Julio Cesar Chavez vs Rocky Lockridge

Julio Cesar Chavez retained the World Boxing Council super-featherweight championship by a majority decision over Rocky Lockridge at the Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco, on 3 August 1986. Chavez entered unbeaten in 52 professional contests and weighed 129¾ pounds. Lockridge, a former WBA champion with a record of 38 victories and four defeats, weighed 129¼ pounds. The contest was Chavez’s sixth defence of the title he had won from Mario Martinez in 1984. Tony Perez was the referee, and Don King Productions and Sports Leaders Agency conducted the promotion.

Lockridge was an experienced and dangerous challenger. He had won the WBA championship by knocking out Roger Mayweather in the first round in 1984 and had subsequently lost the title to Wilfredo Gomez by a close 15-round majority decision. He had also twice challenged Eusebio Pedroza for the featherweight championship. Chavez had defeated Mayweather in two rounds the previous year and had already fought three times during 1986, including two championship defences within the space of a month. Lockridge had been considerably less active, but his camp believed the reduction from the traditional 15-round championship distance to 12 would assist him, as he had weakened late in earlier long contests. He prepared under conditioning specialist Tim Hallmark, who had also worked with Evander Holyfield.

Lockridge began vigorously, moving into range behind quick combinations and refusing to allow Chavez an easy opening. Chavez circled, examined the challenger’s movement and gradually began to answer with the straighter punches. The champion was seldom hurried, but Lockridge’s speed and willingness to exchange prevented him from establishing the steady body attack which had broken down many previous opponents. In the second round Chavez found his range more regularly. His right hand and left uppercut caught Lockridge as the American moved forward and placed him under considerable pressure. Lockridge was hurt but remained upright, covered sufficiently well to survive and continued to answer rather than withdraw.

The third and fourth rounds were closely contested. Chavez pressed with compact hooks and uppercuts, working both sides of the body before directing his right hand towards the head. Lockridge met him with combinations and attempted to move away before the champion could settle into a prolonged attack. Chavez’s punches were generally cleaner and more economical, but Lockridge was not being overwhelmed. He remained strong in the exchanges and forced Chavez to fight at a quicker pace than the Mexican usually preferred. Chavez later stated that he injured his right hand during the contest. This injury restricted the full use of one of his principal weapons and contributed to the bout continuing the distance.

Lockridge produced one of his best passages in the fifth round. Having survived the champion’s early pressure, he began punching with greater confidence and made better use of his hands at middle distance. Chavez remained calm, blocked many of the challenger’s wider blows and returned with the shorter punches, but Lockridge’s activity brought him back into the contest. The middle rounds developed into a demanding series of exchanges. Chavez continued to advance behind measured combinations, using the left uppercut effectively when Lockridge lowered his head. Lockridge moved laterally when possible, then stopped to throw hooks and rights before Chavez could force him to the ropes. Neither man was knocked down, and neither was able to establish complete command for long periods.

Chavez gained the clearer advantage through much of the seventh and ninth rounds by countering Lockridge’s attacks and landing the more accurate blows. His balance remained sound, and he was able to punch without wasting movement even when the challenger increased the pace. Lockridge, however, remained physically strong and continued to dispute every round. In the eighth, he landed his heaviest right hand of the contest and caused Chavez to appear momentarily unsteady. The champion recovered without holding or retreating far, resumed his advance and later maintained that the punch had not seriously hurt him. It was nevertheless the most conspicuous success achieved by Lockridge and demonstrated that the result remained unsettled.

By the tenth round, Chavez was still producing the tidier work. He moved inside Lockridge’s longer swings and replied with uppercuts and short right hands, while the challenger’s punches were becoming less precise. Lockridge’s conditioning allowed him to maintain his effort, and he continued to attack in the eleventh rather than preserve himself for the final session. Chavez absorbed the pressure and returned enough clean punches to retain the initiative. The contest had become the most difficult championship defence of his career to that date, not because Lockridge dominated any extended portion of it, but because he remained competitive, durable and capable of answering each time the champion appeared ready to take firm control.

Lockridge made his final effort in the twelfth. Knowing that the official scoring might be close, he pressed forward and threw his hardest combinations of the closing stages. Chavez continued to counter and did not allow himself to be trapped for a sustained period. Both men finished on their feet after a contest fought at a high pace and without a knockdown. Lockridge believed that his aggression and stronger finish had earned the championship. At the same time, Chavez considered that his cleaner punching and control of the greater part of the fight had given him the decision.

Judge Jean Deswert scored the contest even at 116–116. Miguel Donate favoured Chavez by 116–113, while Giuseppe Ferrari returned the wider score of 119–113 for the champion. Chavez therefore retained the WBC title by majority decision and advanced his record to 53–0. The verdict was not unanimous, and Lockridge’s performance justified the closeness reflected on two cards, but Chavez had generally landed the more accurate and better-constructed punches. He later described Lockridge as the most difficult opponent he had faced to that point. Lockridge received a reported purse of $200,000, the largest of his career, and subsequently regained championship standing by winning the IBF super-featherweight title from Barry Michael in 1987. Chavez continued unbeaten for another 37 contests before suffering his first official defeat against Frankie Randall in 1994.

Rocky Lockridge was a tough test for Julio Cesar Chavez, not another name added to an unbeaten record. He had twice pushed Eusebio Pedroza, flattened Roger Mayweather to win the WBA title and then lost a close decision to Wilfredo Gomez. Chavez was 52–0 and already a fine champion, but Lockridge had the experience, strength and belief to make him work for everything.

Lockridge started quickly and refused to be bullied. He punched with Chavez, kept the pace high and landed a heavy right in the eighth that briefly shook him. But Chavez was the better craftsman. His punches were shorter, his balance was better, and he kept finding the left uppercut whenever Lockridge dipped forward. Chavez reportedly injured his right hand during the fight, yet he never lost his composure or stopped trying to control the exchanges.

I thought Chavez won, but Giuseppe Ferrari’s 119–113 card was far too wide. The 116–113 score for Chavez and Jean Deswert’s 116–116 were much closer to the truth. Lockridge pushed him hard for 12 rounds and deserved more credit than that wide card allowed.

For me, this was one of the first nights Chavez showed he could win when the usual pressure and body punching were not enough to break a man. Lockridge was tough, experienced and competitive throughout. Chavez had to adjust, stay disciplined and outwork a challenger who would not go away. That is why the victory mattered.