Rosario vs Chavez

Rosario was the man at 135lbs, he was also in the top 10 p4p list and was the favorite to win. Apperantly, they almost slugged it out in a press confrence once, when Rosario told Chavez he was gonna send him back to Mexico in a coffin.

 

Rosario was considered the new Roberto Duran and the hardest puncher at lightweight at the time. Chavez walked through his shots and battered him senseless over eleven brutal rounds. Chavez was a machine that night that could have beaten any lightweight.

 

From what i have read Rosaro was the favorite although looking at the last few fights they had before they met its hard to see why.

 

It was big but not huge. It was on HBO in I think October of 1987, opposed to Hearns/Roldan being on PPV a few weeks before.. Rosario was having dehydration problems I remember, which sort of took a little out of the excitement of the fight and gave Rosario an excuse. As it turned out Rosario could not get distance for his punches. It was almost like he didn't have punching power in this fight. Chavez was just too good, and Chavez looked bigger than I thought he would and very effective. I think it was a 10th round TKO when Chavez was beaten up.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^?

 

sorry Rosario beaten up. I think most people know what I meant.

 

Roberto was around the 154lbs-160lbs divisions around that time i believe. He left the 135lbs waaay before Chavez came into the scene.

 

Watching it now. Tyson was in the ring with chapo before the fight

 

Rosario was the favorite and even though i was already a huge Chavez fan, and pulling for him ... I have to admit i thought Rosario was gonna beat him .... Chavez was already highly regarded, but Rosario was a pfp top 5 or 6 guy... And his stalk really went up after easily blowin out the ROck chinned and formerly number 3 pfp guy Livingstone Bramble..... CHavez was a borderling top 10 guy or just inside the top 10,.. But was moving up for this fight.. After this fight Chavez was regarded as one of the elite pfp fighters as he walked through the vicious punching ROsarios shots, and put on a dominate beat down. However wasnt the consensus number one pfp (on Ko or RIng ) guy until Tyson was upset by BUster Douglas.



PS i met Richard Steele at the Forum a little before this fight and he called it, at the time he though Chavez was number 1 pfp. fighter and told me he would whup Rosario.... DIdnt think he would like i said highly regarded at the time, but Steele was the only one i had ever heard(at the time) call Chavez the best fighter in Boxing.. He had him over Prime Tyson,Comebacking Leonard,Hearns the 3 who were highly regarded around that time.

 

Since we're on the subject of Chavez-Rosario, this is the fight where Chavez' trademark red bandana was born.......

During the leadup or the weighin to the fight, Rosario brought with him a witch doctor to put a spell on Chavez.

I'm not sure who, but someone from Chavez camp brought with him a red bandana and told Chavez to wear it into the ring with him to ward off evil spirits, and the rest is history......

Jr. wore it into the ring this past saturday night vs Zbik.



Btw, Chavez vs Rosario was the fight that officially catapulted Chavez to Superstar status within the boxing community.
The Chavez-Rosario fight was huge with the real boxing fan....
.....the fight that made Chavez with the casual fan was his beatdown of Meldrick Taylor.

 

It was a pretty big fight. Chavez moving up after about 9 defenses at SFW and displaying 9 stars on his trunks like a WWII pilot. Awesome.

Chavez was perhaps a slight underdog, but he came in with the perfect gameplan absolutely crowding Rosario and never allowing him the punchingroom to get off. The fight could have been made in a phonebooth.

It was Chavez at his brutal best. What a fighter he was.

 

Well as you know LA has been a hotbed for boxing for quite a while not only the numerous fight venues but many great fighters have come from here,and many greats from Mexico have lived,Trained,fought and made there mark here... Also boxing(when younger),attending fights,WBHOF banquests,a and being a fan for a little over 30 years. you tend to either, meet make friends,rub shoulders, with lot of known fighters and boxing people, not to mention hear stories from them...Lot more fights out here back in the 80,90s at the Pond,forum,Olympic(comeback).Reseda county clubs,Quiet Cannon,Paladium etc etc in those days.. Not too mention before my time my dad and uncles were regulars at the Olympic,Forum back in its heyday 60s,70s, .They were also regualars at the World famous Main street gym( Countless legendary champs trained andwhere the Rocky movies and numerous other were filmed at) back in the days.. I was lucky enough to go there a couple times as a kid with my pops, before they tore it down and made it into a parking lot. ;(