On this day, Kostya Tszyu stopped Julio Cesar Chavez in the sixth round of his WBC super lightweight world title defense.
Chavez, entering the bout at 38-years-old, was well past his prime, as the bout was one-sided, and served as a successful world title defense for Tszyu. The attendance for the fight was a whopping 14,100, and both fighters earned $1.25 million for their duties on this evening.
The fifth round saw Tszyu apply pressure and open up a cut on Chavez's forehead after a series of punches, prior Chavez had slipped and show some dismay in the round before being cut. In the next round, the sixth, Tszyu knocked Chavez down with a big right hand. Chavez would get up but found himself pinned to the ropes. Referee Bobby Ferrara had seen enough and called the fight off.
After the fight, Chavez announced that he needed to retire from boxing, and said his best days were behind him. Despite Tszyu winning the fight and being a fighter in his prime, the crowd was there for Chavez and was not happy with the stoppage as many threw objects toward the ring based on the outcome.
The fight on paper is a good name for Tszyu's resume, but at the time, it was truly a mismatch. So much so that some Las Vegas sportsbooks were not taking action on the fight due to the overwhelming money coming in on Tszyu. Tszyu showed respect to Chavez after the fight, for his iconic status in the sport.
