Julio Cesar Chavez

By Peter Palmiere

Here's four Julio Cesar Chavez moments. I'm a boxing reporter in the Los Angeles area and I first got started as a guest TV reporter for K-Cox Channel 12 out of Palos Verdes/San Pedro, California. My first moment came in the mid '90s when Chavez fought on the undercard of the Larry Holmes/Oliver McCall fight and there was a press conference in Los Angeles. I asked him about his relationship with Colosio (A Mexican political leader who was on his way of becoming President of Mexico when he was assassinated in Tijuana). His representatives were alarmed at the questions—political matters are considered taboo at Mexican sports pressers—even the Mexican press were shocked muttering: "Oh my god! Political question." He appeared not to hear me and went on to answer another question. The second incident involves my attendance at the Chavez/Miguel Angel Gonzales Los Angeles press conference and I asked him about Mike Tyson's involvement in Wrestlemania 13 and he immediately waves off the question and abruptly walks away.

I started my own show, Boxing Inside TV, which aired the show on K-PVP Channel 33 also seen in the Palos Verdes/San Pedro area and that lead to my third Chavez experience involves my attendance at the Floyd Mayweather Jr./Jesus Chavez press conference for their fight. Top Rank Inc. brought in Roger Mayweather and Chavez to help promote and hype the fight. In my interview with Chavez he dislikes the tone of the questions. We get into discussions about who will win the fight—he was unhappy when I picked Mayweather—and how would he would like to fight De La Hoya for free at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Chavez then starts playfully punching me and then finally he bites me in the tummy (no joke)... That has to be the most strange and bizarre of all the encounters with him.

My final experience happened in Las Vegas in May, 2005 where Top Rank Inc. held a press conference to announce the Chavez/Ivan Robinsion fight. I was attending the press conference not only representing my local show but now I was the west coast video correspondent for maxboxing.com and KOTV. KOTV stands for Knockout Television and is produced in England for Granada Television and is seen in 82 countries. Top Rank Inc. is calling this fight Adios and I am interviewing Chavez again. After a series of questions regarding the fight, I asked him if Robinson may be too tough a choice considering Julio's declining skills. He asked me. "What do you mean, haven't you seen me fight" I replied "Yes" and he stalks off. Apparently angering him, I approached him again to ask questions and gave me a dirty look and walked way. I had a second chance to ask him questions at the Los Angeles press conference which took place just days after the Las Vegas presser. I tried to ask questions but he remember me from the past and ignored my request. Finally he consented to a few questions and we ended the interview. Quite an experience but these were the encounters I had with Julio Cesar Chavez.

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