Julio Cesar Chavez vs Francisco Tomas Da Cruz

On Saturday, April 18, 1987, at the Plaza de Toros de Nimes, Gard, France, the WBC World Super-featherweight Title saw its 8th defense as champion Julio Cesar Chavez faced off against challenger Francisco Tomas Da Cruz. The event, which was broadcasted by Canal+, was promoted by Julien Fernandez with Rudy Ortega serving as referee. Coming into the fight, Chavez boasted an unblemished record of 54-0-0, while Da Cruz had a single loss with a record of 27-1-0.

Chavez, residing in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, came into the fight weighing 129½ lbs, while the Brazilian challenger Da Cruz, hailing from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, weighed in at 130 lbs. The stage was set for a competitive match-up as the two fighters met in the ring. Chavez was looking to continue his dominance in the division, while Da Cruz was aiming to make a mark by defeating the champion.

The match began with Chavez establishing his control early in the first round. He landed three straight right crosses to Da Cruz's face, sending him staggering backward into the ropes. Chavez continued to dominate the round, backing Cruz into a corner and landing a flurry of punches with both hands. Cruz managed to survive the first round thanks to the bell.

In the second round, Cruz showed resilience, coming out swinging. However, a swift right-left-right combination from Chavez had Cruz stumbling yet again. The champion's thunderous rights continued to stagger Cruz into the third round. Ultimately, the referee stepped in to stop the fight 2:31 into the third round, with Cruz still on his feet but unable to effectively respond.

Despite his pre-fight claim to knock Chavez out in the seventh round, Cruz was unable to pose a significant threat to the champion. He managed to land a couple of good body punches, but these were far from enough to destabilize the defending champion who had succeeded Hector Camacho as the WBC super-featherweight champion two-and-a-half years prior.