Julio Cesar Chavez fought often in May – including on Cinco de Mayo weekend a number of times – and, he said, it always had special meaning for him.
The Mexican Hall of Famer, now 57, spoke at length with host Jessie Vargas on a special holiday episode of the new Matchroom Boxing Spanish-language show “Peleamundo” about that subject and more.
The episode will be available at 5 p.m. ET today on the Matchroom YouTube channel.
Among Chavez’s translated comments:
“It’s a very special day for all Mexicans,” Chavez said. “I fought many times in May representing all Mexicans. It’s something very, very special, something very beautiful feeling the love, the support from all the Mexican Americans that lived in the United States.
“Above all, the Mexicans, [they] truly are the ones who support other Mexicans who go and triumph in the United States. For them it’s something great that one can represent them. I always tried to represent them in the best way. Fortunately, I gained their respect, but above all, I won the love of the people. Nobody can take it away from me.
“They were great, they were huge for me because I always had the support of all the Mexicans that moved [to the U.S.]. I don’t even remember any more if I won or lost, I think I won more than I lost!
“The one thing I’m left with is with the joy that I gave to the Mexicans there, the euphoria with which they received me, they presented me, and they followed me. I always have that. …
“There are opponents that are complicated for us. The truth is that for me, Frankie Randall’s style was always complicated for me. Even in the third fight, because in the second fight, even though I beat him, the truth is that if it weren’t for the head butt no one knows how it would have gone for me because I was already really tired.
“Honestly in that fight, I had prepared like never before. My addiction was already very far along. But I stopped for a bit there because I had lost, I wanted to avenge my loss. I stopped a bit, despite the fact that my addiction was already very advanced. I stopped a bit, I tried to stop a bit in order to take back my title and that’s how it went. I think I went a bit too far, I prepared so well, that I went into the fight over-trained. In the second round, I felt that my arms were already falling.
“Fortunately, thank God, based on pure experience I took the fight. I had another fight against him in Mexico City where I already knew his style and there, I beat him more easily.”
Vargas also was joined by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman.