5 of the biggest boxing robberies of all time
5. Pernell Whitaker D12 Julio Cesar Chavez - September 10, 1993
The poster child for the boxing robbery happened over 30 years ago, in 1993. When two of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez, met, the scorecards overshadowed the events inside the ring.
Before facing Chavez, Whitaker moved up in weight, winning a title at welterweight against Buddy McGirt. This move by the Olympic gold medalist would dictate where the fight with Chavez would take place. Instead of being a unification match, as both men held titles at super lightweight, the bout would happen at a catchweight of 145 pounds.
The mega-fight would be for Whitaker’s WBC welterweight title, with Chavez attempting to become the fourth fighter to win titles in four weight classes.
Chavez entered the fight with Whitaker holding a stunning 87-0 undefeated record. Whitaker was also essentially undefeated. The only blemish on his record came against Jose Luis Ramirez in one of the worst decisions in boxing. The fight with Ramirez could have easily made this list.
In front of over 60,000 fans, primarily cheering for Chavez, Whitaker largely dominated the Mexican superstar.
There is a misconception about Whitaker in that he is usually remembered as a defensive fighter. While he did have stellar defensive acumen, he was also an offensively dynamic fighter, as he could throw at a high volume and fight from different ranges.
According to CompuBox, Whitaker is one of just a handful of fighters to have landed 500 punches or more in a fight.
Chavez was persistent throughout the fight and had moments in a few rounds, but the Norfolk, Virginia native always adjusted anytime his rival found any success. When the final bell rang, it was believed that Whitaker had done more than enough to win a wide decision.
Two of the three judges scored the match 115-115 with two even rounds. The other judge had Whitaker winning 115-113, signaling a majority draw. Chavez left with a dubious undefeated record. The punch statistics back up a Whitaker win as he outlanded Chavez 311 to 220 in total punches landed.
Sports Illustrated magazine famously put out an issue with the headline “Robbed” in the aftermath of the fight.