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On This Date in Sports January 29, 1994: Chavez Suffers First Loss

After 90 professional fights without a loss, Julio Cesar Chavez is finally defeated by Frankie Randall, losing a controversial split decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight was for the Super Lightweight that Chavez had held for nearly five years. Chavez protested the result, feeling that he had won, especially as a penalty in the 11th round ended up being the difference.

Born July 12, 1962, in Sonora, Mexico, Julio Cesar Chavez was among the greatest lightweights ever. Chavez began boxing at 16 and turned professional just one year before his 18th birthday. Fighting 33 times in two years, Julio Cesar Chavez became one of the most popular fighters in Mexico as his fights rarely went beyond the third round. After making his American debut in 1982, Chavez won his first title in 1984, defeating Mexican compatriot Mario Martinez for the vacant WBC Super Featherweight Title.

Julio Cesar Chavez stayed unbeaten and successfully defended the Super Featherweight Title over the next three years, improving to 56-0 overall. That was when he decided to move up to the Lightweight Division as he beat Edwin Rosario, who had held the title for a year. After two years and six successful defenses, Chavez moved up in weight to defeat Roger Mayweather for the Super Lightweight. In this division, Julio Cesar Chavez became a true star, earning the title of best pound-for-pound champion.

Julio Cesar Chavez seemed unbeatable as he took on and defeated all challengers, holding on to the Super Lightweight title for an impressive 1,723 days. In a unification fight in the Super Lightweight division, Chavez nearly saw his streak come to an end as he was behind on all scorecards against Meldrick Taylor and unleashed a late furry, causing referee Richard Steele to stop the fight with just two seconds left, awarding Chavez a TKO victory to advance to 69-0 on his professional career.

Over the next three years, Julio Cesar Chavez was rarely challenged on the way to 87-0 before a fight against Pernell Whitaker in 1993. Many on hand felt Whitaker got the best of Chavez that night, but the fight ended in a Majority Draw, with two of the three judges ruling the fight even. Chavez defended his title twice before stepping into the ring against Frankie Randall with a record of 89-0-1.

Frankie Randall entered the match with a 48-2-1 lifetime record and was an 18-1 underdog against the unbeaten Julio Cesar Chavez. Randall came out as the aggressor, winning the early round as Chavez was knocked to the canvas for the first time in his career. Chavez recovered and appeared to be heading for another win when he was penalized for a low blow in the 11th round. The two-point deduction was pivotal as Judge Angel Luis Guzman carded a 114-113 win for the challenger. The other two judges split, meaning the deduction had taken the fight away from Chavez.

Frankie Randall and Julio Cesar Chavez fought again in May, with Chavez winning back his title with a technical decision after an unintentional headbutt by Randall opened a large gash over Chavez’s eye. Julio Cesar Chavez would fight another 11 years, retiring with a record of 107-6-2.