Rafael Bazooka Limón is a former boxer and two-time Super Featherweight / Jr. Lightweight world champion….who is best known for his four-bout rivalry with Bobby Chacon….with their first fight having taken place on December 7, 1975 in Mexicali, Mexico….as Bazooka defeated a heavily favored Chacon in a ten-round decision….then negotiations took place in 1977-78 to pit Limón against the WBA’s world junior lightweight champion, Samuel Serrano….but the fight never took place….so Limón challenged WBC world junior lightweight champion Alexis Argüello in February 1979….when he suffered an 11th-round knockout.
Following the fight with Arguello….Limon and Chacon met for the second time….as an accidental head-butt resulted in a 7th round no contest….so, the pair met for a 3rd time in 1980 in Los Angeles where Chacon earned a very controversial 10-round decision.
In spite of this loss to Chacon…. Limón found himself fighting later that year for the world title which Arguello had vacated….as Limón knocked out Venezuela‘s Idelphonso Bethelmy in the 15th round to become the WBC world junior lightweight champion.
Limon made his first defense against England-based Ugandan Cornelius Boza Edwards….which he lost in a 15-round decision….when in 1982….Rolando Navarrete became the WBC world junior lightweight champion after having dethroned Boza-Edwards in a 5-round KO….so, Limón faced Navarrete in a title fight….when he KO’d the reigning champ in round 12 to become a two-time world champion.
After defending his title successfully against Chung Il Choi….as seen in this video herewith….Limón met Chacon for a 4th time in December of 1982 in Sacramento….which was their 1st meeting with a world championship at stake….as Limón dropped Chacón in rounds 3 and 10…..but Chacon turned the tables with only a few seconds left in round 15 and knocked Limón down….when he climbed the ropes to get to his feet to finish the fight….but lost in a split decision. The fight won various Fight of the Year awards for 1982.
In 1983, Chacón refused to defend his world title against Héctor ‘Macho’ Camacho….so The Bazooka traveled to Puerto Rico to meet Camacho….as he turned out to be no match for Macho….who defeated him in 5 rounds. Limón went on boxing until 1992, losing to a number of future world champions and prominent boxers, including Julio César Chávez and Roger Mayweather….but he never again challenged for a world title….thus retiring with a record is 52 – 23 – 2 with 39 KO’s.
Rafael Bazooka Limon was a fighter well worth watching….cuz he had a bazooka in his right fist that could take anyone out with one punch at any time.
