How popular was JCC in the 80's?

Yeah, in Mexico he was the end all. Not really crossover though.

 

Mike Tyson v Carl Williams a couple of months later in Atlantic city convention center was under-filled too.
Don King had 4,000 unsold seats removed so it didn't look so bad on TV.
This was at Tyson's peak, the whole world knew who he was.
(It was only in later years, post-prison, that Tyson could be matched with any bum or 'sell out Madison square Garden masturbating' as he put it).

Chavez had iced Mayweather in 2 rounds in 1985. Perhaps the fans in California were well aware of that fact.

 

I'd not heard of the guy until the 90s.

He spent way too long fighting bums to be famous in the 80s.

 

I think Chavez was one of the best fighters of the 80s. And he didn't really kick around that long before he fought for a title.

 

You answered your own question ...

 

how famous he was in the 80s was considered independently from his abilty.