37 years ago

Date: 21st November 1987

Title: WBA World Lightweight Title

Promoter: Don King Productions

Tv: HBO World Championship Boxing

Julio Cesar Chavez
( 56 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 134¾ lbs

Edwin Rosario
( 31 - 2 - 0 )
Weight: 135 lbs

The outdoor arena at the Las Vegas Hilton was the stage for a thrilling encounter on Saturday 21st November 1987, as Julio Cesar Chavez faced off against Edwin Rosario for the WBA World Lightweight Title. The bout, broadcast on HBO World Championship Boxing, saw Chavez, a resident of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico with an undefeated record of 56-0-0, step into the ring against Rosario from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, who held a record of 31-2-0. Richard Steele, the man in charge of the contest, witnessed a masterful performance from Chavez who secured a TKO victory in the 11th round, with both fighters weighing in just under the lightweight limit, Chavez at 134¾ lbs and Rosario at 135 lbs.

The contest started with the odds fairly even, with Las Vegas oddsmakers unable to pick a clear favorite, labelling it a 6-5 'pick 'em' fight. However, as fight night approached, Chavez, who had previously won the vacant WBC World Super-featherweight Title on an eighth-round TKO over Mario Martinez in 1984 and defended it successfully nine times, began to pull ahead as the 8-5 on favorite.

Over the course of the fight, Chavez delivered a battering to Rosario, who struggled to keep pace with the Mexican warrior. The Puerto Rican was in visibly rough shape by the 10th round, with his left eye hammered shut, cuts inside his mouth, spitting blood, puffiness and bruising around the right eye, and a bloody nose. Chavez, on the other hand, appeared hardly marked and was dominating the fight.

Despite Rosario's brutal condition, the fight continued into the 11th round, which proved to be the final round of the contest. Chavez continued his assault, leading to a stoppage by referee Richard Steele at 2:38 of the round, crowning Chavez the new WBA World Lightweight Champion by TKO. The fight witnessed by a crowd of 8,580, marked Chavez's ascension from super-featherweight dominance to lightweight supremacy.

Post-fight, Don King, the promoter of the event and Chavez's representative, hinted at a potential all-Mexican unification match with WBC ruler Jose Luis Ramirez.