Rafael Limón
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Rafael Limón (born ca. 1956) is a Mexican former boxer who was a world champion in the Super Featherweight /Jr. Lightweight division twice. Limon shares his nickname, Bazooka, with at least two other known world boxing champions: Puerto Rico's Wilfredo 'Bazooka' Gómez and Ghana's Ike 'Bazooka' Quartey. Limon was a southpaw, and fought with a wide arm, wild-swinging style that was all his own. In spite of the fact that he often-arm punched, he scored a lot of knockouts by wearing opponents out by letting them hit him in his iron jaw, then refusing to stop moving forward.
Limón is very famous also for his legendary rivalry with Bobby Chacon. Their first fight took place on December 7, 1975, in Mexicali, Mexico. Limon defeated a streaking, and heavily-favoured Chacon by a decision in ten that day.
It was around 1977 and 1978, that negotiations took place to put Limon against the WBA's world junior lightweight champion, Samuel Serrano. However, the negotiations stalled and that fight never took place.
After Limón unsuccessfully challenged Alexis Arguello in February of 1979, (losing by a knockout in 11 rounds for the WBC's world junior lightweight title) he and Chacon met for the second time. That time, a clash of heads ended the fight in the seventh round no contest. Limon and Chacon met for the third time on March 21, 1980, in Los Angeles. Chacon came out the winner, by a very controversial decision in ten.
Despite losing to Chacón, it was Limon who later that year found himself fighting for the world title that Arguello had vacated. And so, Limon became the WBC's world junior lightweight champion by knocking out Venezuela's Idelphonso Bethelmy in round 15 at Los Angeles.
Before his first defense, against England based Ugandan Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Limon made a reference to the tragic fight between Lupe Pintor and Johnny Owens, which had taken place the year before, and after which Owens died. His comments shocked many, because he suggested that Boza-Edwards should expect something tragic to happen since this was another bout between a Mexican and a fighter with British connections. Boza-Edwards nevertheless, went on to become world champion by beating Limon by a 15-round decision.
In 1982, Rolando Navarrete was the WBC world junior lightweight champion, after dethroning Boza-Edwards by 5th round KO. Limón was given a chance to recover his title, and he became a two-time world champion by knocking Navarrete out in round 12. Limon trained like a demon for perhaps the only time in his career, and withstood a blistering assault by the hard-punching Filipino before stopping him in 12. After defending his title successfully once against Chung Il Choi, Limon once again met Chacon. Their fourth bout, held on December 11, 1982 in Sacramento, was the first bout in their series with a world championship involved. Limon dropped Chacón in rounds 3 & 10, but Chacon turned the tables on Limon with only a few seconds left in round 15, and knocked him down . The referee very generously allowed Bazooka to climb the ropes to get to his feet to finish the fight, and luckily, the bell went as soon as he was upright. Chacón won the fight by a split decision. The fight won various Fight of the Year awards for 1982.
In 1983, Chacón refused to defend his world title against Hector 'Macho' Camacho, so Limon accepted the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico to try to become a world champion for the third time. This time, however, was not to be as Limon was no match for Camacho, who landed 6 crisp punches for every miss that Limon threw and stopped him in 5 rounds.
Limon went on boxing until the 1990s, but he never again challenged for a world title. He did fight, however, a number of world champions and important boxers from 1984 to 1992, including Julio César Chávez and Roger Mayweather, both of whom beat Limón.
Limon's record is 52-23-2 (39 KOs).
| Preceded by Alexis Arguello Vacates |
WBC Super Featherweight boxing champion 11 Dec 1980– 8 Mar 1981 |
Succeeded by Cornelius Boza-Edwards |
| Preceded by Rolando Navarrete |
WBC Super Featherweight boxing champion 29 May 1982– 11 Dec 1982 |
Succeeded by Bobby Chacon |
