Julio Cesar Chavez vs Meldrick Taylor

[Memphis]

I know there's so much to be said for this fight but the one thing that sticks in my mind was Lou Duva. I wont say he cost Taylor the fight. OK fuck it, he cost Taylor the fight. The shitty 'advice' going into the 12th. Jumping on the ring apron and distracting your guy just as the referee is looking for a response from him. Bizarre stuff.

[Master]

Lou lies in the documentary that was made after the fight. He said he told Taylor to stay away as he was ahead on points but in reality he was telling him to win the last round which did cost Taylor the fight.

That fight was brilliant and 2 elite fighters at the top of their game facing one another.

[Spicoli]

This classic came roaring back to life last month immediately after Bryant Perrella was ko'd with 1 second left in a fight he had all but dominated. I remember at the time thinking Taylor was robbed and being po'd. But what I lost track of was exactly how much damage Chavez actually did throughout that entire fight. Internally and physically Taylor was really feeling it bad. One of the more unneeded rematches after Taylor was just a shell years later. Ol Chavez wanted his 'clear' redemption and he did the very same thing to the faded ghost of Frankie Randall.

[mikeeod]

Amazing fight. When people say the best fight of recent memory is Gatti-Ward or Castillo-Coralles in a definitive manner I become a little disappointed. Both were exciting fights, but in my opinion they didn’t reach the skill level or importance of JCC vs Taylor.

Meldrick paid a heavy price, and I wish he had been given that win for no other reason than that fight ruined him and he was never the same again. Broken orbital bone, cracked ribs, horrific cut in his mouth, and he swallowed 2 pints of blood during the fight. I remember reading one of the docs saying he usually saw that level of damage in car crash victims.

I always wonder why this fight doesn’t receive more attention or appreciation from fans (same with Barrera vs Morales 1 and Raph Marquez vs Izzy Vasquez) and commentators. Taylor was too tough for his own good and his hand speed was unbelievable. This was prime Chavez and he was the ultimate predator in the ring- efficient and destructive behind a relentless attack- much of it to the body.

[Master]

I saw the fight after I knew the result and I am a big JCC fan so when I was scoring it I had it a lot closer than other people had it. The damage that Chavez was causing with his punches were clearly visible whilst Taylor’s punches just seemed to not bother him.

Just a brilliant fight and I would have loved to see Floyd in with this Julio Caser Chavez.

[Fenster]

I always argued the stoppage was correct, then a few years ago changed my mind, just watching it again changed back to the stoppage was correct. Regardless of the figures and circumstances at the time Taylor was in no condition to take another punch regardless of whether Chavez would have landed one.

Like Memphis said Lou jumping on the ring apron caused the big confusion. Imagine he was saying stop it yet Steele let him go? 2 seconds left? Yeah, watch Mosley-Mayorga? Whether or not Chavez lands another shot Taylor was in no condition to take one.

(I watched this fight with my dad in my sisters house on a sunday afternoon repeat, nobody had SKY/cable back then, well nobody working class)

[Master]

Lets score this great fight round by round.

I will give everyone 48 hours for posters to say who wins that particular round we are voting on.

[Master]

Round 1 goes to Taylor who although not landing cleanly was slightly more busier than Chavez who was slow and could not set to land his punches.