Chavez won a TKO victory over #1 contender Angel Hernandez (37-0-2, 22 KOs) in the fifth round to retain his WBC light welterweight title.
UNDERCARD – WBC middleweight champ Julian Jackson defended his title with a fifth round TKO over Ron Collins. Akinobu Hiranaka won Edwin Rosario’s WBA light welterweight title with a first round TKO. Heavyweight Tony Tucker knocked out Mike Faulkner in two.
THE OPPONENT – The southpaw Angel Hernandez of Puerto Rico began his pro boxing career in 1979 and remained undefeated up until his match with Chavez. Notable fights in the couple of years before that bout included an unanimous decision over Jaime “Rocky” Balboa and a third-round TKO of Rafael “Bazooka” Limon. After the Chavez fight, Hernandez would have three more wins before suffering a seventh-round TKO loss by Kostya Tszyu. He retired after that fight in 1994.
ROUND ONE – Hernandez came out fast with a right to the body and a left to the head. He then moved around on the outside looking for his opening. Chavez tried to go in, but Hernandez grabbed him and spun away from the ropes. After pursuing his opponent for a while, Chavez finally got in close enough to land a couple of light punches. Hernandez held, and Chavez responded by wrapping his own arm around Hernandez’s neck. Hernandez then moved around again, landing a few punches from the outside. The ring was only sixteen feet, though, so he didn’t have much room for moving around in. Chavez got in a right hand, but Hernandez was landing more punches. With thirty seconds left in the round, Hernandez landed a good straight left, which was matched by a straight right of Chavez. Hernandez was in the corner but once again clinched when Chavez came in and spun him around. Twice in this round, Chavez was warned by the referee for hitting on the break. By the end of the round he had a slight cut on the bridge of the nose.
CORNER – Chavez remained standing during the break; in his corner were Cristobal Rosas (co-trainer), Daniel Castro (co-trainer), Rodolfo Chavez and Fernando Beltran. In Hernandez’s corner were Luis DeCubas (manager), Enrique Carrion (trainer), Jose Luis Sanchez (asst. trainer), and Rafael Garcia (cutman).
ROUND TWO – Chavez moved in at the beginning of the round and landed a couple of punches, though he was clinched as soon as he got on the inside. Hernandez was still landing a few punches from the outside and even got in an uppercut once up close, but held whenever Chavez came in, often also spinning him around into the ropes and hitting him before he could get out. Despite Hernandez’s frequent clinching, Chavez was warned again for punching on the break. He wasn’t able to land many punches this round, but Hernandez landed only few more.
ROUND THREE – Hernandez again worked on the outside. He landed a combo, and Chavez responded with a left. They continued to exchange a little before Hernandez clinched. And once more Chavez was also warned for punching on the break. On the next clinch, Chavez instead clinched also, wrapping his arm around Hernandez’s neck.
ROUND FOUR – Chavez came out aggressively, and they traded. Hernandez held, but both were throwing in the clinch. Chavez was landing harder punches now–some good rights and left hooks. Hernandez held again, though, wrestling a little with Chavez. He received a second warning for holding. Hernandez was still landing some shots, but they had nowhere near the power as the shots that Chavez’s punches now had, and he was kept mostly on the defensive this round. Chavez landed a good right and worked the body a little before the bell rang to close the round.
ROUND FIVE – Hernandez began the round moving again but didn’t seem to have enough room to move in. Chavez landed a couple of light punches before getting in a straight right. Hernandez went in to hold but was hit with the uppercut. After begin hit with another hard right, he was caught in the corner and was unable to defend himself as Chavez threw combos to both his head and body. Referee Arthur Mercante stepped in to stop the fight at 1:11 into the round.
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Venue: Plaza El Toreo
Title: WBC Junior Welterweight
Scheduled: 12 Rounds
Referee: Arthur Mercante
Judge: Tony Castellano 39-37
Judge: Lou Filippo 38-38
Judge: Carlos Padilla 39-37
Result: TKO5 1:11
Promoter: Don King
Broadcast: Showtime
Ring Announcer: Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Commentator: Steve Albert
Commentator: Ferdie Pacheco