Tune In Tonight At 10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME® To Relive Chavez vs. Hector “Macho” Camacho; Watch Round 12 NOW:http://s.sho.com/2996PsP
Plus, Chavez vs. Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, vs.Frankie Randall II and vs. Meldrick Taylor II On “Throwback Thursdays” This Month
NEW YORK (July 7, 2016) – Widely acknowledged as the preeminent Mexican-born fighter in history and one of the greatest prizefighters of all time, Julio Cesar Chavez will be honored as SHOWTIME Sports® airs classic Chavez fights in continuation of its year-long celebration of 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
The month will be highlighted by four of the incomparable Chavez’ most memorable fights – against Hector “Macho” Camacho, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, the second of three fights with Frankie Randall and the rematch with Meldrick Taylor. All four fights will air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME (full schedule below).
For years, the revered ring legend was considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. In an amazing 25-year-career (1980-2005), Chavez fought 115 times (107-6-2 with 88 knockouts). At the highest level, he competed in four weight classes – 130 pounds to 147 pounds – and was a six-time world champion in three divisions.
He holds records for the most world title successful defenses (27), most title fight victories (31), most title fights (37) and the second-most title defenses won by knockout (21, after Joe Louis with 23). Chavez was 31-4-2 with 21 KOs in world title fights. A multiple Fighter of the Year winner, Chavez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
The fights will air on “Throwback Thursday” during the month of July at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME® and are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service.
Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of July:
- TONIGHT/Thursday, July 7: Chavez vs. Camacho
- Thursday, July 14: Chavez vs. Whitaker
- Thursday, July 21: Chavez Randal II
- Thursday, July 28: Chavez vs. Taylor II
“Throwback Thursday” Tidbits
- WBC super featherweight champion Chavez (81-0) and his WBO counterpart, Camacho, fought on Sept. 12, 1992, in Las Vegas. JCC turned back a determined bid by “Macho” to take a unanimous 12-round decision.
- Chavez had an 87-fight winning streak end when he and WBC welterweight champion Whitaker fought to a highly controversial 12-round majority draw in Sept. 10, 1993, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. One judge scored it for “Sweet Pea” by 115-113; the others had it 115-115.
- Chavez was dealt his initial defeat on a 12-round split decision to nemesis Randall on Jan. 29, 1994. In the rematch the following May 7, Chavez won a razor-thin, split eight-round technical decision after the fight was stopped because of a large cut over Chavez’ eyebrow. Chavez and Randall would fight a third time, with Chavez taking the rubber match on a clear, unanimous 10-round decision on May 22, 2004.
- Chavez went 2-0 against Taylor, winning by eighth-round knockout in a rematch on Sept. 17, 1994. In their initial fight four-and-a-half years earlier, Chavez rallied to win by 12th-round stoppage.
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Based in New York City, DiBella (pictured to left) is the former Head of Boxing for HBO, creating the highly successful “Boxing After Dark” series. His promotional company, DiBella Entertainment, has promoted countless boxing events at Mohegan Sun Arena and Foxwoods Resort Casino during the past two decades. DiBella also owned the Connecticut Defenders minor league baseball team that was based in Norwich. His top fighters have included Sergio Martinez,Bernard Hopkins, Paulie Malignaggi, Jermain Taylor, CBHOF inductee “Irish” Micky Ward, and Andre Berto among the more notables. A Harvard Law School graduate, DiBella is also a successful movie producer.
Finkel (pictured to right with the late Emanuel Steward), also from New York City, is an International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee who was a fixture at Connecticut fights for many years as either a promoter or manager. He is also a successful manager in the music industry. In the early 1990s, Finkel was arguably the most powerful manager in boxing. His most celebrated clients included Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor and Wladimir Klitschko.
Timothy (pictured to left with Sugar Ray Leonard) was boxing commissioner of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal National Commission at Foxwoods from 1995 to 2009. He was mentored by the late John Burns, who was the founder of the CBHOF of which he is also an inductee. During his tenure at Foxwoods, Timothy regulated hundreds of pro events, including 90 title fight. Highlights of his reign included CBHOF inductee John Ruiz–Evander Holyfield III for the WBA world heavyweight championship and, perhaps, the greatest fight in Foxwoods history, the IBF world cruiserweight title fight between James Toney and Vassily Jirov. Other stars who fought at Foxwoods when Timothy was in charge include Roy Jones, Jr., Diego Corrales, Shane Mosely and Acelino Freitas, along with CBHOF inductees Dana Rosenblatt, Peter Manfredo, Jr. and U.S. Olympian Lawrence Clay-Bey.