Bobby Chacon (November 28, 1951 - September 7, 2016) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1988. He was a two-time world boxing champion at Featherweight (1974) and Super Featherweight (1982). Chacon had a record of 59 wins, 7 losses and 1 draw, with 47 wins coming by knockout.
Born in Pacoima, in the San Fernando Valley, Chacon graduated from San Fernando High School and turned professional in 1972 while a student at California State University, Northridge, leading to the nickname "Schoolboy". 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. Chacon’s ninth-round stoppage of Danny “Little Red” Lopez in 1974 at the L.A. Sports Arena was just one of Chacon’s many epic victories.
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.
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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 also took on Rafael “Bazooka” Limon four times, going 2-1 with a draw. In their fourth fight, Chacon won a 15-round unanimous decision in a super featherweight title fight in Sacramento in 1982. Chacon was decked twice, Limon once. 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.
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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. There were Chacon’s two fights with Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Chacon was stopped by Boza-Edwards in the 13th round in 1981 in a super featherweight title fight in Las Vegas. Chacon came back to win a 12-round unanimous decision over Boza-Edwards in 1983 in Las Vegas. It was another Chacon fight that Ring Magazine honored as Fight of the Year.
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.
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.
In 1983, Chacon was signed to defend his WBC title in that rematch against Boza Edwards, who was the WBC's mandatory challenger. 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.
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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.
Chacon won his second world title on May 29, 1982, defeating Arturo Frias in Miami, Florida for the WBC Super Featherweight Title. 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.
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. In 1987 and 1989 he won one fight each year.
Chacon held victories over seven other men who held a world title, and later avenged 5 of his 7 losses. The world champions he beat were: Rubén Olivares, Chucho Castillo, Danny Lopez, Alfredo Marcano, Rafael Limón, Cornelius Boza-Edwards and Arturo Frias.
In 1986, at the age of 34, he was arrested and charged with striking his fiancee during an argument after eating dinner at a Chico restaurant. Chacon was placed on probation in 1984 for beating his second of three wives. His life was again marred by tragedy in 1991, when his son Bobby Jr. was killed in a gang slaying. In 1991, after Chacon had left the north state, Chacon’s son Bobby Jr.
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 1996, he was spotted at a public appearance in Phoenix, Arizona, to see the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Julio César Chávez.
Yet, Chacon - the pride of Pacoima - never stopped smiling. His tough life aside, he would constantly show up at local boxing cards in Southern California, cracking jokes that had so many laughing. Central Fla. “As sad of shape he was in, he was the guy who was always laughing and happy,” Chargin said Wednesday.
Chacon boxed professionally from 1972-88, compiling a record of 59-7-1 with 47 knockouts while winning world titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions. Chacon grew up in Pacoima in Southern California and moved to Oroville late in his career.
Abel Sanchez, trainer of middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, grew up in West Covina. “I think he brought the kind of mentality that has been lost in recent times in our boxing business,” Sanchez said via telephone from London, where Golovkin will defend his title Saturday against Kell Brook. “Bobby’s fights with Boza-Edwards are something to learn from and study. He was one of a kind for our Southern California fighters.
Chargin recalled that Chacon-Lopez sold out the L.A. Sports Arena. “They were a cute little couple and she really wanted him to quit, and he didn’t,” Chargin said. “They had a terrible fight and he said, ‘I’m not quitting,’ and she committed suicide.
Bobby Chacon Documentary - A Beautiful, Brutal Life
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Wins | 59 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Wins by Knockout | 47 |