Super featherweight, lightweight and jr. welterweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez gives his 2011 International Boxing Hall Of Fame induction speech.
Born July 12, 1962 in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Chavez turned pro in 1980 following a 13-bout amateur career.
Undefeated at 43-0, he stopped Mario Martinez (KO 8) in 1984 for the WBC super featherweight title. Nine successful defenses followed before beating Edwin Rosario (TKO 11) for the WBA lightweight title in 1987. He added the WBC version with a win over Jose Luis Ramirez (TW 11) in 1988. Chavez became a three-division world champion when he won the WBC junior welterweight crown from Roger Mayweather (TKO 10) in 1989. His impressive string of 12 title defenses included wins over Hector Camacho and Greg Haugen in front of a record crowd of 132,274 fans and, in 1990, he stopped IBF king Meldrick Taylor with 2 seconds left in the fight to unify titles. Chavez moved up in weight and drew with WBC welterweight champion Pernell Whitaker in a 1993 title go. After compiling an 89-0-1 record, he lost the WBC junior welter title to Frankie Randall in 1994 (L 12). He reclaimed the title in the rematch (TW 8) and reigned until losing to Oscar De La Hoya in 1996 (TKO by 4). Chavez challenged for world titles three more times (D 12 Miguel Angel Gonzalez, TKO by 8 De La Hoya and TKO by 6 Kostya Tszyu) before retiring in 2005 with a professional record of 107-6-2 (88 KOs).
During his career, he registered wins over Ruben Castillo, Sammy Fuentes, Rocky Lockridge, Juan LaPorte, Tony Lopez and Joey Gamache. Possessor of a great chin, Chavez used a relentless, aggressive style and vicious body attack to become a national hero in Mexico and one of the most popular fighters in history.
