Bobby Chacon, one of the most popular fighters to ever come down the pike in Los Angeles, passed away today, September 7, at the age of 64 at a state health facility in Hemet, California where he was institutionalized.
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Boxing great Bobby Chacon demonstrates the reason why he was added to a mural July 26, 20111 at the Northeast Valley Neighborhood City Hall, 13520 Van Nuys Blvd.in Pacoima.
Riverside County coroner’s Sgt. Brent Seacrest said Chacon died at his home “with his family present at his bedside”. He ended with a career mark of 59-7-1, 47 KOs.
He also beat future trainer Freddie Roach and lost to Alexis Arguello and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. A San Fernando High graduate and onetime liberal-arts student at Cal State Northridge, Chacon was nicknamed “Schoolboy” by veteran boxing publicist Bill Caplan.
Turning pro in April of 1972 at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, Chacon went on to become a firm fan favourite. Chacon won world titles in two weight divisions, reigning as WBC featherweight (1974-75) and the WBC super featherweight (1982-83) champion. In 1980, Chacon outpointed Rafael Limon in Sacramento for the super featherweight title.
“With profound sadness I have learned that our dear champion Bobby Chacon passed away this morning”, World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman said on Twitter. “May God have him now”.
“Bobby’s life was not one without struggle and tragedy, but I pray he has now found peace in eternal rest”.
In 1981 Chacon fought Boza Edwards for the title and while he had many good moments in the fight he ultimately took a bad beating with wife Valerie Chacon quickly becoming distressed with her husband career.
Chacon endured terrible personal tragedies both during and after his career.
Chacon was married four times; USA Today said his first wife, Valerie, committed suicide in 1983, the night before he fought Salvador Ugalde, whom Chacon ultimately defeated with a third-round knockout.
In 1991, his 17-year-old son, Bobby Chacon Jr., was murdered in what police believed a gang shooting.
A 1999 article in the Los Angeles Times described how even then Chacon was suffering signs of dementia from head blows as well as substance abuse, including slurred speech and memory loss. “The Hall of Fame joins the worldwide boxing community in mourning his passing and offer our condolences to his family”.
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