Rosario has a big mouth, and the people around him have big mouths.”Īt a pre-fight press conference the two almost came to blows and Rosario fired his own volley, telling Chavez “I will send you back to Mexico in a box, you coward!”

“They’re always boasting, always saying, ‘I’m going to crush you, I’m going to knock you out,’ but then they can’t back it up. “The Puerto Ricans talk too much,” declared Chavez. Chavez leveled some choice insults Rosario’s way when he accused Puerto Rican fighters of always being too cocky. The pre-fight build-up was marked by some harsh words and bad blood, which is always to be expected when you have another episode in boxing’s greatest national feud, Mexico vs Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican prodigy was no doubt past his prime by at least a couple years when he locked up with Chavez, but that doesn’t change the fact that he represented Julio’s biggest challenge to date, both literally and figuratively.

It’s easy to look back and question the significance of Chavez vs Rosario given what we now know about “Chapo,” a boxer of immense talent and crippling power but also a man who, between fights, did not live an athlete’s life and would suffer an untimely death at only 34 years of age. He was like a master painter at the peak of his talent, the brush strokes flowing free, and the brilliant end result was nothing short of awesome, a masterpiece of pugilistic perfection. This was Chavez’s finest hour, his most impressive performance, the fight in which all his gifts were on clear display. Julio Cesar ChavezĪnd which victories during that time when Chavez dominated the fistic landscape are most note-worthy, most demonstrative of Julio’s superiority? His points win over two-time world champ Rocky Lockridge? His battering of former champion Greg Haugen in front of the biggest crowd ever assembled at a boxing match? His thrilling, last second, come-from-behind stoppage of Meldrick Taylor? His twelve round domination of Jose Luis Ramirez? His one-sided thumping of Hector Camacho?Īll significant and important, no doubt, but for me his greatest performance happened in 1987, when he moved up to lightweight and completely dominated a talented, dangerous and experienced world champion in Edwin Rosario. Almost a full decade of nothing but wins at the elite level, a run that holds its own with those of the all-time greats of the Golden Age, such as Henry Armstrong or Sugar Ray Robinson. I of course respect the informed opinion of The Fight City’s fearless leader but, while Salvador Sanchez, Carlos Zarate and Ruben Olivares all have strong cases to be made for the top of the Mexican mountain, I must hail “The Lion Of Culiacan” as the greatest pugilist to ever emerge from “Tierra Azteca.” Proof? Just look at that stretch from 1984, when he won his first world title, to 1993 when he got a gift draw in his bout with fellow all-time great Pernell Whitaker. Carbert, disagrees and has stated his reasons why.

is an all-time great and, for me at least, the best Mexican pugilist ever, though my editor, Mr. No one questions the fact that Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.

Edwin rosario disney