Why never a Whitaker-Chavez rematch?

I really doubt Chavez would have been interested. He got a gift and didnt look back.
Im sure Pernell wanted it though

 

Chavez/King didn't want it. Duva and Whitaker offered 7 million for a fight in Vegas and were extremely keen. Chavez was about the only big money earner King had at the time from memory. The 100-0 was also still an outside possibility with hand selected opponents.

 

Anyone who criticizes SRL for ducking Pryor is stupid. SRL fought Hearns and beat him so that's a bit silly too.
SRL should have given Hagler a rematch, probably more so than Chavez with Whitaker really.

 

Hagler was a champion dethroned in a close disputed fight by a challenger who he'd voluntarily given a shot to. He'd bypassed the deserving challengers to fight Leonard (obviously not out of the kindness of his heart).

Whitaker wasn't dethroned by the Chavez fight, both fighters left the ring officially as champions. If I remember rightly. Whitaker was shafted out of the win but wasn't left in a lower position for it.

The way I remember it, Leonard retired within days or weeks of defeating Hagler. Hagler didn't.

 

"Yes, I know you're going to say that Leonard waited for Hagler to retire. "

"Leonard, who otherwise has been very up front, says that's not the case, that he would have considered it if Hagler made an effort to get out of him retirement for a rematch. And even if you don't believe him (which I kind of guess you don't ), it's just guessing on your part."




I haven't made any guesses or speculated. You seem to be looking for an argument.

I have just stated the facts of the case as I remember them .... (ie. Hagler stayed around to voluntarily defend against Leonard, Hagler lost in a disputed fight, Leonard almost immediately retired, Hagler did not) ..... and have stated my opinion as to why I think that Leonard "owed" Hagler a rematch probably more than Chavez did Whitaker.

My personal opinion: when a champion is dethroned in a close controversial disputed fight he's earned an immediate rematch, especially when the challenger who got the decision over him had been afforded the shot as the champion's courtesy. That's a simple principle I believe in.

The case of Chavez-Whitaker is a draw that should have been a win/loss. Whitaker deserved a rematch too to settle the wrong on having a blemish on his record.
But he was the champion, as far as I remember it.
He was definitely the lineal champion, when he entered the ring and when he left it.
And I don't think Chavez even had a title on the line in the fight.
Chavez was challenger moving up from lower weights.

I don't think my view is absurd.

 

Yes, Hagler has himself to blame really.
By 1986, he really didn't need the fight at all. It was all in his mind and SRL used it against him. He could have done to SRL in 1986 what SRL did to him in 1983.
Yes, it's not as if SRL hid his intentions.

 

The Whitaker-Chavez fight was for the 147 lb. title which Whitaker held. Chavez went back to 140 lbs.

 

True

And that backfired when Randall beat Chavez. Of course, after Chavez "earned" the title back from Randall, King made sure there was no 3rd fight. His meal ticket had to be protected.

 

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SRL was suppose to fight Pipino Cuevas in late Spring 1980, but SRL took on "moving up" lightweight Roberto Duran, , leaving Cuevas to fight Hearns....a much bigger fighter, in Hearn's hometown of Detroit. And as we know, styles make fights.