Demystifying a boxing legend: Julio Cesar Chavez

• Julio Cesar Chavez is a Mexican former boxer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time
• Chavez had a spectacular boxing career, which was only tainted by some unpreventable losses when he was about to retire
• Julio Cesar was undefeated for 13 years, and he retired with a pro boxing record of 107 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses. .

It’s nearly two decades since Julio Cesar Chavez ended his career as a professional boxer, but he is still more than a present to the boxing world.

Chavez is a Mexican former boxer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He competed between 1980 and 2005, winning multiple world championships.

A young Julio Cesar Chavez. Photo/ Boxing News.

However, his last fight was a shocking loss to a far less talented Grover Wiley. The loss was so painful that Chavez’s son, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., had to avenge for his father barely two years later by knocking Wiley in the third round of their fight.

Chavez had a spectacular boxing career, which was only tainted by some unpreventable losses when he was about to retire. The Mexican legend boasts a professional boxing record of 107 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses. Some might see the six losses as too many, but remember his record at one point was 89-0-0.

At his prime, Chavez was a serious threat to his opponents in the ring. He was known for his destructive body attack, powerful punches, indomitable spirit and stunning sturdy chin. The legendary Mike Tyson described Chavez as one of the greatest fighters from his generation. He went ahead and ranked the Mexican as number five among the greatest boxers of all time.

The likes of Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Jr. were seen as suitable candidates to fill in the gap left behind by Chavez. However, none of them has succeeded.

Chavez is the father of boxers Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Omar Chavez. Chavez Jr. held the WBC middleweight title between 2011 and 2012. On the other hand, his brother Omar is a one-time WBC Youth Intercontinental  welterweight champion.

Achievements 

Nicknamed Mr. KO, Chavez won most of his fights through knockouts. BoxRec ranks him as the 17th best boxer of all time, pound for pound. He ranks 18th on The Ring’s “90 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years”. ESPN, on the other hand, ranks him 24th on their list of “50 Greatest Boxers of All Time.

Chavez held the WBC super featherweight title between 1984 and 1987, the WBC and WBA titles between 1987 and 1989, and the IBF light welterweight title between 1990 and 1991.

Julio Cesar Chavez. Photo/ Marca.

The Mexican also held the WBC light welterweight title two times between 1989 and 1996, and the lineal lightweight and Ring magazine titles between 1990 and 1996. He held the lineal light welterweight two times between 1990 and 1996.

Julio Cesar was the first Mexican to win world titles in three weight divisions (lightweight, super featherweight and super lightweight). As of now, the 60-year-old holds the record for the most total successful defenses of world titles, 27. He shares the record with two-weight world champion Omar Narvaez.

Julio Cesar is the boxer with most title fights (37), most title fights victories (31) and most fighters beaten for titles (31). He also holds the record for the largest attendance for a boxing match, with over 132,000 fans attending his match against Greg Haugen at the Estadio Azteca in 1993. Actually, the turnout was reported to be 136,274.

For all of his efforts and exceptional performance during his days as a professional boxer, Julio Cesar was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

Julio Cesar Chavez. Photo/ FanSided.

How Many Fights Did Julio Cesar Chavez Lose? 

Julio Cesar lost just six fights in his legendary career. He retired with a record of 107 wins and two draws. The boxers who defeated him are Frankie Randall (January 1994), Oscar De La Hoya (June 1996 and September 1998), Willy Wise (October 1999), Kostya Tszyu (July 2000), and Grover Wiley (September 2005).

How Long Was Julio Cesar Chavez Undefeated? 

Julio Cesar Chavez, the greatest Mexican boxer, was undefeated for 13 years. His professional record was 89-1-0, before suffering first loss to Frankie Randall. He initially had a winning streak of 87 before his draw with former four-weight world champion Pernell Whitaker Sr., in 1993.