics
Real name	Julio César Chávez González
Nickname(s)	J.C. El César del Boxeo ("The Caesar of Boxing") El Gran Campeón Mexicano ("The Great Mexican Champion") Mr. KO
Rated at	Super featherweight Lightweight Light welterweight Welterweight
Height
Reach
Nationality	Mexican
Born	(1962-07-12) July 12, 1962 Obregón, Sonora, Mexico
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	115
Wins	107
Wins by KO	86
Losses	6
Draws	2

Julio César Chávez González (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuljo ˈsesaɾ ˈtʃaβes ɣonˈsales]; July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer. He is considered by acclamation as the greatest Mexican fighter of all time and one of the best boxers of all time.

Chávez is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years was considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world. In a career that spanned over 25 years, Chávez won the WBC super featherweight title in 1984, the WBA and WBC lightweight titles in 1987 and 1988, the WBC light welterweight title in 1989 and 1994, and the IBF light welterweight title in 1990.

He holds records for the most successful defenses of world titles (27), most title fight victories (31), most title fights (37), and the second most title defenses won by knockout (21, after Joe Louis with 23). Chávez also has the longest undefeated streak in boxing history: 13 years. Chávez's record was 89–0–1 going into his first official loss to Frankie Randall in 1994, before which he had an 87-fight win streak until his draw with Pernell Whitaker in 1993. Chávez also set the record for the largest attendance for a boxing match, with 132,274 people at the Estadio Azteca for his fight against Greg Haugen in 1993.

Chávez was known for his outstanding punching power, devastating body attack, remarkably strong chin and the relentless stalking of his opponents. He ranks #24 on ESPN's list of "50 Greatest Boxers of All Time". On December 7, 2010, he was inducted in the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. He is the father of prospect Omar Chávez and former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez, Jr.

Early life

Julio César Chávez was born on July 12, 1962 in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. His father, Rodolfo Chavez, worked for the railroad, and Julio grew up in an abandoned railroad car with his five sisters and four brothers. Chávez came from a poor family and became a boxer for money, he stated: "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 began boxing as an amateur at the age of 16 and he then moved to Tijuana to pursue a professional career.

Career

Chávez made his professional debut at age 17. In his 12th fight, on March 4, 1980, Chávez faced Miguel Ruiz in Culiacán, Sinaloa. At the end of the first round, Chavez landed a blow that knocked Ruiz out. Delivered as the bell sounded, the blow was ruled a disqualification in the ring and Ruiz was declared the winner. The next day, however, his manager, Ramón Felix, consulted with the Mexican boxing commission, and after further review, the result was overturned and Chávez was declared the winner.

Chávez won his first championship, the vacant WBC Super Featherweight title, on September 13, 1984, by knocking out fellow Mexican Mario "Azabache" Martínez at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Martínez had been the betting favorite in the bout, due partly to his previous victory over former WBC world champion Rolando Navarette in a non-title bout. On April 19, 1985, Chávez defended his title against number one ranked contender Ruben Castillo (63-4-2) by knocking him out in the sixth round. On July 7, 1985, Chavez defeated former and future champion Roger Mayweather via a second round knockout. On August 3, 1986, Chavez won a twelve round majority decision over former WBA and future IBF Super Featherweight champion Rocky Lockridge in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In his next bout, he defeated former champion Juan Laporte by a twelve round unanimous decision. On March 18, 1987, he defeated number one ranked challenger Francisco Tomas Da Cruz (27-1-0) by third round knockout. He successfully defended his WBC Super Featherweight title a total of nine times.

Lightweight

On November 21, 1987, Chávez moved up to the lightweight division and faced WBA Lightweight Champion Edwin Rosario. Prior to the bout, there were concerns about how Chávez would handle the move up in weight against the hard punching Puerto Rican. Chávez commented, "Everything I've accomplished as champion, and the nine title defenses, would be thrown away with a loss to Rosario." The two fighters nearly exchanged blows during a press conference after Rosario threatened to send Chávez back to Mexico in a coffin. Chávez would ultimately give a career-defining performance as he defeated Rosario by an eleventh round TKO to win the title. HBO Punchstat showed Rosario landing 263 of 731 punches thrown in the fight (36%) and Chavez 450 of 743 (61%). After the bout, Sports Illustrated ran the headline, "Time To Hail César: WBA Lightweight Champion César Chávez of Mexico may be the world's best fighter."

On April 16, 1988, Chávez defeated number one ranked contender Rodolfo Aguilar (20-0-1) by sixth round technical knockout. On June 4, 1988, he won against former two-time champion Rafael Limón by scoring a seventh round TKO. Later that year, he unified the WBA and WBC belts by a technical decision win over champion José Luis Ramírez. An accidental head-butt opened a cut on Ramírez's forehead and the doctor halted the fight, sending the decision to the judges' scorecards at that point in the fight. Chávez, ahead on all scorecards, was declared the winner. He was also awarded the The Ring Lightweight title after the victory. Chavez vacated his WBA and WBC Lightweight titles in order to move up to the super lightweight division.

Light Welterweight

In his next bout, he won the WBC Light Welterweight title by defeating Roger Mayweather for a second time. Mayweather did not come out of his corner after the tenth round, giving Chavez the TKO win. In 1989, Chávez defeated future champion Sammy Fuentes by tenth round TKO. In his next bout, he handed Alberto de las Mercedes Cortes (44-0) his first career loss by scoring a third round knockout.

Chávez vs. Taylor

Main article: Julio César Chávez vs. Meldrick Taylor

Taylor vs Chavez 1

On March 17, 1990, he faced Meldrick Taylor, the undefeated IBF Light Welterweight Champion, in a title unification fight. While Taylor carried the fight to Chavez through round 8, Julio rallied in the last four rounds. With about 30 seconds left in the 12th round, he landed a hard straight right hand on the chin of Taylor, which hurt him badly. Shortly thereafter, he knocked down the former olympian. Although Taylor rose at the referee's count of six, he failed to respond coherently to referee Richard Steele's questions and continued to hold onto the ropes in the corner, resulting in Steele stopping the fight with only two seconds remaining. Many boxing fans and members of the media were outraged that Steele would stop a match that Taylor was winning with only two seconds left, while others felt that Steele was justified in stopping the fight given Taylor's condition and the fact that he was unable to respond to Steele before the conclusion of the match. Steele defended his decision by saying that his concern is protecting a fighter, regardless of how much time is left in the round or the fight. As Steele put it, "I stopped it because Meldrick had took a lot of good shots, a lot of hard shots, and it was time for it to stop. You know, I'm not the timekeeper, and I don't care about the time. When I see a man that has had enough, I'm stopping the fight." The Ring named it the "Fight of the Year" for 1990 and later the "Fight of the Decade" for the 1990s. While many hoped for an immediate rematch, Taylor moved up in weight in his next bout and the fighters did not meet again until 1994, when Chávez dominated and knocked out a faded Taylor in eight rounds.

After unifying the titles, Chávez engaged in a busy series of title defenses and non-title fights. On December 8, 1990, he defeated the WBC mandatory challenger Kyung-Duk Ahn (29-1) by third round knockout. On March 18, 1991, he defeated WBC number four ranked fighter John Duplessis (34-1) by fourth round TKO. On September 14, 1991, Chávez won a twelve round unanimous decision over former champion Lonnie Smith. On April 10, 1992, he scored a TKO victory over number one ranked contender Angel Hernandez (37-0-2, 22 KOs) in the fifth round. Later that year, he defeated Frankie Mitchell (29-1) by fourth round TKO.

Chávez vs. Camacho

On September 12, 1992, Chávez faced WBO Light Welterweight Champion Hector "Macho" Camacho (41-1-0, 18 KOs) in a highly anticipated bout. Chávez dominated Camacho en route to a unanimous decision win. The final scores were 117-111, 119-110 and 120-107 for Chávez. After the fight, on his arrival to Mexico, the President Carlos Salinas de Gortari sent the special car for the Pope to take him from the airport to the President's house.

Chávez vs. Haugen

His 1993 fight with Greg Haugen featured trash talk from Haugen, who derided Chavez's 82-fight unbeaten streak as consisting mostly of "Tijuana taxi drivers that my mother could have knocked out" and insisting that "There aren't 130,000 Mexicans who can afford tickets" to see the fight in Estadio Azteca. Chávez responded by saying, "I really hate him bad. When he looks at me, I want to vomit. I am going to give him the worst beating of his life; I am going to make him swallow the words that came out of his dirty mouth." Haugen was proven wrong on both counts: 132,274 showed up to set a record for fight attendance and they watched Chávez drop Haugen quickly and then back off with the apparent intention of punishing him for his prefight remarks. However, the referee had seen enough by the fifth round and stopped it for a TKO victory for Chávez. After the fight, Chávez commented to Haugen; "Now you know I don't fight with taxi drivers" and a bloodied Haugen sportingly responded, "They must have been tough taxi drivers." Later that year, Chávez scored a sixth-round TKO victory over number one ranked contender Terrence Alli.

Draw with Whitaker and first career loss

After a division record 18 consecutive defenses of his light welterweight title, Chávez (87–0) moved up one more weight division to challenge Pernell Whitaker (32–1) for his WBC Welterweight title in September 1993. Since the late 1980s, Chávez stated several times that he wanted a fight against Whitaker. The Whitaker team, among them Lou Duva, told to Ring Magazine that they did not want a fight against Chavez in those days. In the eyes of many experts, Whitaker waited for Chávez to age. The result of the fight was a controversial majority draw, allowing Chávez to remain undefeated with Whitaker retaining his title. Various members of the American media, including The Ring Magazine and Sports Illustrated, were critical of the decision. Sports Illustrated put Pernell Whitaker on the cover of its next magazine with a one word title, "Robbed!" Chávez stated after the fight: "I felt I was forcing the fight ... he just kept holding me too much, he was throwing too many low blows too." There was no rematch.

Chavez continued defending his Light Welterweight title and on December 18, 1993, he defeated British Commonwealth Light Welterweight Champion Andy Holligan (21–0–0) by fifth round TKO. Chávez faced Frankie Randall in January 1994, in a fight that most expected him to win easily. Instead, Randall knocked him down for the first time in his career and went on to win a split decision and Chávez lost the title to Randall. Chávez blamed his loss on referee Richard Steele, who deducted two points from Chávez for low blows, which affected the difference on the scorecards. The WBC ordered an immediate rematch and Chávez regained the title on a split technical decision in May 1994. The fight was fiercely contested when they collided heads, opening a large cut over Chávez's eyebrow in the seventh round. After the head cut, during round eight, the referee called for the doctor, who then stopped the fight. Under WBC rules, Randall lost one point, giving Chávez the technical victory. The two faced one another in a rubber match 10 years later, which Chávez won.

Chavez then faced Meldrick Taylor in a rematch, four years after their historic first fight. Chavez defeated him in the eighth round by a knockout that sent Taylor from one side of the ring to the other. In his next bout, Chavez defeated three-time champion Tony Lopez. In 1995, he defeated former and future Light Welterweight Champion Giovanni Parisi. Later that year, he defended his title against number one ranked challenger David Kamau, despite suffering a cut in the opening round. Prior to the bout, Chavez indicated that he was considering retirement, "I've had a lot of problems with my arms, with my knees. I really don't want to extend myself much longer," Chávez said. "After so many years of working out, it all builds up. I am not giving what I used to be able to give. I will fight De La Hoya for a lot of money, and then retire."

Chávez vs. De La Hoya

On June 7, 1996, Chávez faced Oscar De La Hoya. A large gash appeared over the right eye of Chávez within the first minute of the first round, leading many to assume what Chávez later confirmed—that the cut occurred earlier in training and was re-opened in the bout. Heavy blood flow prompted the doctor to stop the fight in the fourth round. Until their eventual rematch in 1998, Chávez would always state that De La Hoya had not defeated him, but that a gash that he had suffered in training was the real cause of the stoppage of the fight. In his next bout, Chávez defeated former champion Joey Gamache in his 100th career bout.

A year after De La Hoya moved up to welterweight in 1997, Chávez fought Miguel Ángel González for the vacant WBC Light Welterweight title. That fight ended in a draw. In a rematch with De La Hoya for the WBC Welterweight belt in September 1998, De La Hoya won by 8th round TKO. About De La Hoya, Chávez stated years after: "I have nothing against him, even though he beat me twice. I have no resentment towards him... De la Hoya was younger than me during our fight, and I was on my way out of boxing. If Oscar didn’t fight me, he would not have been anything in boxing." Chavez spoke about his sparring session with De La Hoya six years before their first fight and stated: "I sparred with him and dropped him in the second round with a right hand. De la Hoya was a kid... that day after training he stayed and we went out to dinner, I gave him some $300-$400 from my pocket to help him out."

Retirement and farewell fights

Chavez won his first two bouts in 1999 before losing to then 32-year-old Willy Wise via 10 round unanimous decision. In 2000, at the age of 38, Chávez challenged Light Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu. Chavez lost the bout via 6th round TKO. After a 2001 victory over Terry Thomas in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Chávez retired. However, on November 24, 2003, he came out of retirement to avenge his earlier loss to Willy Wise, knocking Wise out in two rounds in Tijuana, Mexico. In April 2004, Chávez went back into the ring, for what he again claimed would be his last appearance. In that fight, nicknamed Adiós, México, Gracias (Good-bye, Mexico, Thank you), he beat his former conqueror, Frankie Randall, by a ten round decision. On May 28, 2005, Chávez once again stepped into a boxing ring, outpointing Ivan Robinson in ten rounds at the Staples Center. On September 17, 2005, at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, Chávez suffered a TKO loss to little-known Grover Wiley in the 115th bout of his career, retiring in his corner before the start of the 5th round, after injuring his right hand. After the bout, Chávez told his promoter, Bob Arum, that this time he was definitely retiring from boxing. His defeat was avenged two years later by his son, Julio César Chávez, Jr., who knocked Wiley out in the third round of their fight.

Personal life

During the late part of his career, Chávez struggled with drug addiction and alcohol abuse. He stated that he started drinking the night after his fight against Edwin Rosario. He later developed a cocaine habit. Chávez got into rehab several times until he recovered. Nowadays he remains sober, in shape, training and weighs around 140 pounds (64 kg).

Chávez is the father of prospect Omar Chávez and former WBC Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. He works as an analyst for ESPN and Azteca, and spends his time between Mexico and the United States, where he owns businesses and properties.

Career in review

Chávez won six world titles in three weight divisions: WBC Super Featherweight (1984), WBA Lightweight (1987), WBC Lightweight (1988), WBC Light Welterweight (1989), IBF Light Welterweight (1990) and WBC Light Welterweight (1994) for the second time. He was also awarded the The Ring Lightweight Championship in 1988. World champions whom Chávez defeated include Jose Luis Ramírez, Rafael Limón, Rocky Lockridge, Meldrick Taylor, Roger Mayweather, Lonnie Smith, Sammy Fuentes, Héctor "Macho" Camacho, Juan Laporte, Edwin Rosario, Greg Haugen, Tony López, Giovanni Parisi, Joey Gamache and Frankie Randall, who had taken the WBC Light Welterweight belt from Chávez just four months earlier. He lost to only three champions: Randall, Oscar De La Hoya and Kostya Tszyu. He was held to a draw by two others: Pernell Whitaker and Miguel Ángel González.

Chávez finally retired in his 25th year as a professional boxer with a record of 107 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws, with 86 knockouts and is considered one of the greatest fighters of all times. He holds records for most successful consecutive defenses of world titles (27), most title fights (37), most title-fight victories (31) and he is after Joe Louis (with 23) for most title defenses won by knockout (21). Chávez also has the longest undefeated streak in boxing history, 13 years. His record was 89-0-1 going into his first loss to Frankie Randall and had an 87 fight win streak until his draw with Whitaker. He was ranked #50 on Ring Magazine's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time." As an in-fighter or swarmer, Julio César Chávez was renowned specially for his devastating left hook and his extremely strong chin. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, stated that Chávez is one of the greatest fighters of his generation and top five of all time from his point of view. Trainer Angelo Dundee said that Chávez had one of the strongest chin in boxing history. In 2002, The Ring ranked Chávez as the 18th greatest fighter of the last 80 years. On December 7, 2010, his induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame was announced.

Professional boxing record

107 Wins (86 knockouts, 21 decisions), 6 Losses (4 knockouts), 2 Draws
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	107-6-2	Grover Wiley	RTD	4 (10)	2005-09-17	America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Win	107-5-2	Ivan Robinson	UD	10	2005-05-28	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Win	106-5-2	Frankie Randall	UD	10	2004-05-22	Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Win	105-5-2	Willy Wise	TKO	2 (10)	2003-11-22	Centro de Espectaculos Alamar, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	104-5-2	Terry Thomas	TKO	2 (10)	2001-11-24	Plaza De Toros Monumental, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Loss	103-5-2	Kostya Tszyu	TKO	6 (10)	2000-07-29	Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona	For WBC Super Lightweight title.
Win	103-4-2	Buck Smith	TKO	3 (10)	1999-12-18	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Loss	102-4-2	Willy Wise	UD	10	1999-10-02	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	102-3-2	Marty Jakubowski	KO	4 (10)	1999-07-10	Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Win	101-3-2	Verdell Smith	TKO	4 (10)	1999-04-01	Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, Texas
Loss	100-3-2	Oscar De La Hoya	RTD	8 (12)	1998-09-18	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	100-2-2	Ken Sigurani	TKO	3 (10)	1998-06-25	Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut
Draw	99-2-2	Miguel Ángel González	SD	12	1998-03-07	Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Distrito Federal	For vacant WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	99-2-1	Larry LaCoursiere	UD	10	1997-06-28	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	98-2-1	Tony Martin	UD	10	1997-03-29	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	97-2-1	Joey Gamache	TKO	8 (10)	1996-10-12	Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
Loss	96-2-1	Oscar De La Hoya	TKO	4 (12)	1996-06-07	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC Light Welterweight title. Doctor Stoppage
Win	96-1-1	Scott Walker	TKO	2 (10)	1996-02-09	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	95-1-1	David Kamau	UD	12	1995-09-16	Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	94-1-1	Craig Houk	KO	1 (10)	1995-07-29	Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois, United States
Win	93-1-1	Giovanni Parisi	UD	12	1995-04-08	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	92-1-1	Tony Lopez	TKO	10 (12)	1994-12-10	Estadio de Beisbol, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	91-1-1	Meldrick Taylor	TKO	8 (12)	1994-09-17	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	90-1-1	Frankie Randall	TD	8 (12)	1994-05-07	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won WBC Light Welterweight title.
Loss	89-1-1	Frankie Randall	SD	12	1994-01-29	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Lost WBC Light Welterweight title. Chavez suffers the first knockdown of his career in round 11.
Win	89-0-1	Andy Holligan	TKO	5 (12)	1993-12-18	Estadio Cuauhtemoc, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title. Longest undefeated streak.
Win	88-0-1	Mike Powell	KO	4 (10)	1993-10-30	Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Draw	87-0-1	Pernell Whitaker	MD	12	1993-09-10	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, United States	For WBC & Lineal Welterweight titles.
Win	87-0	Terrence Alli	TKO	6 (12)	1993-05-08	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title. Longest winning streak.
Win	86-0	Silvio Walter Rojas	KO	3 (10)	1993-04-10	Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Win	85-0	Greg Haugen	TKO	5 (12)	1993-02-20	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	84-0	Marty Jakubowski	TKO	6 (10)	1992-12-13	Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	83-0	Bruce Pearson	KO	3 (10)	1992-10-31	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	82-0	Hector Camacho	UD	12	1992-09-12	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	81-0	Frankie Mitchell	TKO	4 (12)	1992-08-01	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	80-0	Angel Hernandez	TKO	5 (12)	1992-04-10	El Toreo, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	79-0	Juan Soberanes	KO	4 (10)	1992-03-13	La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Win	78-0	Ignacio Perdomo	RTD	7 (10)	1991-12-13	Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Win	77-0	Jorge Alberto Melian	KO	4 (10)	1991-11-12	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	76-0	Lonnie Smith	UD	12	1991-09-14	Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	75-0	Tommy Small	KO	4 (10)	1991-04-26	Estadio General Angel Flores, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	74-0	John Duplessis	TKO	4 (12)	1991-03-18	Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC & IBF Light Welterweight titles.
Win	73-0	Kyung-Duk Ahn	TKO	3 (12)	1990-12-08	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Retained WBC & IBF Light Welterweight titles.
Win	72-0	Jaime Balboa	TKO	4 (10)	1990-11-08	Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	71-0	Russell Mosley	KO	3 (10)	1990-08-18	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	70-0	Akwei Addo	KO	2 (10)	1990-07-05	Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain
Win	69-0	Meldrick Taylor	TKO	12 (12)	1990-03-17	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC & won IBF Light Welterweight titles. The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1990).
Win	68-0	Alberto de las Mercedes Cortes	TKO	3 (12)	1989-12-16	Palacio de Deporte, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	67-0	Sammy Fuentes	RTD	10 (12)	1989-11-18	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	66-0	Ramon Aramburu	KO	3 (?)	1989-10-27	Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico	Broke Nino Benvenuti's 65 win undefeated streak.
Win	65-0	Rodolfo Batta	KO	1 (10)	1989-10-09	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	64-0	Kenny Vice	TKO	3 (10)	1989-07-30	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	63-0	Roger Mayweather	RTD	11 (12)	1989-05-13	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Won WBC Light Welterweight title.
Win	62-0	Jose Luis Ramirez	TD	11 (12)	1988-10-29	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBA & won WBC & vacant The Ring Lightweight titles.
Win	61-0	Vernon Buchanan	TKO	3 (10)	1988-08-01	Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	60-0	Rafael Limon	TKO	7 (?)	1988-06-04	Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	59-0	Rodolfo Aguilar	TKO	6 (12)	1988-04-16	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBA Lightweight title.
Win	58-0	Nicky Perez	TKO	3 (10)	1988-03-05	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	57-0	Edwin Rosario	TKO	11 (12)	1987-11-21	Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won WBA Lightweight title.
Win	56-0	Danilo Cabrera	UD	12	1987-08-21	Caliente Racetrack, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	55-0	Francisco Tomas Da Cruz	TKO	3 (12)	1987-04-18	Nîmes, Gard, France	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	54-0	Juan Laporte	UD	12	1986-12-12	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	53-0	Rocky Lockridge	MD	12	1986-08-03	Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo, Monaco	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	52-0	Refugio Rojas	TKO	7 (12)	1986-06-13	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	51-0	Faustino Martires Barrios	TKO	5 (12)	1986-05-15	Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Bercy, France	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	50-0	Roberto Collins Lindo	KO	2 (?)	1986-03-22	Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	49-0	Jeff Bumpus	TD	5 (10)	1985-12-19	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	48-0	Dwight Pratchett	UD	12	1985-09-21	Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	47-0	Roger Mayweather	TKO	2 (12)	1985-07-07	Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	46-0	Ruben Castillo	TKO	6 (12)	1985-04-19	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States	Retained WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	45-0	Manuel Hernandez	TKO	3 (?)	1985-01-01	Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Win	44-0	Mario Martinez	TKO	8 (12)	1984-09-13	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States	Won vacant WBC Super Featherweight title.
Win	43-0	Delfino Mendoza	KO	3 (?)	1984-06-13	Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Win	42-0	Ramon Avitia	KO	6 (?)	1984-05-04	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	41-0	Armando Flores	KO	3 (?)	1983-09-01	Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	40-0	Adriano Arreola	PTS	10	1983-07-16	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	39-0	Benny Abarca	KO	5 (?)	1983-12-30	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	38-0	Romero Sandoval	KO	2 (10)	1983-06-15	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Win	37-0	Javier Fragoso	KO	4 (?)	1983-05-01	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Win	36-0	Ernesto Herrera	KO	4 (?)	1983-04-04	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	35-0	Othoniel Lopez	KO	4 (?)	1983-02-25	Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Win	34-0	Jerry Lewis	KO	6 (?)	1982-12-11	Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, United States
Win	33-0	Jerry Lewis	KO	5 (?)	1982-10-23	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	32-0	Jose Resendez	KO	6 (?)	1982-09-28	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	31-0	Santos Rodriguez	KO	8 (?)	1982-08-20	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	30-0	Gustavo Salgado	KO	2 (?)	1982-07-19	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	29-0	Juan Carlos Alvarado	KO	3 (?)	1982-05-08	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	28-0	Benny Abarca	PTS	10	1982-04-26	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	27-0	Johnny Jensen	KO	3 (?)	1982-03-11	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	26-0	Carlos Bryant	KO	2 (?)	1982-02-19	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	25-0	Ramon Peraza	KO	1 (?)	1982-02-04	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	24-0	Jesús García	KO	2 (?)	1982-01-29	Guamuchil, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	23-0	Ramon Luque	KO	1 (?)	1982-01-12	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	22-0	Manuel Vasquez	KO	7 (?)	1981-12-17	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	21-0	Jose Angel Medina	KO	6 (?)	1981-10-19	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	20–0	Jorge Ramirez	KO	2 (?)	1981-09-25	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	19–0	Daniel Felizardo	KO	3 (10)	1981-08-31	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	18–0	Jesus Cuate Lara	KO	2 (10)	1981-08-07	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	17–0	Daniel Martinez	KO	1 (?)	1981-07-27	Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Win	16–0	Bobby Fernandez	KO	3 (?)	1981-07-10	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	15–0	Fidel Navarro	KO	1 (?)	1981-06-26	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	14–0	Victor Gamez	KO	1 (?)	1981-06-05	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	13–0	Eduardo Lalo Acosta	KO	2 (?)	1981-05-08	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	12–0	Miguel Ruiz	KO	1 (?)	1981-03-04	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	11–0	Julio Gaxiola	KO	4 (?)	1981-02-02	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	10–0	Roberto Flores	KO	3 (?)	1980-12-15	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	9–0	Andres Felix	KO	2 (?)	1980-11-26	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	8–0	Jesus Martinez	KO	1 (?)	1980-10-13	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	7–0	Jesus Cuate Lara	PTS	10	1980-09-22	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	6–0	Miguel Cebrero	PTS	10	1980-09-05	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	5–0	Tito Geraldo	PTS	6 (10)	1980-07-18	Guamuchil, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	4–0	Roberto Garcia	UD	6 (6) (?)	1980-05-20	Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
Win	3–0	Ramon Flores	KO	3 (?)	1980-04-08	Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico
Win	2–0	Fidencio Cebreros	PTS	6	1980-03-03	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Win	1–0	Andres Felix	KO	6 (6)	1980-02-05	Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico	Julio's Professional debut.

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

• WBC Super Featherweight Champion (130 lbs)
• WBA Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)
• WBC Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)
• WBC Light Welterweight Champion (140 lbs)
• IBF Light Welterweight Champion (140 lbs)
• (2) WBC Light Welterweight Champion (140 lbs)

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

• The Ring Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)

See also

• List of lightweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• Notable boxing families
• List of boxing triple champions

External links

• Julio César Chávez Official Site
• Professional boxing record for Julio César Chávez from BoxRec

Achievements
Vacant Title last held by Héctor Camacho	WBC Super Featherweight Champion September 13, 1984 - August 21, 1987 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Azumah Nelson
Preceded by Edwin Rosario	WBA Lightweight Champion November 21, 1987 - October 29, 1988 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Edwin Rosario
Preceded by José Luis Ramírez	WBC Lightweight Champion October 29, 1988 - May 13, 1989 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Pernell Whitaker
Vacant Title last held by Alexis Argüello	The Ring Lightweight Champion October 29, 1988 - March 2, 1989 Vacated
Preceded by Roger Mayweather	WBC Light Welterweight Champion May 13, 1989 - January 29, 1994	Succeeded by Frankie Randall
Vacant Title last held by Wilfred Benitez	Lineal Light Welterweight Champion March 17, 1990 - January 29, 1994
Preceded by Meldrick Taylor	IBF Light Welterweight Champion March 17, 1990 - December 8, 1990 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Rafael Pineda
Preceded by Frankie Randall	WBC Light Welterweight Champion Lineal Light Welterweight Champion May 7, 1994 - June 7, 1996	Succeeded by Oscar De La Hoya