Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez: Why was there no rematch?

i have no evidence that chavez avoided it, but i see absolutely no reason why he'd volunteer to get embarassed again

 

Chavez was going for the 'hundred fights unbeaten', even though morally he had lost twice, technically he had lost once. So why would he risk Whitaker, when King feed him fights with bums like Randall...

 

Don King was never going to go for it when Chavez' route to 100 wins seemed so close.

 

First I don’t think Whitaker vs Chavez was quite as wide as many seem to. I scored it a draw and when we revisited in FOTW I had Whitaker by a point....but I don’t want to spiral this thread down that road before as there are several we could bump if need be.

2nd I am really not sure...but my guess is that Chavez did not feel comfortable at this weight and he would only fight above 140 twice in the 3 years between this and DLH in 96 (Houk and Walker who were not real tests IMO). My guess is since he moved back down in weight that he was more comfortable there and Whitaker didn’t want to move down?

I feel like it is more weight related than anything else but I don’t pretend to know the details. I think it is similar to the delay between JCC and Meldrick that would take over 4 years to make. In that case Meldrick felt the need to move up in weight and JCC did not. But there were no real big fights for Meldrick till he moved up to Super welter and got blown out by Norris...at this point Meldrick was not able to be effective in a return to 140 where JCC had remained. But for some reason (most likely $) Meldrick cut to get down to 140 again 4 years later and was not able to be effective.

My guess is both are more weight related than any other reason. Just my $0.02

 

Chavez had to wait 4 years for the first fight. Chavez didnt need to Fight Pea again. Specially not at 147. Chavez was boxings biggest draw.
LOL at people saying JCC was embarrassed.

 

Chavez wanted to have kids. And another dozen or so low blows like he took in the first fight might jeopardize that.

 

Chavez performed wonderfully to fight the once-beaten and naturally bigger Whitaker to a draw. He's not given enough credit for that.

 

Haven't seen it in years but Sweet Pea suprised me not by being elusive but that he hurt Julio and backed him up which changed the dynamic of the bout. Pea had to come forward some thats when it got good to him. That is when the handwriting is on the wall. Bobby Cyz started talking about hiding under the table when Sweet Pea gets the decision to avoid the riot.

 

becuz julio didnt know how to fight him

 

hmm, i dont know

 

Completely agree....I've only watched the fight a couple of times, but I didn't see the all out robbery everybody all the 'experts' claimed...
I also scored a draw the only time I ever scored the fight, but I must admit I was looking for any rounds I could give Chavez just to challenge the conventional wisdom..
But all in all I thought it was a tough, close fight, and hard to score
.
No idea why there wasn't a rematch

 

Whitaker fought on Chavez's network, in front of a pro-Chavez crowd and with judges that Main Events had already raised concerns about - and still won in just about everyone's opinion, despite getting the shaft on the cards. Given all that, and that Duva had already been burned by King and the WBC with regards to Whitaker-Ramirez I and Chavez-Taylor I, it's understandable that Main Events weren't too eager on the rematch, despite the giant cheque theatrics.

I think essentially, the fight showed who the better fighter was at that point and a rematch wasn't seen as an absolute necessity, either. For example, Ring Magazine put Whitaker ahead of Chavez at number one in their pound for pound ratings for the end of 1993, whereas Chavez had been marginally ahead in previous years. Whitaker won the general acclaim as boxing's best at that point and I guess the feeling was that he'd proved everything he needed to or could at that time.

As for Chavez, he probably realised that staying back at 140 lb was the smart move from now on. Whitaker was established at 147 by now, and after beating McGirt first time out it was pretty much accepted that he was never returning to Light-Welter. In any case, other things soon became more important or symbolic for Julio - just four months after the Whitaker fight, he became suddenly preoccupied with avenging the Randall loss, and then he had to settle a score with Taylor, albeit that one was really just a box-ticking exercise. Finally, the fallout of the 'draw' strengthened King's resolve not to match his guys against HBO fighters, and crazy as it was, the 'mega fight' he was trying to manoeuvre Chavez to was a showdown against Norris. Good job for Chavez that one never happened, mind you - Norris would have obliterated him.

 

Chavez couldn't beat him that's why, and he knew it.