Austin has its first world champion boxer. Jesus Chavez trains at Lord's Gym in Austin, and he won the WBC super featherweight championship in his hometown on Friday.
"It's been a struggle for me all my life. I'm the happiest man right now," Chavez said.
"This really is a no nonsense, great feel good American story. I mean it really is," said Bob Arum, president of Top Rank Boxing.
The 130-pound fighter claimed his first world title with a unanimous decision over Sirimongkol Singmanassuk on Friday at the Austin Convention Center.
But Chavez has had to overcome bumps in the road on his rise to the top.
As a teenager, he served 3 ½ years in prison for robbing a grocery store in Chicago. And after that, he was deported to Mexico twice, before receiving a permanent resident visa in 2001. Later that year, he lost his first world title fight to Floyd Mayweather.
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World champ
Jesus Chavez is the new WBC Super Featherweight World Champion.
 
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"When I fought Floyd I was tense. I wanted the title too bad, if you know what I mean. In this case I was a little bit more relaxed," Chavez said.
But he never let the Singmanassuki relax on Friday night.
"I'm the type of fighter that comes and comes and comes and keeps on coming. I'm probably like the energizer bunny," Chavez said.
Had Chavez lost the fight, it could have been his last title shot, but now his future looks better than ever.
"I'm going to defend this title with all of my heart. I'm going to defend this title and try to keep it as long as my career is fruitful," Chavez.
Chavez earned $80,000 in Friday's fight, and he now has bigger paydays ahead of him as a world champion.
