Julio Cesar Chavez is one of the most beloved boxing legends in the sport.
The Mexican icon was regarded as the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the sport in the early 1990s, and also became a three-weight world champion at super-featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight.
His career spanned over 25 years, with his debut coming in February 1980 and his final professional bout taking place in September 2005, as Chavez had 115 fights in total.
He shared the ring with a number of big punchers, including Oscar De La Hoya and Kostya Tszyu, but it was another name that came to mind when he discussed the hardest hitter he ever faced.
Speaking to Ring, Chavez revealed that the most powerful fighter he ever took on was Edwin Rosario.
“Anywhere he hit me it hurt. Frankie Randall was also a hard puncher. [Against Rosario] it was my youth, it was the fact I was in my prime, it all helped me get through that fight.”
Chavez fought Rosario at the Hilton Las Vegas in November 1987 in his first bout at lightweight after making several defences of his WBC super featherweight title.
The fight ended with an 11th round TKO victory for Chavez, becoming the WBA lightweight champion in the process and extending his record to 56-0, with 45 knockouts.
While Puerto Rico’s Rosario – who ended his campaign with an incredible 40 knockouts from 47 wins and just six losses – gets the nod when it comes to the hardest hitter that Chavez has ever shared the ring with, it is someone else that the Mexican legend picked when determining who the best fighter he ever fought was.
