On this day, on July 5th, 1990, 28-year old Julio Cesar Chavez stopped Akwei Addo in the second round of their fight scheduled for ten rounds. Addo was rather green compared to Chavez and had been knocked out two times prior to this contest. Addo was also knocked out from a punch that seemingly was a low blow.

The bout served as Chavez’s lone professional fight in Spain during his career. 

The Greatest Mexican Fighter?

Chavez has become an institution amongst boxing fans and in particular Mexican fight fans. His style is what is known and thought of as ‘Mexican style’, which is a term popularized by Abel Sanchez and Gennadiy Golovkin.

Chavez once packed 132,274 fans into the Azteca Stadium to fight and won 31 of his 37 championship bouts. More than anything it was the way Chavez fought and represented himself. If the going got tough he was going to sit and there and exchange. Whether he won or lost a fight, he was beloved for his spirt and the energy that he brought into the ring - which created such a deep connection with his fans, especially those from Mexico. 

When you think of the great Mexican fighters of the modern era, the list includes Chavez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, and Canelo Alvarez. The media and stardom along with the vibrant fanbase that we now associate with Mexican fight fans, a good part of that was built by Chavez from his exciting performances inside the ring that not just made generations of fight fans - but also brought boxing to the forefront of the country, not unlike how Michael Jordan pushed the basketball to the forefront of U.S.’s culture in the ’90s. 

Chavez is one of those fighters who comes around once in a lifetime.