Photos by Chris Cozzone
A festive crowd of over 18,000 fight fans, last night at he Plaza de Toros Monumental in the Playas suburb of Tijuana, Mexico, witnessed the son of legend Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0-1, 29 KOs) struggle to capture the WBC Latino super welterweight title, with a ten-round unanimous decision over the surprisingly enduring Luciano Cuello (23-1, 10 KOs) of La Plata, Argentina.
The ten-round title fight topped off the Top Rank-promoted “Latin Fury 8-Tijuana Thunder” card televised on Pay-Per-View.
Early in the first round, the Culiacan fighter began to land the family heirloom, the left hook to the body, throwing three-punch combos. The shorter Cuello, moving forward, landed his own set of hooks and short uppercuts when in close or when trapping Chavez against the ropes.
In the second, Cuello’s ribs began to get tenderized and red by the constant left hook to the body from Chavez. The pressure began to mount for Cuello as Chavez began to get in a rhythm of jab-right hand and then, left hook to the mid section. At times, Jr. would add a right one for good measure. Cuello confusingly began to stand there and take the punishment, only offering a sporadic power punch to the body himself.
Early in the third, Cuello had a moment as he trapped Chavez against the ropes and landed a series of punches. Chavez took the action to the middle of the ring again and landed a right hand that bloodied the nose of Cuello. The blood flowing from Cuello’s nose was almost as red as his right side of his torso from the constant body shots. Near the end of the round with his back to the corner, Chavez Jr. unleashed a left hook that wobbled Cuello and made the Argentinean utilize the shell defense. As Cuello felt that he was letting the fight slip away, he decided to exchange leather with Chavez Jr. until the end of the round to the delight of the pro-Chavez crowd.
In his best round yet, Cuello bloodied the nose of Chavez Jr. in the fourth with a series of stiff jabs that helped push
his opponent against the ropes. With nowhere for Chavez to go, Cuello was able to go to work to the midsection of Chavez with hooks and short uppercuts, occasionally venturing with a right hand to Chavez’s face.
Chavez began to box in the fifth as Cuello continued to stalk him. Near the end of the round, Cuello threw a beautiful quick three-punch combination that although missing, caught Chavez’s attention. With his nose beaten to a bloody pulp, Cuello stepped up the pace in the sixth and continued to attack Chavez’s body with his own set of power left and right hooks. Chavez seemed to slow down considerably as he moved around the ring trying to avoid what was beginning to look like an unrelenting assault.
Chavez’s fatigue began to become apparent in the seventh round as Cuello kept coming forward. Chavez, instead of meeting him in the center of the ring like in the earlier rounds, backed away, circling the ring and trying to keep the charging Cuello at bay.
In the eighth, the crowd began to show their displeasure at the mounting lack of action inside the ring. As soon as the jeers diminished, Chavez answered in turn with a hard combination in the inside to Cuello’s chest and mid section. Chavez closed the round strong as Cuello’s nose kept gushing out blood.
A new Chavez came out for the ninth as he began to attack the body again with renewed zeal while Cuello tried to stay inside the punches and attack the body as well. With his father, the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., giving him instructions in between rounds, Chavez again attacked the body trying to slow down Cuello. Cuello took the attack and responded with one of his own landing counter right hands over the left hook.
The last round began to get into a pulse as Chavez assaulted the body with two or three hooks and then Cuello
responded with straight punches to the face enough to win him the round.
The ebb continued until the final bell of the tenth and final round.
Official scores were Lou Filippo 96-94 and Bleas 96-95. It was originally announced that Monique Rendon had seen the bout 98-92, the score was later corrected to a closer 97-93.
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