LOS ANGELES – Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. dethroned Germany’s Sebastian Zbik by majority decision to seize the World Boxing Council middleweight title on Saturday in a showdown of unbeaten fighters.
Chavez secured his first world title in the same city where his father, a three-division world champion set to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame next week, captured his first world title.
Chavez Jr. improved to 43-0 with one drawn on judges scores of 115-113 and 116-112 while the third judge scored the bout a 114-114 draw.
Zbik, in his first pro fight outside Europe, fell to 30-1. He had not fought since last July, when he took a unanimous decision over Argentina’s Jorge Sebastian Heiland in Hamburg.
Chavez is expected to make the first defense of his crown against Argentine southpaw Sergio Gabriel Martinez, 47-2-2, in October at Las Vegas.