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Julio César Chávez (born July 12, 1962 in Culiacán, Sinaloa) is a Mexican world champion boxer who won 5 world titles (WBC Superfeatherweight -1984-, WBA Lightweight -1987, WBC Lightweight -1988-, WBC Superlightweight -1989-, IBF Jr. Welterweight -1990-, WBC Superlightweight -1994-) in 3 different divisions, went undefeated for 89 bouts before originally retiring with a record of 104-5-2, with 80 knockouts. Among the world champions that Chávez defeated in his career are Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez, Rocky Lockridge, Meldrick Taylor, Roger Mayweather, Sammy Fuentes, Héctor "Macho" Camacho, Juan Laporte, and Tony López.
Chávez wore a black ribbon on the night of September 21, 1985, during his world title defense against Dwight Pratchett, to honor all his countrymen and women who fell during the Mexico City earthquake of September 17, 1985.
Chávez's relationship with boxing promoter Don King was always controversial. During a period that year, Chávez tried to break his ties to King and sign with Bob Arum.
After being threatened by a gang that his son would be kidnapped, Chávez became one of the first people to denounce the kidnappings of famous people's relatives in Mexico during the middle and late 1990s.
Chávez held a short romantic relationship with then budding actress Salma Hayek during 1994.
On November 24, 2003, he came out of a retirement to avenge an earlier loss to Willy Wise, knocking Wise out in two rounds at Mexico City.
In April of 2004, Chávez went back into the ring, for what he again claimed woiuld be, his last appearance. In that fight, nicknamed Adiós, México, Gracias (Good-bye, Mexico, Thank you), he beat his former conqueror, Frankie Randall (the first man to beat Chávez and drop him), by a ten round decision.
On May 28, 2005, Chavez once again stepped into a boxing ring, outpointing Ivan Robinson over ten rounds at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, city where he had won his first world title 21 years before.
Chávez holds a record of 107 wins, five losses and 2 draws, with 80 knockouts. Chávez holds the record of most successful defenses of a world title (27), most title fights (37), and the second best winning streak (89-0) of an undefeated fighter. His son, Julio Jr., is also a professional boxer.
External link
- Career Record (http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=008119)
- Chávez Fight Archives (http://chavezsr.atspace.com)
- Wiki: Julio_César_Chávez_Jrsv:Julio César Chávez