Rafael Limón facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rafael Limón
Statistics
Real name	Rafael Limón Burgos
Nickname(s)	Bazooka
Rated at	Super featherweight Lightweight
Height	5 ft 5+1/2 in
Reach	66 in
Born	(1954-01-13) 13 January 1954 (age 71) Tlaxco, Tlaxcala, Mexico
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	77
Wins	52
Wins by KO	39
Losses	23
Draws	2

Rafael Limón Burgos, also known as Bazooka Limón, was a famous Mexican boxer. He was born on January 13, 1954. Rafael was a champion in the super featherweight division. He won the WBC title two times between 1980 and 1982. He also tried to win this title in 1979 and 1983.

About Rafael Limón

Rafael Limón was born on January 13, 1954. When he was young, he didn't know his biological father. His mother raised him and his siblings. They moved to Mexico City when Rafael was four years old. Later, when Rafael was 15, he met his biological father.

Rafael joined the Mexican Army on February 14, 1972. While in the Army, he saw some friends boxing. He decided to try it himself. Rafael quickly discovered he was good at boxing. After three months of training in the Army, he was sent to learn from a famous boxing trainer, Kid Rapidez.

Rafael's Boxing Career

Rafael Limón is well-known for his four exciting fights with another boxer named Bobby Chacon. Their first match happened on December 7, 1975, in Mexicali, Mexico. Limón won this fight by a unanimous decision (UD). This means all the judges agreed he won.

Challenging for the World Title

In February 1979, Limón got a chance to fight for the WBC super featherweight championship. He fought against the champion, Alexis Argüello. Argüello won the fight by knockout (KO) in the eleventh round.

After this, Limón and Chacon fought for the second time. This match ended in a technical draw (TD) after seven rounds. This happened because their heads accidentally bumped.

They met for a third time on March 21, 1980, in Los Angeles. Chacon won this fight by a split decision (SD). This means the judges were not all in agreement.

Becoming a Champion

Even though he lost to Chacon, Limón soon got another chance to fight for the world title. The previous champion, Argüello, had given up his title. Limón fought Idelphonso Bethelmy from Venezuela. Limón won by knockout in the fifteenth round. This made him the WBC super featherweight champion!

Rafael Limón defended his title for the first time against Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Boza-Edwards won the fight by a unanimous decision after fifteen rounds. So, Limón lost his championship.

Winning the Title Again

In 1982, Rolando Navarrete was the WBC super featherweight champion. He had won the title from Boza-Edwards. Limón fought Navarrete and knocked him out in the twelfth round. This made Rafael Limón a world champion for the second time!

Limón successfully defended his title against Chung Il Choi. Then, he met Bobby Chacon for their fourth and final fight. This match was on December 11, 1982, in Sacramento, California. It was the first time they fought for a world championship.

Limón knocked Chacon down in the third and tenth rounds. But Chacon fought back strongly. With only a few seconds left in the fifteenth round, Chacon knocked Limón down. Limón got back up, but he lost the fight. The judges gave the win to Chacon in a very close unanimous decision.

Later Fights

In 1983, Chacon decided not to defend his title against Héctor 'Macho' Camacho. So, Limón traveled to Puerto Rico to fight Camacho for the title. Camacho was very strong and defeated Limón in five rounds.

Rafael Limón continued boxing until 1992. He fought many other boxers, including future champions like Julio César Chávez and Sharmba Mitchell. However, he never challenged for a world title again.

His final boxing record was 52 wins, 23 losses, and 2 draws. He won 39 of his fights by knockout.

See also

• List of WBC world champions
• List of Mexican boxing world champions
• List of left-handed boxers