Today in Boxing History: Frankie Randall decisions J.C. Chavez

On this day in 1994, Frankie Randall won the WBC light welterweight title with a split decision over Julio Cesar Chavez in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the first time Chavez had been beaten in 91 fights.

Chavez began his career in 1980, always emerging victorious over every opponent he ever faced. Along the way, he won titles at super featherweight, lightweight, and light welterweight. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, Chavez was recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

However, his unbeaten streak was not without controversy. Among the disputes were a disqualification loss to Miguel Ruiz that was later changed to a knockout victory, a controversial 12th-round TKO victory over Meldrick Taylor, and a draw with Pernell Whitaker so questionable that Sports Illustrated’s coverage of the fight was simply titled, “Robbed.�

With Randall, most boxing experts predicted that Chavez would win without controversy, but the challenger was full of surprises. He took the fight to the champion and built a large lead on the judges’ scorecards. Chavez also had two points deducted for low blows. In the 11th round, Randall sent Chavez to the canvas for the first time in his career. The final scorecards read 114-113 for Chavez and 114-113 and 116-111 in favor of Randall.

A rematch took place four months later and Chavez won his title back with a technical decision. The two then met for a rubber match in 2004, with Chavez winning a 10-round unanimous decision.