Chávez wore a black ribbon on the night of September 21, 1985, during his world title defense against Dwight Pratchett, to honor all his countrymen and women who fell during the Mexico City earthquake of September 17, 1985.
Chávez's relationship with boxing promoter Don King was always controversial. After being threatened by a gang that his son would be kidnapped, Chávez became one of the first people to denounce the Kidnappings Of Famous People's Relatives in Mexico during the middle and late 1990s.
On November 24, 2003, he returned to the ring, to avenge an earlier loss to Willy Wise, knocking Wise out in two rounds at Mexico City.
Chávez's record stands at 105 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws, with 80 wins by knockout.