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Boxing
fans always are thrilled when a brawl takes place
inside the ring during a boxing match. In this type of
sport, you have to punch it out sometimes and this
often results in someone getting bloodied up and
messy. But this often is the type of action that
leaves many boxing fans fulfilled going home after a
fight. I
noticed this to be truer among Latino boxing fans that
follow the sweet science. During the times I attended
professional boxing matches in Las Vegas and here at
the HP Pavilion, I was not surprised to hear from
Hispanic fight fans how they disliked a fighter who
danced around the ring in order to avoid getting
caught up into a brawl. Although some of the
objectives in boxing include fancy footwork,
establishing the jab, and not getting hit, this
usually was not the case whenever you came into the
ring against a fighter like Bobby Chacon. Born
November 28, 1951 in Sylmar, California, Bobby Chacon
began his boxing career in 1972. Chacon was more than
just fancy footwork or the jab.
He
defined one of boxing’s most thrilling chapters -
the punching brawls that emerged in the ring.
Bobby Chacon seldom ran in the ring, and
usually his fights produced some of the greatest wars
in the history of boxing. Chacon was a brawler, which
is why he became among the favorite fighters toward
Hispanic crowds during the 70’s and 80’s.
They loved Bobby Chacon’s fights because he
was a fighter who was not afraid to get hit. You knew
there would be grueling warfare if you stepped into
the ring with this young fighter from the San Fernando
Valley area that sometimes went by the nickname of
“Schoolboy” because he was still attending high
school during his early career. Chacon, a two-time
World champion, won his first World title, the WBC
Featherweight Title over Alfredo Marcano in 1974 and
again in 1982 over Rafael “Bazooka” Limon.
But
the showdown to which fight fans continue to talk
about today is when he took on cross-town rival, Danny
“Little Red” Lopez in 1974. The action lived up to
its billing hype when the two fighters traded blows in
every round before an estimated 16,000 fight fans at
the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Bobby Chacon emerged
victorious utilizing his hand speed and wallop
punching power, which stopped Lopez in the 9th round
with a surprise knockout.
Other notable wars of attrition were against
Chucho Castillo, Ruben Olivares, Rafeal
"Bazooka" Limon (three fights), Arturo Leon,
Alexis Arguello, and Salvidore Ugalde. Bobby Chacon
retired in 1988 with 58 wins 7 losses and 47 K.O's.
Bobby Chacon like many other great boxers
suffered several misfortunes during his fighting
career and today he still regrets some of those
moments. Among
Chacon’s painful experiences was when he lost his
wife, Valorie from a suicide in 1982, because Bobby
refused to quit boxing after showing signs of taking
too many blows to the head. Valorie tried to persuade
him from fighting anymore, but Bobby refused to listen
and kept on fighting. This perhaps added to his
wife’s demise. Then in 1991, Bobby Jr., the first
born of Bobby Chacon, was killed in a gang-related
shooting. And now, Bobby Chacon suffers from
pugilistic dementia from years of blows to the head.
But
Bobby continues to maintain an energetic spirit and is
always smiling at his fans. He currently keeps busy in
the active training of other young fighters in the Los
Angeles area. He
is also among the Hall of Fame inductees at the
International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New
York. I
had the privilege of meeting Bobby Chacon in Los
Angeles during a Boxing Hall of Fame gala, and I
noticed boxing fans were anxious to take a photo with
him, including myself.
Bobby Chacon is an inspiration to many up and
coming boxing pugilists because they realize that you
have to stick it out during a brawl, which is
inevitable for every fighter. When you meet Bobby
Chacon, you sense his veteran boxer spirit project
toward any fight fan.
You simply just know that this guy mixed it up
inside the ring and you can’t resist the urge to tip
your hat at this ring brawler because he satisfied
boxing fans. Bobby Chacon became a gladiator of his
era and he will always have a place in boxing history.
More recently, in a collector’s special
edition of “The Ring” magazine, Bobby Chacon
earned recognition as being among the hundred greatest
punchers of all time.
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