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Bobby Chacon

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Bobby Chacon (November 28, 1951 – September 7, 2016) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1988. He held titles in two weight classes, including the WBC featherweight title from September 1974 to June 1975 and the WBC super featherweight title from December 1982 to June 1983.

Bobby Chacon
Chacon (right) vs. Boza-Edwards
Born(1951-11-28)November 28, 1951
Sylmar, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 7, 2016(2016-09-07) (aged 64)
Lake Elsinore, California, U.S.
Other namesSchoolboy
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 5+1⁄2 in (166 cm)
Reach64 in (163 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights67
Wins59
Wins by KO47
Losses7
Draws1

Biography

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Early career

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Born in Pacoima, in the San Fernando Valley, Chacon, who was of Mexican descent, graduated from San Fernando High School and turned professional in 1972 while a student at California State University, Northridge, leading to the nickname "Schoolboy".[1][2][3] He trained under Joe Ponce and won his first 19 fights, including a win against former champion Jesus Castillo. Fourteen months into his professional career, Chacon faced world champion Rubén Olivares but lost the bout when Olivares scored a ninth-round knock out. After suffering his first defeat against Olivares, Chacon won his next four bouts, then faced off against cross-town rival and future champion Danny Lopez. Chacon outboxed Lopez and stopped him in the ninth round in an exciting fight.

WBC Featherweight title

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On September 7, 1974, Chacon won the vacant WBC Featherweight title by defeating former WBA Junior Lightweight champion Alfredo Marcano in nine rounds at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. During his first period as a world champion, Chacon got to enjoy the good life, but he loved partying and became an alcoholic.[4][5]

Chacon lost his title in his second defense against arch-rival Rubén Olivares. Almost immediately after the loss, he fought the first of his four fight rivalry with another world champion, Rafael "Bazooka" Limón, beginning what some boxing experts and historians called one of the fiercest and most spectacular boxing rivalries in history. Limón beat Chacon in their first bout by a decision. Chacon then scored nine straight wins, leading him to a third match with Olivares. This time, Chacon defeated Olivares in their 10-round bout by a decision. In Chacon's next fight, he lost an upset decision to Arturo Leon. Chacon rebounded by scoring victories over Ignacio Campos, Augie Pantellas, Gerald Hayes and Shig Fukuyama. He then fought to a technical draw in a rematch against Rafael Limón.

In November 1979, Chacon received a shot at the WBC title, versus world champion Alexis Argüello. Arguello defeated him by a devastating knock out after Chacon sustained a bad cut in the seventh round. In 1980, Chacon had only one fight, but it was a significant one. He beat Limón in their third bout, and the WBC once again made him their number one challenger. In 1981, Arguello had left the title vacant and gone up in weight to pursue the world's Lightweight title. Limón then beat Idelfonso Bethelmy by a knockout in 15 in Los Angeles to win the WBC world Jr. Lightweight championship. In his first title defense, he lost it by a decision to Uganda's Cornelius Boza-Edwards, who, in turn, defended his title against Chacon on his first defense. In a televised bout, Edwards retained the world title by a knockout in the thirteenth round.

Chacon won five fights in a row in 1982, including a rematch victory over Arturo Leon, which kept him as the number one challenger, but then a dramatic development outside the ring changed his life forever: Chacon's wife, Valorie Chacon, flew to Hawaii on February of that year, hoping to convince him to leave boxing and move there if she found them good jobs. She was able to find a job, but unable to convince him to join her in Hawaii, so she flew back. She pleaded for him to leave the sport but was unsuccessful, and the night before he boxed Salvador Ugalde, she shot and killed herself with a rifle. Chacon went through with the fight and KO'ed Ugalde in the third round. He dedicated his win to his deceased wife.[6]

WBC Super featherweight title

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Two more victories followed before his fourth and final bout with Limón. Limón had regained the world's Jr. Lightweight title by beating Rolando Navarrete by a knockout in 12 rounds. Navarrete, for his part, had won the title by beating Edwards by a knockout in five rounds. Chacon-Limón IV became one of the fights of the year and the decade, according to such magazines as The Ring, KO Magazine, and Ring En Español, and after 15 rounds Chacon secured a close decision and his second world title in Sacramento.[5]

About one and a half years after his wife's suicide, Chacon remarried and bought a large farm with a mansion and, according to what he said at an interview, about 40 horses. He also acquired a collection of Rolls-Royce cars and some other vehicles. In between, he and Boza Edwards met for a second time, with his world title on the line, in what The Ring called 1983's fight of the year. Chacon rose from a knockdown in round three and recovered from a dangerous cut. The announcers, including Ferdie Pacheco, were explicit in saying the fight should be stopped because of the pounding Chacon endured. But Chacon came back to drop Boza Edwards in round twelve and avenge his earlier defeat to the Ugandan former champion. In 1983, Chacon was signed to defend his WBC title in that rematch against Boza Edwards, who was the WBC's mandatory challenger. Even though WBC rules stated the mandatory challenger should receive a shot at the title, the WBC insisted Chacon fight Héctor Camacho in Puerto Rico instead, then stripped him of his title when he refused.[7]

Chacon started 1984 with a move up in weight, to the Lightweight division, where he tried to join the exclusive club of boxing's three division world champions, but was knocked out in three during his challenge against world champion Ray Mancini in Reno. Chacon then beat Carlton Sparrow by a TKO in five rounds and announced his retirement. Chacon came back in 1985 and he won five fights, including one against former world champion Arturo Frias by a knockout in seven, and a knockout in five over Rafael Solis, who had challenged Camacho for the world Jr. Lightweight title that had once belonged to Chacon.[8] In 1987 and 1989 he won one fight each year. He retired in 1989 winning 14 out of his last 15 fights.

Professional boxing record

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67 fights 59 wins 7 losses
By knockout 47 5
By decision 12 2
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
67 Win 59–7–1 Bobby Jones UD 10 Jun 2, 1988 Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall, Orlando, Florida, U.S.
66 Win 58–7–1 Martin Guevera TKO 3 (10), 2:01 Jun 23, 1987 Holiday Inn Holidome, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
65 Win 57–7–1 Rafael Solis TKO 5 (10) Oct 4, 1985 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S.
64 Win 56–7–1 Arturo Frias TKO 7 (10), 2:03 Aug 15, 1985 Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.
63 Win 55–7–1 Davey Montana KO 8 (10), 2:19 May 20, 1985 Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.
62 Win 54–7–1 Freddie Roach MD 10 Mar 5, 1985 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
61 Win 53–7–1 Carlton Sparrow TKO 5 (10), 2:19 Jun 12, 1984 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
60 Loss 52–7–1 Ray Mancini TKO 3 (15), 1:17 Jan 14, 1984 Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S. For WBA lightweight title
59 Win 52–6–1 Cornelius Boza Edwards UD 12 May 15, 1983 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
58 Win 51–6–1 Rafael Limón UD 15 Dec 11, 1982 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S. Won WBC super-featherweight title
57 Win 50–6–1 Arturo Leon UD 10 Jun 15, 1982 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
56 Win 49–6–1 Rosendo Ramirez TKO 8 (10) May 4, 1982 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
55 Win 48–6–1 Salvador Ugalde TKO 3 (10), 1:52 Mar 16, 1982 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
54 Win 47–6–1 Renan Marota TKO 8 (10) Feb 23, 1982 Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California, U.S.
53 Win 46–6–1 Augustin Rivera RTD 6 (10), 3:00 Nov 7, 1981 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
52 Loss 45–6–1 Cornelius Boza Edwards RTD 13 (15) May 30, 1981 Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. For WBC super-featherweight title
51 Win 45–5–1 Leon Smith TKO 3 (10) Mar 12, 1981 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
50 Win 44–5–1 Roberto Garcia TKO 10 (10), 2:55 Feb 5, 1981 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
49 Win 43–5–1 Rafael Limón SD 10 Mar 21, 1980 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
48 Loss 42–5–1 Alexis Argüello RTD 7 (15), 3:00 Nov 16, 1979 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. For WBC super-featherweight title
47 Win 42–4–1 Jose Torres UD 10 Jun 18, 1979 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
46 Draw 41–4–1 Rafael Limón TD 7 (12), 1:22 Apr 9, 1979 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S. For NABF super-featherweight title
45 Win 41–4 Shig Fukuyama TKO 5 (10), 1:22 Feb 26, 1979 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
44 Win 40–4 Gerald Hayes UD 10 Dec 6, 1978 Civic Auditorium, Stockton, California, U.S.
43 Win 39–4 Augie Pantellas TKO 7 (10), 1:32 Sep 27, 1978 Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
42 Win 38–4 Ignacio Campos TKO 7 (10), 0:47 May 19, 1978 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S.
41 Loss 37–4 Arturo Leon SD 10 Nov 15, 1977 Convention Center, Anaheim, California, U.S.
40 Win 37–3 Rubén Olivares UD 10 Aug 20, 1977 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
39 Win 36–3 Alejandro Lopez RTD 7 (10) Jul 15, 1977 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S.
38 Win 35–3 Miguel Estrada TKO 2 (10), 1:42 Jun 9, 1977 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
37 Win 34–3 Ramon Contreras TKO 8 (10), 1:16 May 19, 1977 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
36 Win 33–3 Julio Leal TKO 7 (10), 1:54 Jan 13, 1977 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
35 Win 32–3 Miguel Meza TKO 3 (10), 0:44 Dec 16, 1976 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
34 Win 31–3 Bonnie Necessario TKO 2 (10) Nov 10, 1976 Civic Auditorium, Stockton, California, U.S.
33 Win 30–3 David Sotelo UD 10 Feb 25, 1976 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
32 Win 29–3 Modesto Concepcion TKO 10 (10), 2:59 Feb 17, 1976 Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, U.S.
31 Win 28–3 Gene Prado KO 5 (10), 1:09 Jan 27, 1976 Wilson Theater, Fresno, California, U.S.
30 Loss 27–3 Rafael Limón UD 10 Dec 7, 1975 Plaza de Toros Calafia, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
29 Win 27–2 Fel Clemente TKO 5 (10), 2:44 Nov 18, 1975 Honolulu International Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
28 Loss 26–2 Rubén Olivares TKO 2 (15), 2:29 Jun 20, 1975 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. Lost WBC featherweight title
27 Win 26–1 Jesus Estrada KO 2 (15), 2:38 Mar 1, 1975 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Retained WBC featherweight title
26 Win 25–1 Alfredo Marcano TKO 9 (15), 2:18 Sep 7, 1974 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Won vacant WBC featherweight title
25 Win 24–1 Danny Lopez TKO 9 (12), 0:48 May 24, 1974 Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
24 Win 23–1 Genzo Kurosawa TKO 5 (10), 2:03 Mar 4, 1974 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
23 Win 22–1 Jorge Ramos TKO 5 (10), 2:19 Feb 1, 1974 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S.
22 Win 21–1 Jose Luis Martin del Campo TKO 9 (10), 0:46 Oct 13, 1973 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
21 Win 20–1 Jorge Ramos TKO 10 (10), 2:37 Sep 28, 1973 Coliseum, San Diego, California, U.S.
20 Loss 19–1 Rubén Olivares RTD 9 (12) Jun 23, 1973 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. For NABF featherweight title
19 Win 19–0 Chucho Castillo TKO 10 (10), 1:35 Apr 28, 1973 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
18 Win 18–0 Frankie Crawford UD 10 Mar 30, 1973 Convention Center, Anaheim, California, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 Jose Luis Martin del Campo TKO 3 (10), 0:43 Feb 28, 1973 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Arturo Pineda KO 5 (10), 1:00 Feb 15, 1973 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Ray Echevarria TKO 1 (10), 2:06 Nov 6, 1972 Valley Music Theater, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Alberto Reyes TKO 9 (10), 0:18 Oct 16, 1972 Valley Music Theater, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 Valente Vera TKO 5 (10), 1:40 Sep 11, 1972 Convention Center, Anaheim, California, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Juan Montayo TKO 8 (8), 0:33 Aug 21, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Modesto Boy Dayaganon TKO 2 (?) Aug 11, 1972 Wailuku Stadium, Maui County, Hawaii, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Alfredo De La Rosa KO 4 (5) Jul 31, 1972 Convention Center, Anaheim, California, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Alberto Perez KO 5 (6), 2:21 Jul 17, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Jesus Robles KO 2 (6), 2:16 Jun 30, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Alfredo De La Rosa UD 5 Jun 19, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Ray Llamas KO 1 (6), 1:41 Jun 5, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Luis Robles KO 1 (6), 2:27 May 22, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Henry Felix KO 1 (5), 2:59 May 15, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Ruben Coria KO 2 (5) May 8, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Limon Salas KO 1 (6), 1:42 Apr 22, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Jose Antonio Rosa KO 5 (6), 2:30 Apr 7, 1972 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.

Later life and death

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Chacon was placed on probation in 1984 for beating his second of three wives.[4] His life was again marred by tragedy in 1991, when his son Bobby Jr. was killed in a gang slaying.[4] In 1996, he was spotted at a public appearance in Phoenix, Arizona, to see the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez. By 2000 he had lost most of his savings and was being cared for by a nurse as he was impacted by dementia pugilistica (boxer's syndrome).[4][9] He died after falling while in hospice care for dementia on September 7, 2016.[1][2][3] He was 64.

Honors and references

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In 1982, he was named comeback fighter of the year by The Ring. His wins over Limon in 1982 and Edwards in 1983, were both named Ring Magazine fights of the year. In 2003, Chacon was included on The Ring's list of "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time".[10][unreliable source?] Chacon was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in January 2005;[1] he was to be inducted into the West Boxing Hall of Fame later in September 2016.[2][3]

The chorus of Warren Zevon's song "Boom Boom Mancini", from his 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene, makes reference to Chacon's fight with Mancini three years earlier.[3] Chacon died thirteen years to the day after Zevon.[11]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bobby Chacon.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Hall of Fame boxer Bobby Chacon dies at 64". The Washington Times. Associated Press. September 8, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Pugmire, Lance (September 7, 2016). "Bobby Chacon, former two-division boxing champion from Sylmar, dies at 64". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b c d Roberts, Sam (September 10, 2016). "Bobby Chacon, Boxing Champion Hounded by Misfortune, Dies at 64". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b c d Dominguez, Fernando (May 6, 1999). "Former World Champion Boxer Bobby Chacon, 47, Suffers From Pugilistic Dementia and Chronic Substance Abuse, but Again He Is Trying to Get . . . Off the Canvas". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Rafael, Dan (September 7, 2016). "Hall of Fame boxer Bobby Chacon dies at 64". ESPN.
  6. ^ "Chacon's Wife in Suicide; Wanted Him to Quit Ring". The New York Times. March 16, 1982. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  7. ^ Heller, Peter (1988). Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Story. New York, New York: New American Library. pp. 220–221. ISBN 0-688-10123-2.
  8. ^ Amato, Jim (October 29, 2010). "Why Bobby Chacon was Bad to the Bone" – via David Martinez, DMBoxing.com.
  9. ^ Sares, Ted (December 23, 2007). "Bobby Chacon and Danny 'Little Red' Lopez". East Side Boxing. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007.
  10. ^ "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!". Box Rec. August 29, 2010.
  11. ^ Sweeting, Adam (September 8, 2003). "Obituary: Warren Zevon". The Guardian. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
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Sporting positions
World boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Éder Jofre 		WBC featherweight champion
September 7, 1974 – June 20, 1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by WBC super-featherweight champion
December 11, 1982 – June 27, 1983
Stripped 		Vacant
Title next held by
Héctor Camacho
Awards
Previous:
Sugar Ray Leonard TKO 14
Thomas Hearns I 		The Ring Fight of the Year
W 15 Rafael Limón IV
1982 		Next:
Himself W 12
Cornelius Boza-Edwards II
Previous:
Himself W 15
Rafael Limón IV 		The Ring Fight of the Year
W 12 Cornelius Boza-Edwards II
1983 		Next:
José Luis Ramírez KO 4
Edwin Rosario
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