LOS ANGELES (KXXV) — According to the Associated Press, Julio César Chávez Jr., the eldest son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez, was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles by federal immigration authorities for overstaying his visa, officials confirmed.
Chávez Jr., 39, was once seen as the heir to his father's legacy, having grown up ringside alongside his younger brother, Omar, watching their father compete on some of boxing’s biggest stages.
Their father, widely regarded as Mexico’s greatest boxer, claimed world titles in three weight divisions during the 1980s and ’90s and remains a revered figure in Mexican sports.
Both Chávez sons took up boxing at a young age. Chávez Jr. began fighting as an amateur at just 11 years old, facing Jorge “Maromerito” Páez — the son of fellow Mexican boxer Jorge Páez — in an early bout.
At 17, Chávez Jr. made his professional debut in his hometown of Culiacán, defeating Jonathan Hernandez in a six-round fight. Though he never quite matched his father’s dominance in the ring, Chávez Jr. captured a WBC middleweight title in 2011 and held it for two years.
