How do you see this 130-pound fight going in a scheduled 15-rounder? Brian the boxer vs. Bobby the brawler. Mitchell the road warrior from South Africa who defended his title around the globe (because of politics the WBA wouldn't let him defend in his home country) vs. the charismatic Schoolboy. Brian, a model of consistency, a steady-wins-the-race guy vs. Bobby, a shooting star who was brilliant at times and head-scratchingly average at others. Who wins? How, and why, do they win?
As a young fighter, Bobby Chacon displayed some fine boxing skills at times. Later on, he became much more of a brawler. I don't know enough about Brian Mitchell to compare him with Chacon. - Chuck Johnston
Chuck, I totally agree. Too many people think of Bobby as this kill or be killed type fighter, but like you, I recall his featherweight days where he could box and defense was never shunned. I saw him knockout Ray Echevarria with that killer jab that he possessed. it wasn't until his reflexes started going that the next stage of his career came into play. For some reason I think it was the Miguel Estrada fight where I watched him take this guy out in about 2 or 3 rounds and I thought he looked awful. I recall saying to myself, "What's wrong with Bobby?" He made a meal out of it and had forsaken boxing/setting him up for brawling. But this was the next stage where he was going. Only when he really seemed to apply himself did I see brief flashes of the old Bobby. That was the second Limon fight where he was winning handily until the accidental butt and also the Arguello fight where he was ahead until getting cut. Bobby was so much more than the wild swinging fighter that the networks loved.
I'll take Chacon in a close fight. This fight would go the distance unless Chacon somehow got stopped on cuts.
scartissue- I attended a number of Bobby Chacon's bouts in Los Angeles in addition to seeing some of his bouts on television. If you have the opportunity, watch a tape of Chacon's bout with Danny "Little Red" Lopez. In that bout, Chacon used quite a bit of boxing skill and eventually stopped Lopez. I remember Chacon hitting Lopez repeatedly with right-hand leads, much like Salvador Sanchez did in his two bouts with Lopez a number of years later. - Chuck Johnston
Chuck, saw it on TV with an app. 6 week delay back in '74. Loved Bobby's head movement and body-punching in that one, not to mention those right hands in the 9th. That was Bobby at his peak.
I favor Mitchell: slick and more disciplined. Highly underrated, very strong mentally and a guy with really good footwork and balance. Controlled the distance very well.
scartissue- I also believe that Bobby Chacon was at his peak when he fought Danny "Little Red" Lopez. In fact, I thought that he was not nearly as good later on. Yes, he still was a formidable fighter in the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions, but seemed to abandon his boxing skills to a great degree and became much more of a brawler. It is too bad that many boxing fans outside of Southern California didn't see him when he was more of a boxer. Chacon had far more boxing talent than Danny Lopez. But Lopez was a far more stable and dedicated person than Chacon in his personal life and his career as a boxer. - Chuck Johnston