Legendary Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. is promising to get some payback, after his older brother was killed in his home in western Mexico, state authorities said Monday.
Sinaloa state prosecutor Juan Jose Rios said in a news conference that two men entered the rear of Rafael Chavez's house in Culiacan on Sunday night. One was armed and demanded money.
Some amount of money was handed over, but they demanded more, Rios said. When Chavez resisted he was shot.
Rios also said that overnight about 10 armed men kidnapped a still undetermined number of people from a restaurant in Culiacan. One of the victims has already been released, he said. The restaurant is popular with local politicians.
Junior middleweight contender Omar Chavez was the first member of the family to speak out.
"This is incredible, they just attacked my uncle 'Borrego' and when he did not want to give them the money, they killed him. It is incredible how people can take the life of someone who has children, a mother and wife, without knowing the pain and damage they will cause so easy. I can not believe it. I hope justice will be done," wrote Omar on his Instagram account.
Chavez Sr. is furious that nothing is being done about his brother's killing and vowed to get even on his own.
"This is not going to go unpunished I swear, I promise. The government has done nothing, I have not received any call from the governor. This was done yesterday and nothing... I will have to act on my own," Chavez Sr. said.
"This leaves us with anger .. because the truth is my brother did not die of drugs, he was helping a lot of people ... And now someone takes his life just like that."
Borrego, as he was known, was very supportive of his brothers and his fighting nephews.
Omar is scheduled to return to the ring in late July, while older brother Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was in action in May when he lost a twelve round unanimous decision to countryman Saul "Canelo" Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Murders are up significantly in Mexico this year. During the first five months of 2017, there were 9,916 killings nationwide - an increase of about 30 percent over the 7,638 slain during the same period last year.