OSCAR LARIOS
PROFILE AND BIO

Tall and lanky, with brutal power in both hands, WBC super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios has made it his business to carry on the storied legacy of the legendary fighters who have called Mexico home. And since becoming champion in 2002, that goal is getting closer to reality every day.

A native of Zapopan , Jalisco , Mexico , Larios, 28, launched his pro career in 1994 with a first round knockout of David Garcia.  Over the next three years, "Chololo" compiled an impressive 20-0 record before meeting Israel Vazquez in 1997.  Larios, who was knocked down in the first by Vazquez, wasn't allowed to continue by the referee, a decision that is still a sore spot with “Chololo”, who believes he should have been given the opportunity to fight on. Despite the defeat, Larios knew he would eventually meet Vazquez again years later.

In the meantime, Larios continued to add up the victories, losing only in a 1998 challenge of WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champ Agapito Sanchez, in which the rough tactics of Sanchez opened a cut over Larios' eye, bringing a halt to the bout in the fifth round. 

Less than a month later, Larios, eager to redeem himself, took on Javier Calderon for the Mexican super bantamweight championship. Calderon didn't have a chance against the focused Larios and was stopped in just two rounds.

Eight times Larios defended his crown, with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout. But there was a bigger world to conquer for “Chololo”, and in June 2000, he came closer to his dream of a world title when he decisioned Cesar Soto over 12 rounds in a WBC title elimination match.

In January 2001, Larios finally got a shot at a world title when he faced WBC super bantamweight king Willie Jorrin in Jorrin's hometown of Sacramento , California .  At the end of their twelve round bout, virtually the only people who believed Jorrin had retained his title were the three who matter - the ringside judges.  Yet many media outlets voted Jorrin W12 Larios to be the worst decision of the year.

Over the next two years Larios would make a point of righting all that was wrong in his career.  Over 2001-2002, seven victories followed for Larios, including two career-defining wins. 

In May of 2002, Larios avenged his loss to Vazquez by stopping him in 12 rounds in an action-packed brawl that was a Fight of the Year candidate.  With the win, Larios was named the interim WBC super bantamweight champion, with a rematch against Jorrin promised for later that year.

And when the two rivals squared off again, this time in November 2002, Larios brought his own judges with him to Sacramento , knocking out Jorrin in a single round to win the WBC crown outright.

With his title firmly in hand, and with no doubters left, Larios has gone global, kicking off HBO Latino's Oscar De La Hoya Presents Boxeo De Oro series in January 2003 with a non-title decision win over Marcos Licona, and then traveling to Japan to defend his title twice.

In his April 2003 defense against Shigeru Nakazato, Larios suffered a broken jaw, yet still gutted out a clear-cut 12 round decision win. After healing up, the champion again returned to the Land of the Rising Sun in September, stopping Kozo Ishii in two rounds.

In November 2003, Larios headlined his first pay-per-view show when he stopped Thailand's hard-hitting Napapol Kiatisakchokchai in the 10 th round on the Fiesta De La Hoya: Night of the Aztec Warriors card.

2004 kicked off with a title defense in Japan , with Larios once again defeating Nakazato via a lopsided 12 round decision. After two non-title wins to stay busy (W10 Jesus Perez and W10 Ivan Alvarez), Larios put his crown on the line successfully on November 27 with a dominating 12 round decision over highly regarded contender Nedal Hussein on the Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales undercard, once again solidifying his credentials as the top gun at 122 pounds.

Larios' 2005 campaign kicked off with a stirring 12-round unanimous decision victory over former world champion, Wayne McCullough in February. The torrid action and ebb and flow of the bout was so good that not only do many fans consider it a fight of the year candidate, but they also insisted that the two warriors do it again, which they did on the Bernard Hopkins vs Jermain Taylor undercard in July. This time though, it was no contest, as Larios held back the spirited effort of McCullough en route to a decisive 10th round stoppage.

The win set up one of the most highly anticipated bouts ever at 122 pounds, as Larios will face Vazquez for a third time on December 3rd, to not only unify the WBC and IBF belts, but to truly settle the score between the two Mexican warriors.