Julio Cesar Chavez-Gonzalez first saw the light of day on July 12, 1962 in Ciudad Obregón, Mexico. The son of railroad worker Rodolfo Chavez, Julio spent some of his childhood in an abandoned railroad car alongside his four brothers and five sisters.
Many fighters find inner rage in the face of having to fight against unfavorable economic conditions and poverty. Julio started boxing prematurely early age largely for the same reason.
At the age of 16 he became an amateur boxer. In the amateur ring, Julio Cesar Chavez won 14 victories and suffered one defeat. In 1980, at the age of 17, Julio Cesar Chavez became a professional boxer. During the first year of his career, he fought 11 fights. The characteristic qualities of the Mexican were perseverance, high pace and powerful blows in the body.
Chavez's early career contains one controversial point, although in many ways these events still remain a mystery. In my twelfth professional fight Julio was apparently disqualified. The fact is that Chavez struck his opponent Miguel Ruiz after the gong. Later, the result of the fight was changed to a knockout victory in favor of Chavez. It turned out that his manager was a member of the local boxing commission in Culiacan and the result of the fight was changed the very next day.
In 1983, Chavez fought on the undercard of the Edwin Rosario-José Luis Ramirez fight. This boxing evening was influenced by Don King and was very well promoted. Chavez defeated Javier Fragoso by knockout in the fourth round. This significantly increased his popularity. After a pair of televised fights in the US and a 44-0 record, Chavez received a shot at the WBC super title. lightweight, who was released by Hector Camacho. On September 13, 1984, Chavez scored an 8th round TKO victory over Mario Martinez to win his first championship belt.
After 9 successful defenses, Julio Cesar Chavez decided to move up in weight and in November 1987 he met in the ring with a native of Puerto Rico in a fight for the WBA lightweight champion. Angered by the way Rosario insulted the Mexican people before the match, Chavez gave him a brutal beating and won by TKO in the eleventh round. Just eleven months after this victory, Chavez won another belt - the WBC lightweight title - defeating the outstanding champion Jose Luis Ramirez, also in eleven rounds.
After that, he gained weight again. The following May, 1989, Chavez met Roger Mayweather in a fight for the WBC light welterweight title. This was a rematch of sorts, as Chavez had already faced Mayweather, defending his WBC super featherweight title and winning by TKO in the second round. This time, the fight turned out to be a little more difficult and lasted until the 10th round. The Mexican won by technical knockout, winning the championship belt.
His third defense of this title went down in boxing history. This was largely due to two seconds. What is two seconds? During this time, the hummingbird makes 24 wing beats. During this time, the Bugatti Veyron will reach a speed of 60 miles per hour. In the annals of boxing, however, there is another example. Would that be enough time for Julio Cesar Chavez to cross the ring and deal a crushing blow to 1984 Olympic champion and IBF junior welterweight champion Meldrick Taylor? Referee Richard Steele thought so. After all, despite the fact that Taylor fought the fight on points, he suffered considerable damage during all the previous rounds, and during the countdown after the knockdown at the count of “eight,” he was still staggering and did not respond to Steele’s phrase: Are you okay? At the end of the 11th round, he almost went into the wrong corner. After the fight, Taylor was taken to the hospital. He suffered a fractured orbital bone near his left eye, bleeding in his kidneys, and his lips bled so badly that doctors said he lost two pints of blood. This decision gave rise to a lot of controversy and scandals, but it is quite possible that if Richard Steele had given Chavez those very two seconds, Meldrick Taylor would never have been the same. The Ring magazine named the event the fight of the year in 1990.
Julio Cesar Chavez - Meldrick Taylor
In September 1992, Chavez had his next really big fight, which became the Mexican's main event on pay-per-view. He defended his title against Hector "Macho" Camacho. In this fight, Julio Cesar Chavez won a convincing victory by decision. After this battle, Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari sent a special car to the airport. The driver met Chavez and took him straight to the president's house
In September 1993, the Mexican met in the ring with another great champion -. The American’s unconventional movements neutralized Chavez’s pressure throughout the fight. Whitaker dominated the fight, but the result was a controversial draw. Many believed it was influenced by Don King. After the fight, Chavez said that he would meet the American again "Anytime, anywhere". But the rematch never took place.
In January 1994, Chavez met with Frankie Randall. In this fight, he was knocked down for the first time and was fined for low blows in rounds 7 and 11. He suffered his first loss by decision. He lost his belt, but in May of the same year, he managed to win it again, defeating Randall by technical decision after 8 rounds. The fight was stopped due to a clash of heads. Chavez then faced Meldrick Taylor again, winning early victory in the eighth round.
In June 1996, he met with a rising star - during the fight, Chavez received a cut and the fight was stopped. This was the second official defeat in his career. In March 1998, Julio Chavez faced Miguel Angel Gonzalez. Most of those in the ringside believed that Gonzalez won, but the result of the fight was a draw.
Then, Chavez moved up to welterweight and again faced Oscar De La Hoya. Ironically, the fight was again stopped due to a severe cut to Chavez, this time in the lip area. In 1999, Chavez was defeated by decision by Willie Wise. This fight was named the upset of the year. In 2000 he lost to Kostya Tszyu. In November 2003, Chavez evened out his defeat to Willie Weiss. What’s interesting is that his two sons performed at the same boxing evening. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. won his second victory in the pro ring, and Omar made his amateur debut. Chavez then faced Frankie Randall for the third time and won.
In May 2005, Chavez defeated Ivan Robinson, but suffered a hand injury in the fight and, after another fight, was forced to retire. In one of his interviews, Chavez said that after the fight with Edwin Rosario, he started drinking and taking cocaine. Subsequently, he attended a rehabilitation center for several years. In 2011, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Now, he helps his son, Julio Jr., in every possible way, performing in the pro ring and also works as an analyst for ESPN and TV Azteca.
Julio Cesar Chavez had 37 title fights, defended his titles 27 times in total and was undefeated for 13 years. He won six world titles in three different weight classes. He is rightfully one of greatest boxers of all times, but in his homeland they call him El cesar del boxeo, which means "Caesar of Boxing".
Prepared by Alexander Amosov
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Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. I present to you detailed material about the preparation of the great Mexican boxer for the fight against Meldrick Taylor. Principles of nutrition, training, unusual strength exercises, records, and statistics of the famous champion.
When it comes to the best Mexican ring masters, the name of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. immediately comes to mind. His achievements and records will forever go down in boxing history. For 90 fights in a row, he remained an unbeaten boxer until he lost to Frankie Randall. Five championship belts in three weight categories, 26 years of professional career, and more than three years of leadership in the pound for pound ranking. His statistics are amazing: 107 fights, of which 85 were knockouts, with 6 defeats and two draws. Most of the defeats came at the final stage of his career. Julio was in charge" trump card", after Mike Tyson was behind bars.
We can talk about Chavez for a very long time. His fights and brutal knockouts will be watched by many more generations of boxing fans. However, the other side of the coin has always been hidden from the eyes of admirers of the Mexican hegemon: What strength exercises did the champion do? What food did you eat? What training plan did you follow? These moments are no less interesting than victories, which are just the tip of the iceberg. Let's take a look at Julio's preparation for his unification fight against Meldrick Taylor.
Diet: Julio's height is 171 centimeters. Arm span is 169 centimeters. Chavez started professional career at the age of 17, within the second bantamweight division ( up to 55.2 kilograms). As his body grew, he climbed the categories and gained ratings. He first became a champion in a fight for the vacant WBC super featherweight belt ( up to 58.9 kilograms) against . Next, he conquered light weight (up to 61.2 kilograms), winning two major titles - WBC and WBA. And finally, he moved to junior welterweight ( up to 63.5 kilograms), where he became the WBC champion, defeating Roger Mayweather for the second time. Julio alternated performances in his homeland - in Mexico and in the USA. But he prepared for battles, as a rule, in hometown- Culiacan, Sinaloa state, under the guidance of his mentor, Cristbal Rosas.
After returning from his run, around 7 - 7:30 am, Julio applied several " crown" hits a wall cushion mounted in his yard and starts eating breakfast. The first meal has been standard for many years. Even as a professional boxer, he did not change the principle of eating breakfast: traditional Mexican scrambled eggs ( from 3 eggs) with bacon and a large clay cup of coffee. Mexicans drank coffee with cinnamon or sugar, but Julio could only afford the simplest option - strong coffee without additives.
Julio trained twice a day. Before lunch there was training on apparatus, and in the evening sparring and strength exercises. After the first training session it was lunch time. Chavez never gained much excess weight in the period between fights. His normal weight: 145-147 lbs ( 65.5 - 66.5 kilograms). Losing 5-7 pounds before the fight was not difficult. Twice a week a Mexican could afford a traditional dish: " Birria" - lamb stew, with onions and lime. It came with a large clay cup of coffee ( or two), and the famous Mexican corn tortillas - " Gorditas".
For dinner the champion drank boiled eggs (4-5 pieces), some dry tortillas, and some corn. In Julio's family, the mother loved to spoil her sons with traditional sweet pancakes with fruit filling. But Chavez rarely allowed himself such a dish, since it contains a lot of sugar and starch.
The nutritional principles of the great champion are simple and clear: less sweets and fatty foods, more protein and natural food. As Julio himself said, the secret of his success is training, not food. But following simple rules allowed him to always stay in shape.
Workout: At the peak of his career, Chavez was a real fan of working in the gym. It is not surprising that in the ring he seemed like a real Terminator. He successfully used his short leverage, throwing devastating blows to the body and head with his left hand bent at the elbow. No less dangerous was his straight right, which he practiced to the point of automatism in all phases of the fight ( on retreat, in attack, in response, towards).
The Mexican honed his skills over many years. He shaped his own style and achieved perfect execution" crown"techniques. In his training process there were certain interesting principles. Chavez did not use a speed bag ( "drop"). A famous incident occurred on the eve of the fight with Meldrick Taylor, when the journalist asked Julio to work on the apparatus, but after several unsuccessful attempts, the champion left the lesson and convinced the correspondent of the complete unsuitability of this simulator.
Chavez did shadow boxing with small dumbbells. In his gym there was a whole set of dumbbells of different weights, for different variations of shadow boxing. Julio used stuffed bags different sizes. There were several large round equipment in the room for practicing punches from below and from the side. Chavez paid great attention to placing his fist on the target. He used a wall pad to do this and also regularly did rounds on the bag with his bare fists.
Evening sparring was held at a medium pace and with light contact. Chavez never took advantage of his superiority and never harmed his partners. The main task of working in pairs was to practice specific actions in real time. Chavez replaced intense sparring with intermediate fights, where he could give his all.
Physical training The Mexican champion was very interesting. He used simple diagram: 20 squats - 20 push-ups, repeating several circles until completely tired at the end of the session. He also applied this scheme in the morning hours. Moreover, he performed push-ups not only on his fists, but also on his fingers. Much attention was paid to the development of the neck muscles: a standard wrestling bridge. Julio practically did not use weights. The only exception was the bench press. This exercise was performed with a weight of 30 kilograms per maximum quantity repetitions.
Another exotic exercise of the Mexican was the use of a hammer and nails. The champion took large nails, a piece of wood, and hammered them in with a hammer, 20 pieces with each hand. This developed his forearm and wrist strength.
There were no big secrets in Chavez's training. The most important - hard work and consistency. This turned an ordinary Mexican guy into one of the greatest boxers in history.
On March 17, 1990, Julio Cesar Chavez, in a dramatic fight, knocked out Meldrick Taylor and became the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
A lot can be said about Mexican boxers, since in this Latin American country there were, are and, most likely, will be many talents who, with their brilliant performances, attract millions of people to TV screens around the world. One of those who have already completed their sports career, but at the same time has not lost the love of the public, is Chavez Julio Cesar. This outstanding athlete will be discussed in this article.
Brief information about the person
Chavez Julio Cesar was born on July 12, 1962 in the Mexican state of Sonora, the city of Ciudad Obregon. His father was a railroad worker named Rodolfo Chavez. The future sports star spent his childhood in an abandoned carriage next to four brothers and five sisters. It is no secret that many fighters achieve success in life precisely because of their financially disadvantaged childhood, and our hero was no exception in this matter. It was because of his family's economic problems that Chavez Julio Cesar took up boxing at an early age. Already at the age of 16, he began performing in the amateur ring, where he was able to win 14 fights and lose only one.
Professional career
At the age of seventeen, Chavez received professional status. Already in the first year of his professional fights, he has 11 fights. From the very beginning, his characteristic features became visible: tenacity, fast pace of battle, powerful blows to the body, stamina.
In the 12th fight, the Mexican was initially disqualified. Against Miguel Ruiz, he threw a punch after the bell. But a little later the result was changed: Chavez won by knockout. And all because his manager was a member of the local sports commission.
First title
After a couple of fights that were broadcast on American television, Chavez Julio Cesar, with his own record of 44-0, received the opportunity to compete for the WBC super featherweight belt. This was made possible by the vacation of the title by Hector Camacho. The Mexican did not miss his chance, and on September 13, 1984, he knocked out Mario Martinez in the eighth round, thereby receiving the long-awaited champion belt.
Until 1987, Chavez successfully defended his title against the claims of challengers. Such eminent personalities as Juan La Porte, Danilo Cabrero, and others fell from his hands.
Transition to a new weight
In 1987, Chavez Julio Cesar, whose photo is shown below, rises to the next weight category, where in November of the same year he met with Edwin Rosario. The Puerto Rican said too many nasty things about the Mexican people, and therefore Chavez was more motivated than ever. The Mexican gave his opponent a severe beating and eventually won by technical knockout in the 11th round. With this victory, Julio became the WBA lightweight champion. Eleven months later, Chavez had another success - he won the WBC belt, defeating the magnificent boxer, the legendary champion Jose Luis Ramirez. Chavez also needed 11 rounds for this.
One more step up
In 1989, the native of Mexico again decided to move up to a higher category. He finds himself in the junior welterweight division. In this division, he also becomes the champion, defeating Mayweather for the second time, after which he makes two successful defenses, but the fight with the third contender is worth talking about separately.
Steadfast Meldrick Taylor
March 17, 1990. Las Vegas, USA. In the square of the ring, Chavez Julio Cesar Sr., a boxer who by that time was already at the top, met with Olympic champion 1984 by Meldrick Taylor. The American won on points throughout the fight, effectively using the jab and actively moving on his feet. However, in the 12th round, the champion drove the challenger into a corner and sent him to the canvas with a right hook. After the knockdown, Taylor barely got up and when asked by the referee: “Are you ready to continue?” didn't answer anything. As a result, the Mexican was awarded a knockout victory. The decision was quite scandalous, but the fight itself was recognized best fight year. To be fair, we note that Meldrick was hospitalized after the fight, where, as a result of a medical examination, he was found to have bleeding in his kidneys, a fracture near his left eye, and a torn lip. Therefore, we can conclude that the referee did the right thing, since he saved the American’s health and maybe even his life.
Gratitude from the President
Chavez Julio Cesar, whose biography is full of bright events, fought another significant fight for himself in the fall of 1993. This time he was opposed by the legendary Hector “Macho” Camacho. Chavez won convincingly by decision. After the end of the fight, a car was sent for him and the champion was taken to an audience with the head of the country.
Scandalous draw
In September 1993, Chavez held a unification fight with the American, who acted actively and unconventionally, which allowed him to completely neutralize the attacking power of the Mexican. But in the end it was declared a draw. This verdict of the judges caused a scandal, and many believed that Don King played a significant role in this.
Losing the belt
At the beginning of 1994, Julio Cesar Chavez (world-famous boxer) fought Frankie Randall. The Mexican was fined twice for blows below the belt, and in the 11th round he was knocked down for the first time in his career. All this led to the fact that the judges were divided in opinion, and the victory was given to the American. But already in the spring, the Mexican again met with his offender and took a very unconvincing revenge.
The dramatic confrontation with Oscar De La Hoya for Chavez consisted of two fights, both times the Mexican lost, and ahead of schedule.
Last chance
In the summer of 2000, Chavez was already quite an old fighter, so the opportunity to box for a world title was his last. He understood that in case of defeat the road to the top was forever closed for him, and in case of victory he would get the opportunity to stay at the peak for some time and earn good money.
In the fight with the Russian Tszyu, the Mexican did not succeed. Kostya was very cold-blooded and very calculating. He was able to quickly show who was the real boss in the ring and literally “bombed” the challenger with left jabs. In the fifth round, Tszyu knocked down Chavez with a four-punch combination. In the sixth round, the Russian again sent the Mexican legend to the floor; the referee stopped the fight, considering it a knockout. After fight Tszyu stated that he fought with a great warrior worthy of respect, and Chavez realized that it was time to retire and make way for a new generation. Nevertheless, your last Stand it took place in September 2005.
As for the family, it plays a special role for our hero. Chavez Julio Cesar (personal life is characterized by stability) has been married for many years, he has two sons: the first is called Julio Cesar Jr., and the second is Omar.
Mexican badass, "The Culiacan Lion" or simply J.C. - Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was born in a small town in Mexico in 1962. Since childhood, he loved to fight and went into amateur boxing quite early. however, at one of the tournaments he was condemned in a fight with a local guy from the capital. Chavez decided to turn professional, where he could not wait for a decision on points, but simply knock out his opponent.
Professional debut
Julio Cesar Chavez had his first professional fight back in 1980, and 4 years later he became the World Champion. Since then, he will lose the belt and win it again more than once. And Chavez spent the first fights of his career mainly in Mexico.
Triumph
Chavez did not miss the World Championship titles for 14 years. The first defeat occurred only in a fight with Frankie Randall; this fight was the 89th in his career. Moreover, six months later in a rematch, the Mexican took the title back, punishing the arrogant American and ending the fight ahead of schedule.
Unfortunately, boxing has changed a bit since Julio Cesar Chavez's first defeat. The 15 years spent in the ring greatly aged the champion, and he also became addicted to drugs. It became more difficult to maintain a sports regime, however, Chavez had enough for a couple more years to continue to be a Champion. Then came the era of Oscar de la Hoya and Kostya Tszyu, each of whom defeated the greatest Mexican boxer.
Julio Cesar Chavez retired in 2005, sending his son into the ring.
During his life in boxing, the Mexican superboxer had 116 fights in professional rings, of which he won 107. He defeated boxers such as Roger Mayweather, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, and others famous boxers of its time.
“In the entire room, Rivera was the only one who remained calm. By temperament, by blood, he was the hottest, the most passionate of all, but he was tempered in excitement, so great that this stormy passion of the crowd, growing like sea waves, was no more sensitive to him than a light breath of evening coolness.”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Mario Martinez. 09/13/1984
Wrap the room in plastic, put on a robe like Dexter Morgan, and only then press play. This is a slashing, a crazy unearthly slashing that takes you into the palaces of pleasure. Judging by the trend of recent years, one day it will be banned, but we must leave at least memories for our grandchildren.
This fight most closely resembles a more brutal version of the Barrera-Morales fight. Two aggressive, tough, evasive, fast punchers faced off against each other. The guys are still quite young - Chavez is 22, Martinez is 19. Both already have quite a lot of fights under their belts, but at the same time, youthful maximalism had not disappeared by that time. If they had a plan for the fight, it was gone by the end of the first round. Strikes from both hands, from any position and at any angle, calculated punches and multi-hit combinations, killer charges to the head and liver. With each round, the blows of a more experienced comrade increasingly affect Martinez’s health, and with each round this begins to affect the actions of the boxers more and more. While Mario throws one punch, Julio Cesar throws a combination, or even two. At the very end of the eighth round, when Chavez, who is near the ropes, dives under right hand Martinez, and then, with the help of a monstrous series, forces him to follow to the middle of the ring, you begin to understand the irrationality of what is happening. After Chavez locks his opponent in the corner and begins to beat him so that blood gushes out like a fountain, but he does not fall, the last threads connecting this ring with the real world are torn. Notku common sense The referee adds to this madness when immediately after the end of the eighth round he decides to stop the carnage. I forgot to say that after this Julio Cesar Chavez became the champion for the first time.
“I feel a primal force in him. This is a wild wolf, a rattlesnake preparing to attack, a poisonous scolopendra!”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Roger Mayweather. 07/07/1985
Is this a good fight? Sure enough, Mayweather is being beaten up here. Of course it's good. Of course, this is not the same Mayweather who, being in a criminal conspiracy with a citizen of the Philippines Manny Pacquiao stole 300 million dollars, but still watching this fight makes me feel pleasantly warm somewhere inside.
If we talk seriously and stop remembering his nephew, and consider Roger as an independent unit, then we have to admit that he was a pretty good boxer. In this fight he even manages to show it. He works well with his feet, keeps Chavez at arm's length, throws good jabs, hits hard from afar, and after sharp close attacks competently goes into range. Unfortunately, for Roger and his fans, all this feast of thought and boxing art ends after the first serious blow that Chavez delivers to Mayweather’s chin. And boxing, by and large, is also coming to an end. The boxers leave the ring. Chavez gives way to a cheetah, and Mayweather to a wounded gazelle. The victim tries to escape, but the predator overcomes half the ring in one jump and overtakes its target. Animals are capable of fighting until their last breath, so we will, of course, see the gazelle unsuccessfully trying to get up and run away.
“Devil knows what kind of punch this Mexican has!”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Edwin Rosario. 11/21/1987
Do you know what distinguishes a good aggressive boxer (an fighter, if you like) from just an aggressive boxer? Mastery. The art of attack is not just waving your arms in the hope of a stray blow. A good fighter is, first of all, a person capable of delivering the blows that are necessary in a certain situation. The blows must not only be perfectly executed, but also connected in a series. The reaction should be lightning fast, the instincts should be developed like those of a wild animal. The force of the blow should be destructive, and the head should be stone. Besides everything else, a good fighter is a fearless and a little crazy person.
How do I know this? Julio Cesar Chavez told me this during his lightweight championship fight with Edwin Rosario. Or rather, he showed it. He showed how to force close combat, how to pin down runners, how to knock the brains out of chatterboxes. Before the fight, Edwin Rosario promised that he would send his opponent back home in a coffin. After the battle, he himself almost joined the company of the zhmurs.
When you see that there are no fighters in your division that can match your striking power, and Sports Illustrated comes out with the headline “Perhaps the best boxer in the world” and your photo on the cover, then you cannot remain the same. It was after this fight, as the hero himself says, that he went on an alcohol-cocaine diet and imagined himself invincible. Damn it, that's what he was.
“Sometimes he disappears for whole weeks. He doesn't listen to advice. Whoever becomes its manager will make capital; but you won’t get along with him.”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Roger Mayweather. 05/13/1989
As I said, Roger Mayweather was a good boxer. He proved it. After all his adversity, after the beating in the first fight with Chavez, after the knockout from the workhorse of the ring Pendleton, after the humiliation from the young Whitaker, he did not despair. Having gathered his strength, Rodeger rose to junior welterweight and began beating people. Having won the WBC belt and defended it four times, he gained quite a reputation and the nickname “The Mexican Killer.” Julio Cesar Chavez apparently didn’t like the fact that his favorite punching bag turned into a champion, and a champion beating Mexicans at that, so he gave up his lightweight belts, also moved up to junior welterweight and challenged the American.
Mayweather is so cunning and tactically competent that in the first round he allows himself to be hit only nine times. But each of these nine blows is a spit in the soul of fans of “smart” boxing. Each of these nine strikes is a reason to think about it. But Roger couldn’t think, because the fear that settled in his head after these nine blows crowded out everything else. He will try a lot: run, throw punches from a distance, go to the ropes, take the “Philadelphia shell” stance, save himself in clinches. Chavez didn’t invent anything. He just constantly went at his opponent, cut corners and hit. The more he hit, the slower his opponent became, and he began to hit more and more often. All we see after the third round is a fight between a man and a cowardly chicken. Mayweather is hysterical in between rounds, almost tears Chavez’s hands off in the clinch, and gets involved in exchanges after the bell. Despite the fact that the fight is taking place in the USA, his behavior begins to irritate the public, who are not yet accustomed to such performances. He is booed and his team is pelted with foreign objects. Before entering the eleventh round, Chavez calls on Mayweather to get up from the stool, but fear is stronger than any persuasion. I don’t envy the people who cleaned the ring after this fight, especially the person who cleaned up the “Mexican Assassin” in the corner.
“His opponent was hungry for the clinch.”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Meldrick Taylor. 03/17/1990
Legendary fight. Perhaps one of best products entertainment industry of the 20th century. We all know the plot of this work of art. Starring: Julio Cesar Chavez, Meldrick Taylor, Richard Steele. Director: Don King. Genre: heroic epic, action, drama.
Meldrick Taylor demonstrates the pinnacle of boxing throughout the fight. If boxing were a non-contact sport, and punches only needed to be marked, then the American would have long ago won the fight with a clear advantage. If any other boxer had fought against Meldrick Taylor that night, the other one would have had no chance. If Richard Steele had not stopped the fight two seconds before the final bell, then... Good! There can be no “ifs”. It's like coming up with alternative endings to famous films.
In ten “lost” rounds, Julio Cesar Chavez beat his opponent beyond recognition. Caesar did not play this childish game called “sport” from the first round. He never played it. His goal in all his fights was not to outplay his opponent, not to land more blows, and not to score more points. His job was to break, drop and cripple his opponent. Those who did not believe that he could do the same with Meldrick Taylor had to accept this truth after the eleventh round, especially confused after the unfinished twelfth round.
After a fight, it is customary to share impressions and talk about what the boxer who lost the fight should have done. Tips like: more leg movement, more body shots, more combinations, blah, blah, blah. I wonder what could be advised to any boxer who entered the ring against Julio Cesar Chavez in 1990? In my opinion, Meldrick Taylor did everything possible, and did it beautifully. But this led to his kidneys bleeding, broken facial bone and brain damage.
“Despite the hurricane onslaught, he failed to incapacitate Rivera, and Rivera managed to put Danny down amid this whirlwind, this storm of blows.”
Julio Cesar Chavez - Greg Haugen. 02/20/1993
Mexicans are a peculiar people. They create drug cartels, cut off the heads of their enemies and worship death. It’s unclear what Greg Haugen was counting on when he threw mud at Mexico’s national hero before the fight and called him the winner of the Tijuana Taxi Drivers. What Haugen expected when he entered the ring around which 130,000 frostbitten Mexicans gathered to Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” is even less clear. Perhaps Greg is an extreme sportsman whose choice of being marked out by an angry Julio Cesar Chavez in front of an angry crowd stood between climbing Everest and bungee jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. If so, then he accomplished his plan.
The fight turned out just right. Already after the knockdown in the first round, it became clear that Chavez could knock out his opponent whenever he wanted. But Caesar wanted to torture the offender. He began to hit his opponent, causing maximum harm to his health, but at the same time trying not to send him into a life-saving knockout. Haugen, being a guy with character, tried to turn the situation around by throwing out rare episodes. The spectacle continued until the fifth round for the amusement of the public. After Chavez put Haugen back on the floor and then started beating him up against the ropes, Joe Cortez took pity on his compatriot and stopped the fight.
What happened over five rounds was only part of what happened that night at Mexico City's Aztec Stadium. There were provocations before the fight, 132,247 spectators, “Born in the USA” with the crowd booing, Chavez’s refusal to shake hands before the start of the fight, reconciliation after the fight, and even Don King’s hair visible from behind the ropes. And of course the memorable words uttered by the beaten Haugen: “They must have been tough taxi drivers.” It all came together to create one of the best boxing shows ever. On February 20, 1993, the cultural phenomenon called boxing was at its peak.
“Rivera’s eyes glowed with anger, and he didn’t even respond to Danny’s greeting. He hated all gringos, but he hated this one with a fierce hatred.”
P.S.: On February 20, 1993, the career of one of the most spectacular knockout fighters in world boxing was also at its peak. Having won two next fights, he set a record that is unlikely to be repeated by anyone. At the time of the fight with Pernell Whitaker, he track record consisted of 87 victories and now fashionable zeros in the defeat column and the draw column. Well, and then, as the mustachioed guy on TV says: “It’s a completely different story.”
The text uses excerpts from Jack London's story "The Mexican".