De la Hoya had vacated the title, and rivals Chavez and Gonzalez (who had both been beaten by DLH) met to determine the new WBC light welterweight champ. Though Gonzalez (42-1-3, 32 KOs) was also Mexican, Chavez was the crowd favorite. However, it became apparent even through the power failures in the later rounds that Gonzalez was winning the fight. When the fight was announced as a split draw, the disappointed audience booed loudly and threw seat cushions, cups and other items into the ring to express their discontent. The rematch between Chavez and Gonzalez was never realized.
THE UNDERCARD – In another controversial decision, WBC minimumweight champ Ricardo Lopez and WBA champ Rosendo Alvarez fought to a technical draw after an accidental headbutt opened up a cut on Lopez; in the second round, Lopez had been knocked down for the first time in his career. WBC Continental Americas super flyweight champ Genaro Garcia successfully defended his title with a decision over Oscar Arciniega. In an eliminator match for the WBC flyweight title, Gabriel Mira won a decision over Yong-Soon Chang.
THE OPPONENT – Miguel Angel Gonzalez began his pro boxing career in 1989. In 1992, still undefeated after twenty-five fights, he won the vacant WBC lightweight title with a ninth-round TKO of Wilfrido Rocha. Gonzalez had ten successful defenses of this title, including decisions over Darryl Tyson and Marty Jakubowski and knockout victories over Jean Baptiste Mendy and Levander Johnson. In 1997, he stepped up in weight to try for De la Hoya’s WBC light welterweight title (which he had won from Chavez), but lost an unanimous decision. After De la Hoya vacated, Gonzalez got this shot at the vacant title against Chavez. In 1999, he tried for the title once more but lost to Kostya Tszyu by a tenth-round TKO. After some minor fights, Gonzalez got a shot at Cory Spinks’ unified welterweight titles but lost by an unanimous decision. His record is 49-4-1 (39).
ROUND ONE – Chavez was patient barely threw any punches this round. Meanwhile Gonzalez was throwing more and landed a few good shots to both the head and body, though most of his punches were blocked by Chavez. With thirty seconds left, the fighters got into a brief clinch, in which Gonzalez landed kidney punches and Chavez rabbit punches. After being separated, Chavez again was patient and only got in one good hook to Gonzalez’s head shortly before the bell.
CORNER – In Chavez’s corner were trainer Ignacio Beristain, cutman Sergio Sandoval, Rodolfo Chavez and Daniel Castro. In Gonzalez’s corner were trainer/cutman Abel Sanchez, Agustin Lazarini, Aquileo Mateos and Manuel Alfaro.
ROUND TWO – Both fighters started out more active this round. After trading some jabs, Chavez got in a good right. Gonzalez responded with a combination to the body, including a low blow for which he received a warning. Chavez also complained about a headbutt, but it was nothing serious. Both fighters stuck with the jab for a while again, Gonzalez trying to land to the body also. Chavez was blocking most of the blows. He was landing the jab and also got in a left body hook. The fighters came in closer and started to mix it up some. Gonzalez was throwing more punches, but most of them weren’t landing.
ROUND THREE – Again the fighters came out throwing jabs. Gonzalez aimed for the body as Chavez went for the head. Gonzalez got in a couple of rights but clinched after taking a hard left by Chavez. That clinch was quickly broken. In the next clinch, though, both fighters kept throwing and landing hard shots on the inside. In the final part of the round, Chavez was moving backwards but defending and countering effectively. He got Gonzalez against the ropes just before the bell, attacking with everything including elbows, and was reluctantly separated at end of the round.
ROUND FOUR – Gonzalez came out aggressively with a variety of punches. Chavez soon got in a combination but then backed up again with a focus on defense. He moved backwards, waiting, and threw a couple of lonely jabs before going in with a couple of wide hooks. Chavez clinched Gonzalez, who got in a few kidney punches, as well as a strong warning from the referee to watch his head. Just before the bell, Chavez landed strong hooks to the head and body, and a hard right just after.
ROUND FIVE – Gonzalez was throwing, but Chavez came forward and got in a few hooks. Gonzalez landed also before being clinched. He was still landing with his left, though many of his punches were caught on his opponent’s gloves or simply missed over a bob-and-weave. Chavez did a bit of clinching this round, and though he got in a couple more uppercuts on the inside, did not land as much as Gonzalez.
ROUND SIX – Both fighters came out strongly. Chavez jabbed to the head and soon received a combination upstairs in response. Gonzalez was moving around the ropes to start and landing to the head, but Chavez was matching his punches. On the inside, both fighters were holding and hitting, but Chavez was frequently trapping Gonzalez’s arm under his own. Gonzalez continued to work the body and was landing more punches. Chavez landed a straight right near end of round, but Gonzalez kept throwing back. He was soon warned for rabbit punches again. Chavez finished strongly.
ROUND SEVEN – There were plenty of punches at the beginning of the round but no heavy ones. It was only after Chavez got in a good right that both fighters excanged some heavy blows. Gonzalez was warned for hitting on the break though both fighters had been doing it the whole fight. Most of Gonzalez’s punches were being blocked by Chavez, who came in with a combination on the ropes. Both landing about equally, though. Chavez started to land a little more in the end of the round while Gonzalez was still trying to work the body. It may have been working because by the end of the round Chavez was missing with his hooks and looked a little tired.
ROUND EIGHT – The fighters came together at the beginning of the round and received a warning from the referee to watch the headbutts. Chavez then landed a very low blow and was warned to keep his punches up. Gonzalez took only a few seconds to rest, but a drunk and restless crowd started throwing seat cushions and bottles towards the ring and even continued to do so momentarily after the action had resumed. Chavez was angered by the disrespect shown by the fan and went in to slug. Both fighters landed flush blows in the exchange, but Chavez landed more. He came in again with straight lefts and rights. Gonzalez looked disoriented slightly, but it was mostly from moving backwards so quickly. Only one punch had landed flush. Chavez landed the jab again. Gonzalez tried to reply but without any hard punches. Chavez hooked to Gonzalez’s head, then knocked it back with a stiff jab, and both fighters resumed trading until the bell.
ROUND NINE – Chavez repeatedly clinched Gonzalez, who was warned by the referee for punching on the break. A hook by Chavez was matched by a right to his body. Chavez was working backwards again and traded jabs. He waited for a while and clinched occassionally as Gonzalez threw. Chavez was warned for an elbow but then went back to his solid jab. Gonzalez matched it with a hook to the head and another jab, initiating more slugging by both. Chavez had Gonzalez against the ropes at the end of the round but had not had time to do much with it.
ROUND TEN – Chavez began the round with a hard double left hook. Gonzalez jabbed a little but nothing effective. Chavez caught him with another hard left hook, but this time Gonzalez came back with a hard combination. They began slugging, the best punch of the exchange a right cross by Chavez. They clinched again, though, and Gonzalez landed a couple more rabbit punches. It was part of his strategy here, though, to go in throwing punches and then to catch Gonzalez’s arm under his own so he couldn’t throw. However, it just made Gonzalez more aggressive, and Chavez got hit with good shots almost every time he did so. Gonzalez landed a few good hooks and uppercuts at the end of the round.
ROUND ELEVEN – Chavez came out more aggressively, but this time Gonzalez held. As soon as they were separated, Chavez came right back in with a left and a right that knocked Gonzalez’s head around, but Gonzalez took them and kept throwing. Chavez was then bouncing around a bit and backpedaling while Gonzalez tried to come forward. Referee Lupe Garcia was kept busy trying to separate the fighters as Chavez continued to trap his opponent’s arm, but Gonzalez made sure to always hook his right to the body every time. At the end of the round, Chavez landed a hard jab and then backed Gonzalez up into the corner just for the bell.
ROUND TWELVE – Gonzalez’s left eye had started to close a little, and he wasn’t pressing the attack. He moved backwards again and threw just a few counter punches as Miguel Angel came forward, who wasn’t pressing that much either. The lights began to flicker and a spotlight had to be set up to light the ring as the fighters jabbed at one another. With a minute left in the bout, Chavez lost his mouthpiece and time had to be called until it was replaced. There was more holding and hitting in the last part of the fight but some good slugging too. In the final seconds, Chavez again turned the action up, but Gonzalez responded in like manner. The bell finally rang to end the fight, and a wide variety of debris was thrown into the ring by the unruly crowd. They erupted even more and threw in everything they could find when the bout was declared a draw.
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Venue: Plaza de Toros
Scheduled: 12 Rounds
Title: WBC Junior Welterweight
Referee: Lupe Garcia
Judge: Larry O’Connell 116-114
Judge: Chuck Hassett 115-115
Judge: Terry Smith 115-114
Promoter: Don King
Broadcast: KingVision / Showtime
Ring Announcer: Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Commentator: Steve Albert
Commentator: Ferdie Pacheco
Interviewer: Jim Gray
Attendance: 50,000