Chavez gained the TKO victory at 2:38 into the eleventh round to win Rosario’s WBA lightweight title.

THE OPPONENT – Edwin Rosario (31-2-0, 27 KOs) began his pro boxing career in 1979 and remained undefeated for his first twenty-four fights, including a second round knockout of Refugio Rojas. In 1983 he won a twelve-round decision over Jose Luis Ramirez to gain the vacant WBC lightweight title. Rosario made two successful defenses of this title against Roberto Elizondo and Howard Davis, Jr. However, Rosario’s rematch against Ramirez the next year earned him his first career loss as well as the loss of his title. This fourth round TKO was Ring Magazine’s 1984 fight of the year. He made up for this loss with a decision over Frankie Randall and got a shot to win his title back in 1986. Rosario lost a very close fight to then WBC lightweight champ Hector Camacho, who had since won the belt from Ramirez, in a highly-debated split decision. However, just a few months later Rosario was back on track with a second round knockout of Livingstone Bramble to win the WBA version of the title, though he would have only one successful defense before losing it to Chavez. Rosario would then go on earn a sixth round TKO over Anthony Jones to earn back the WBA lightweight title which Chavez had vacated but lost it the following year to Juan Nazario due to a TKO loss on cuts. Rosario then stepped up in weight to win Loreto Garza’s WBA light welterweight title with a third round TKO but again lost it the next year to Akinobu Hiranaka. In 1993, he suffered a seventh round knockout by Frankie Randall and took a four-year hiatus from boxing, possibly from an addiction to cocaine. He started a comeback in 1997, though, with five more wins. Tragically, however, he died later that year from an aneurism at the age of 34.

ALSO ON THE CARD – Julian Jackson scored a third round TKO over In Chul Baek to win the vacant WBA light middleweight title. Renaldo Carter won an eight-round decision over Esteban Guzman. Vincente Gonzalez scored a second round TKO over Ricardo Huerta. Joe Rivera also scored a second round TKO over Ramiro Lozano.

ROUND ONE – Rosario moved on the outside, jabbing to start. Chavez came in with hooks and uppercuts to the body. Rosario responded with a few of his own before getting back on the outside and moving along the ropes. Chavez came in again with a hard hook to the body, adding uppercuts, and then leaning over on Rosario, who clinched. Rosario went to the center of the ring, still trying to jab but not successfully keeping the distance. Chavez kept his head moving to avoid the shots and got in close enough to land uppercuts, backing Rosario up against the ropes. Rosario responded with hard hooks and uppercuts to both the head and body, but Chavez kept pressing him in the corner with his body, blocking the way out. Rosario got out of it by clinching each time but always ended up back in the corner where they traded hard hooks and uppercuts. HBO Punchstat: Rosario landed 24 of 65 punches thrown this round (37%).

ROUND TWO – Rosario again started out with lateral movement and the jab, but Chavez repeatedly dodged it on his way in to land a hard right and a hook. Rosario clinched, but fighting on the inside resumed. Chavez landed hard uppercuts to Rosario’s head and came in stronger after Rosario tried to push him off. Rosario clinched again and this time used the break to find his distance. He used his movement with the jab and threw combos whenever Chavez got in close. Chavez got in another hard right, however, and followed up with hard body shots. Rosario was caught in the corner again. He pushed Chavez off but didn’t use that opportunity to get out of the way. Rosario liked working off the ropes; the only problem was Chavez didn’t give him any punching room for his power shots. Both fighters traded again, though, with vicious in-fighting up to the bell.

ROUND THREE – Once again, Chavez closed the distance quickly to get Rosario back in the corner. Both were warned for holding while hitting. Rosario’s head was able to knock Chavez head back, but Chavez came in too close for more jabs, throwing combos of hooks and uppercuts. A hard left hurt Rosario, who wasn’t able to get off punches as quickly with Chavez pressing him. The crowd chanted “Chapo!” to cheer him on, though. Chavez was warned again for holding and hitting. Rosario’s jab was good when he was able to keep the distance, but Chavez repeatedly held his arm under his own. Rosario landed some good shots to Chavez’s body but then missed a lot of punches in the final seconds of the round. Chavez got in the last good punch with a solid uppercut, and the two fighters accidentally clashed heads just before the bell.

ROUND FOUR – Rosario again tried to keep the distance but this time with extended hooks to the head and body. Chavez came in with the jab, but there was another clash of heads. After an uppercut by Chavez, the fighters kept their distance. Rosario was throwing lunging punches and combos but was hardly landing anything, as Chavez kept moving his head. He got in some hooks, though, and Chavez responded with a hard hook to the body. Chavez was landing a lot more than his opponent, but Rosario was still throwing back and landing the hooks and uppercuts as Chavez pressed him against the ropes once more. This time he was able to bob and weave under some of Chavez’s punches to work his way back to the center of the ring. They traded solid rights and uppercuts to the body. HBO Punchstat: Chavez landed 47 of 71 punches thrown this round (66%), Rosario 37 of 96 (39%).

ROUND FIVE – Rosario was jabbing again, but Chavez grabbed his jabbing arm and hooked him. Rosario responded with hooks to the head, and the trading resumed with Chavez the much more effective puncher. Chavez was warned for a hook that had strayed low. Rosario bobbed and weaved some to avoid punches, but Chavez caught him with combos to both the head and body. Rosario tried to keep a little distance to land some harder shots but walked right into Chavez’s jab when he was coming in. Chavez got Rosario back in the corner with hooks to the head and body, giving him no room to punch. By the end of the round, Rosario had some swelling under his left eye.

ROUND SIX – More of the same. Rosario tried to use the ring, but Chavez kept closing in, not giving him the distance for punching. Rosario landed the jab, but sometimes Chavez would grab it. Likewise Rosario also clinched a few times when Chavez got in too close. Trapped in the corner, Rosario kept fighting back with uppercuts and hooks to the head, but Chavez’s punches were landing right in his face. A combo with a strong right hurt Rosario, who backed up halfway to the next corner. He resumed his punching, though, and both fighters traded up until the bell.

ROUND SEVEN – Chavez left the distance at the start of the round. The crowd chanted “Chapo!” who landed a few good jabs to the head and body. Chavez was boxing now with the jab but not landing it much. Both fighters looked a little tired from the earlier slugfest, and there was some light holding. Rosario came back with uppercuts to the body, but Chavez grabbed his arm again and then came at him with hooks and uppercuts. Another good right landed on Rosario in the corner, but he continued fighting back even without space to throw much. Chavez worked to the body, and Rosario responded with hooks to the head, but Chavez was landing more punches. Rosario’s right eye now appeared to be bruised as well. HBO Punchstat through round seven: Rosario landed 197 of 542 punches thrown (36%), Chavez 245 of 454 (54%).

ROUND EIGHT – Chavez landed a good left-right combo to start the round. Rosario tried to jab to the head and body, but it was Chavez using the lateral movement now. Both fighters looked a little slower now as they exchanged hooks both up- and downstairs. Halfway into the round, a left hook knocked out Rosario’s mouthpiece. The referee didn’t see it, however, and Rosario continued the round without it. Chavez came in landing combos on his head. Rosario was hurt and clinched but then started moving and fighting back again with short lefts and rights on the inside. By the end of this round, Rosario’s nose was also bleeding, and he had a cut on his lip.

ROUND NINE – Chavez was landing the harder punches still and more of them, but Rosario kept going back to the center of the ring, trying to box Chavez. Chavez had no problem with that and stuck to jabbing his opponent for most of the first half of the round. When Chavez did get him in the corner, Rosario clinched, and the two went back to jabbing and mostly missing. A lunging right by Chavez forced Rosario to clinch. Chavez pressed the action, and Rosario replied with punches and moved laterally but wasn’t throwing enough to match Chavez.

ROUND TEN – Chavez was more aggressive this round, pushing hisself in. Rosario tried to keep his distance with his movement and the jab but was unsuccessful. He got in a few hooks on the inside but mostly clinched whenever Chavez was on top of him. Chavez landed another right. Rosario looked bad with his left eye almost swollen shut. He tried to jab but was caught with hooks and uppercuts. Rosario punched back from the ropes with hooks and grabbed Chavez’s arm. Steele warned him again not to hold, but he had to do it to survive. It looked like the fight would be stopped soon. Rosario kept punching, trying to find his way out, but Chavez was landing consistently in the later part of the round with heavy shots to both the head and body.

ROUND ELEVEN – Rosario’s left eye was almost closed, but he would have known even without seeing him exactly where Chavez was–right on top of him. Rosario traded uppercuts and hooks but was mostly trying to defend himself. He couldn’t see the punches coming and kept his hands up more. Chavez was landing vicious blows. Rosario replied but didn’t leave the corner and finally was able to tie up Chavez halfway into the round. Chavez came back in immediately, forcing Rosario against the ropes again and landing solid lefts and rights. A hook again knocked out the mouthpiece of Rosario, who looked really tired and was taking a lot of brutal punishment but still throwing punches. The fight was finally stopped 2:36 into the round when Rosario’s corner threw in the towel. His left eye was completely shut. In that final round, Chavez landed 73 of 91 punches. HBO Punchstat showed Rosario landing 264 of 731 punches thrown in the fight (36%) and Chavez 450 of 743 (61%).
notes

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: Hilton Hotel
Scheduled: 12 Rounds
Title: WBA Lightweight
Referee: Richard Steele
Judge: Robert Watson 99-91
Judge: Albert Tremari 100-90
Judge: Jerry Roth 98-92

Broadcast: HBO
Ring Announcer: Chuck Hull
Commentator: Larry Merchant
Commentator: Barry Tomkins
Commentator: Ray Leonard
Interpreter: Tito Alba
Rosario’s Purse: $600,000