Oscar De La Hoya Stopped Fellow Legend Julio Cesar Chavez

They were two of the great smaller weight fighters of the last 30+ years and 25 years ago tonight Hall of Famers Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez met for the first time in a fight called “Ultimate Glory.”

June 7th, 1996 at the Caesars Palace Outdoor arena in Las Vegas the 21 – 0 “Golden Boy” was looking to add a third world title by taking on the WBC 140-pound champ Chavez, who came in a staggering 97 – 1 – 1 all time.

The fight also featured Mexican animosity as home country hero Chavez was fighting in East L.A.’s De La Hoya for hearts and fandom of the passionate Mexican fans.

Re-live the first battle as it aired with HBO’s legendary commentary crew of Jim Lampley, Big George Foreman and Larry Merchant on the call,

As it turns out a nasty early cut would be the biggest story of this bout.

Early on in the first minute De La Hoya caught Chavez on the corner of his left eye with a solid right and immediately blood began to seep down the left side of Chavez’s face. Once De La Hoya spotted it and immediately continued to jab at the cut. And, he then landed a couple of more right hands before Referee Joe Cortez halted things to let ringside doctor take a look at the gash.

Chavez was allowed to continue and did show some heart especially in the third round while bleeding. This, as he landing a couple of hard left hooks to back De La Hoya up.

Still, Oscar was the younger, faster fighter and he eventually also bloodied Chavez his nose, as well, late in the third round.

Then in the fourth, De La Hoya continued to hammer left hooks and hard straight rights with Chavez bleeding not only on his face but on his trunks, De La Hoya’s trunks and even Cortez’s shirt.

That’s when the referee took Chavez back over to the ringside physician, who advised Cortes that the cut was so nasty and the blood flow from the nose so much, that things should end. De La Hoya got his hand raised by TKO with the biggest win to date of his pro career .

The two fought again just over two years later in September of 1998. And, while this about lasted longer and was more competitive, it had a same outcome of De La Hoya out-slugging Chavez and eventually cutting him badly inside of his mouth.

Chavez bled steadily in the 7th and the 8th rounds and did not answer the bell for the 9th giving De La Hoya a second KO victory over the Mexican legend..

The two De La Hoya defeats basically ended Chavez’s 20 year run on the biggest stage, as he finished with an incredible 107 – 6 – 2, 86 KO record. Chavez went into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010.

De La Hoya finish 39 – 6, 30 KOs and the former Olympic Gold Medalist and multi-division world champ also was Hall of Fame bound in 2014.