Bio

Tall and lanky, with brutal power in both hands, former 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 with each victory he scores, he is moving ever closer to that goal.

A native of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Larios, 29, 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 in Reynosa 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 on June 24 of 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 of 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.

But the Mexican warrior would not lose sight of his dream, and over the next two years he 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 on November 1, 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 of 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 in Tokyo 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.

On November 22, 2003, Larios headlined his first pay-per-view show when he stopped Thailand's hard-hitting Napapol Kiatisakchokchai in the 10th round on the “Fiesta De La Hoya: Night of the Aztec Warriors” card, which was telecast live on HBOPPV from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

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 in Las Vegas, 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 on February 10, 2005.  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-Jermain Taylor undercard in Las Vegas on July 16.  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 faced Vazquez for a third time on December 3, 2005 and though he fell short in the rubber match via a third round stoppage, ‘Chololo’ was back in the ring on July 2, 2006 against one of boxing’s best – Manny Pacquiao – at a new weight of 130 pounds, and he gave ‘The Pac Man’ one of his toughest battles before losing a 12 round decision.

Now came decision time for the 30-year old Larios, and he chose to move to his optimum weight of 126 pounds to chase after a featherweight championship. So far, it’s been an excellent choice, as he has won three in a row since the Pacquiao fight, and on July 21st, he will get his shot at the crown when he faces young gun Jorge Linares for the interim WBC featherweight championship.

It’s been a long journey so far for Larios, but he still has more to offer before he hangs up the mitts.