Julio Cesar Chavez - The Ceaser of Boxing
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Profile: Life, Record, Age, Net Worth, and More…...
Mexico and boxing go hand and hand like fish and chips. The country has not only given us a plethora of boxing legends, but it has given us the highly acclaimed “Mexican style of boxing” as well.
There is only one man to whom this aggressive and exciting style is attributed to Julio Cesar Chavez. Chavez was more than just a boxer; he was the pride of millions of people.
He stayed undefeated for 13 years, having competed in almost 90 matches. He won several welterweight titles under the WBA, WBC and IBF banners.
He was a statistic producing machine. Chavez holds records such as the most title defences, the most title victories, and the highest attendance figures during an outdoor boxing match.
Let’s take a look at the career of arguably the greatest welterweight boxer of all time.
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Early Life
Julio César Chávez González was born on the 12th of July, 1962 – to a poor working-class family in Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. He had five sisters and four brothers. His family didn’t even have a house, and had to live in an abandoned railroad car. His mother also worked, doing laundry for others.
Chavez knew there was money to be made in boxing. Therefore, he left his home at the tender age of sixteen to learn its ins and outs. He started boxing in his teens, while other boxers usually start training when they can walk. In the city of Tijuana, Chavez would make his pro debut just one year later.
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Career
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Amateur Career
Not much is known about Chavez’s amateur career because of how short it was. Plus, it was in Mexico at a time when record-keeping was scant at best. Chavez didn’t win any significant trophies or medals; he was a prizefighter. He made his pro debut when he was just 18 years old.
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Pro Career
Four years later, he’d win his first championship – the WBC super featherweight title. He finished Mario Martínez in the eighth round and he’d defend the belt 9 times in 3 years. One of these successful defences was against Roger Mayweather, the uncle of a certain Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Julio Cesar Chavez’s Superstardom
He’d also beat former champion Juan Laporte and then moved up to lightweight. He later challenged big-time boxer and several time world champion Edwin Rosario. Chavez delivered and finished Rosario in the 11th round, winning the WBA lightweight championship.
This earned him the moniker: El César del Boxeo ("The Caesar of Boxing"). He won a bunch of more matches and then added the WBC and The Ring lightweight championships to his trophy cabinet. He moved up a division to beat Roger Mayweather again and take his WBC light welterweight title.
Some more victories later, he locked horns with Olympic gold medalist Meldrick Taylor for the IBF light welterweight title. Despite a tough battle, Chavez finished Taylor in the 12th and final round. He then defended the titles successfully many times, with a big win over Héctor Camacho by unanimous decision.
Chavez picks up Title after Title
Two more wins later, he was to face Greg Haugen in the biggest fight of his career. Haugen talked trash about Chavez’s culture and his win streak. The two faced each other in a packed stadium with more than 130,000 screaming fans. Chavez punished Haugen throughout the match until the ref had seen enough.
Chavez moved up to face Pernell Whittaker for his WBC Welterweight championship. The match was lambasted by the media and fans alike for ending in a draw. Two wins later, Chavez was scheduled to fight Frankie Randall. This ended in a disputed split decision, breaking Chavez’s 89-match undefeated streak.
A rematch took place and Chavez defeated a bloody Randall via a doctor’s stoppage. He won the WBC light welterweight title in the process. After wins over Tony Lopez, Giovanni Parisi, and David Kamau; he was scheduled to face the undefeated boxing hotshot, Oscar de La Hoya.
Chavez was contemplating retirement after this fight. However, he would get bloodied due to a cut and hence lose to de La Hoya. He fought again the same year and faced Joey Gamache, beating the former champion via an eighth-round TKO.
Despite his age, Chavez would contest for the world title again. Before his match against Miguel Ángel González, he’d pick up two unanimous decision victories in a row. Unfortunately, he and Gonzalez would have a draw for the vacant WBC light welterweight title. After another win, he’d face de La Hoya again.
This time, de La Hoya won via an eighth-round TKO and retained his WBC welterweight championship. Two fourth-round TKO wins later, he faced Willy Wise. Chavez lost a unanimous decision to Wise but got a win over the journeyman Buck Smith.
He soon challenged Kostya Tszyu for the WBC light welterweight title but was finished halfway into the fight. He underwent a bunch of retirements, during which he returned to avenge his loss against Willy Wise. He returned again to defeat Frankie Randall, the man who broke his undefeated streak.
Chavez came back the next year to go the distance and beat Ivan Robinson. That same year, he lost his final match to Grover Wiley, and would finally retire for good. He had an unhuman record of 107 wins, and just 6 losses. He had avenged two of these losses.
Chavez left behind quite the legacy as he stayed undefeated for 89 fights in a row, and made countless records. He also won 6 world championships in 3 different divisions. He paved the way for many hard-hitting and exciting Mexican fighters.
Julio Cesar Chavez Outside Boxing
Currently, Chavez’s net worth is estimated at around $15 million. His sons Omar and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are boxers as well. Chavez Jr. is an accomplished boxer, and a former middleweight champ. Chavez has done a lot of charity work and has fought in exhibitions for good causes.
He is active on social media and seeks to make a comeback.
