Bobby Chacon vs. David Sotello ~ "The Riot at The Forum"

[Bill Paxtom]

February 25, 1976

The Forum ~ Inglewood, California

* Bobby Chacon - 29-3-0 {27 KO's} ~ 5' 5 1/2" ~ 131 lbs. ~ {Age; 24 years, 3 months}
vs.
* David Sotello - 39-10-2 {22 KO's} ~ 5' 7" ~ 131 lbs. ~ {Age; 27 years, 6 months}
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ The Skinny ~

[Bill Paxtom]

Bobby 'Schoolboy' Chacon

Bobby was in the midst of a comeback.

Bobby, after winning the WBC Featherweight Champion on September 7, 1974 > made
'one' successful Title Defense in March 1975.

The, Bobby was upset { L KO 2 } by former Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion -
Ruben Olivares on June 20, 1975.

Bobby came back with 'one-win', but then was embarrassed { L Dec 10} by little-known
Mexican - Rafael 'Bazooka' Limon on December 7, 1975.

After that loss > 'The Schoolboy' {Age; 24} was written off > as 'washed up' and troubled.

But, Bobby rebounded in early-1976 and came back with '2-Straight' wins.

Bobby Chacon >

"I just forgot to keep up with my training, and partied too much. I let my head get 'too big',
and I took Ruben Olivares too lightly back in June 1975. He caught me early, and put me away."

"I wanted to retire, and I didn't have a bout for 5-Months. Then I got an offer to got to Hawaii
to have a couple of bouts, and try to challenge WBA Super-Featherweight Champion - Ben Villaflor.
But, I only had '1-Bout' there {November 18th} and decided to come back home to California."

"The loss to Rafael Limon was just one of those things. I had a bad Night in Mexicali, because
I ate too many Eggs for Breakfast that day before the fight. My stomach was aching all day,
and when I walked into the Ring I was in so much pain. I don't know how I went 10-Rounds
down there."

"Now, I feel much better at 131 lbs., and I have the option of going after the Junior-Lightweight
and/or Lightweight titles."

[Bill Paxtom]

David "The Sniper' Sotello

From Guadalara, Mexico.

'The Sniper' who had been campaigning since 1966 was a 10-Year Professional. The Mexican
was a straight forward rushing aggressive fighter, who had no se for defense.

David was 'wild', but was a tough-cookie who came to fight.

With a record of 39-10-2 {22 KO's}, David was coming off a 'Hell of a Performance' in giving
WBC Featherweight Champion - David Kotey a battle in Accra, Ghana only 2-months earlier
on December 21, 1975.

It was a 10-Round 'non-title' bout that saw Sotello give the African-boxer everything that he
wanted for the entire bout in an exciting thriller. Only a 'rally' in Rounds 7 and 10,
saved Kotey from a defeat in his home country.

David was also a streaky-fighter, where from > April 1971 -thru- April 1973 > he went unbeaten in
'17-Bouts' by going 15-0-2 with {10 KO's}

In his most current winning streak from > August 1974 -thru- August 1975 > Sotello went 8-0-0
with 4 KO's. But in his last '3-Bouts', David has lost all of them by 10-Round Decision.

[Bill Paxtom]

Wednesday ~ February 25, 1976

The Forum ~ Inglewood, California

Attendance ............. 7894
Gate Receipts ........ $98,000

Bobby Chacon {left} digs a right-hand into the mid-section of David Sotello.

Bobby {131 lbs.} got off to a good start early, by scoring to the body with right-hooks, and to the
mid-section with straight right-hands, mixed in with poking left-jabs to the face of the clumsy
and awkward Mexican.

David Sotello {131 lbs.} though getting out-punched, continued to press forward, and slung left-hooks
from the upper-deck, which all had missed.

By the end of Round 5, 'The Schoolboy' was pitching a shut-out, as he landed with regularity with
left-right punches, while waving to the fans at Ringside, each time after he landed a good punch.

David Sotello continued to miss with wild left-hooks and pole-axe right-hands, but he was a 'game'
trial-horse.

In Round 6, a cheerful Bobby Chacon 'waved' to the crowd of 7894 and his family at Ringside, while
easily out-boxing Sotello from the outside.

Between Rounds 6 and 7, Bobby 'chatted' with the fans at Ringside, and smiled to the celebrities,
like it was 'easy-and-routine' business on stage.

In the opposite corner, the plodding David Sotello who had been clearly out-boxed over the first 6-Rounds
was still full-of-energy, as his small group of 200 supporters were still cheering him on.

[Bill Paxtom]

Coming out for Round 7, Bobby Chacon was pitching a shut-out on all '3' Scorecards.

The bout had been an easy 'piece-of-cake'.

Bobby had landed with nearly all of his punches on his over-matched opponent >
Left-jabs, left-hooks, 'left-right' combinations, and right-hands to the mid-section.

But David Sotello was still there. Over 6-Rounds, Sotello must have thrown nearly
200-Punches, and still had yet to land with a decent punch.

Before Round 7 started, Bobby was 'smiling' and waving to everybody at The Forum.

Round 7

Again it was easy going for Bobby, as he peppered the 'wild-swinging' and raw-fighting
David Sotello with left-jabs. mixed in with a few 'left-right' combinations.

But by the mid-way session in the Round, Bobby started to get 'cocky'. Instead of boxing
smartly, Bobby lowed his guard and started playing around.

It was like Bobby wanted to give Sotello a chance. Now the Mexican was able to get in a little
closer, and was finally able to land with a few glancing blows.

Still, Bobby was in control, and backed to the Ropes where he did a little 'Rope-A-Dope',
and played to the crowd while Sotello moved in and flung-in awkward punches.

Sotello did enough work in this Round to make it 'Even', as Bobby did 'nothing' over the
second-half of the Round as he played to the crowd of 7894 while leaning on the Ropes.

Scorecards thru 7 Rounds
* Referee - Chuck Hassett ....... 8-0
* Judge - Lou Filippo .............. 6-0
* Judge - Richard Steele ......... 6-0

[Bill Paxtom]

Round 8

~ Very Controversial ~

Bobby again was in control early, and boxed from the outside by mixing in left-jabs from
the perimeter.

Each time that Sotello tried to move forward and in close, Bobby would fire in a right-hand
to the mid-section to stall Sotello's efforts.

But by the mid-way point in the Round, Bobby was suddenly not moving at all, and was
staying stationary at Center-Ring while looking for 'one-punch'.

This allowed Sotello to edge in closer, where he attempted his 'wide-hooks'.

It now looked as if Bobby was 'trying-to-cruise', as his legs suddenly looked heavy.

By the {1:50 Mark}, the Mexican was now on the offensive, by throwing looping-punches, as
Bobby 'rolled' and blocked the incoming 'telegraphed hooks'.

As Bobby defended, Sotello kept throwing, though most of his punches were either blocked
or avoided by Bobby as he swayed or ducked.

Then it happened >

At the {2:03 Mark} > David Sotello came in with a 'right-left' into Chacon's body. Instead of stepping
back, Bobby tried to counter with a right-hand to the mid-section {a counter-punch that he had
landed successfully the previous '100' other times he threw it in this bout}.

As Bobby came in with the straight right-hand, his left-guard was down and his face was exposed.

David Sotello then countered with a 'slashing right-hand' that caught Bobby over his left-eye, which
immediately 'ripped' open a cut on the eye-brow, as well as momentarily 'stunning' Chacon.

Bobby then 'froze', and for some reason he lowered his guard to see what his opponent was doing.

Then quickly, David Sotello came in with a 'tremendous' wide left-hook which landed 'flush' on
Bobby's chin at the {2:08 Mark}.

'Boom' > The punch landed, and sent Bobby down and 'tumbling' over backwards at
left-side Center-Ring.

It took Referee - Chuck Hassett a good '4-Seconds', before he moved in and started to
give Bobby a count.

At first it looked like Bobby Chacon 'was out'. But Bobby struggled mightily, and just barely
got to his feet at the '9-Count' from Referee - Chuck Hassett {thanks to the delay in starting
the count}.

When Bobby got up, he was 'out-on-his-feet'.

The Mexican fans were going crazy, as it was clear that the Referee took a long time to
'slow-count' Bobby. {Most calculated the count to be '13-Seconds'}.

Then the controversy >

As a 'badly-dazed' and wobbly-knee'd Chacon got up, he also a 'bad-cut' over his left-eye.

Immediately > Referee - Chuck Hassett slowly looked over the cut for a good 10-Seconds, before
calling 'Time' at the {2:32 Mark}.

Then he walked 'a still dazed' Chacon over to the Ringside Physician to have the cut over his
left-eye examined.

It took the Ringside Physician a good 30-Seconds to look over the cut, before allowing the
bout to continue.

When the bout resumed, the Time Clock picked up the action at the {2:32 Mark}, and Bobby
had regained some of his balance.

For David Sotello, he had lost precious time {a good 40-Seconds} in his chance to put a
'badly dazed' Chacon away.

As soon as Referee - Chuck Hassett said 'BOX', the Mexican tore into the still 'groggy' Chacon
with a 'barrage'.

Bobby was driven into the Ropes where he covered up, as Sotello flung left-hooks and
overhand-rights and 'lathered' Bobby's gloves which were in front of his face. Several of
the punches got through to Bobby's head.

Just as Sotello had Chacon ready to 'topple' at the {2:47 Mark}, the Mexican lost his mouthpiece.

Referee - Chuck Hassett called 'Time', and picked up the mouthpiece and had it rinsed off
by David Sotello's cornerman.

When the action resumed, a good 20-Seconds had passed.

With 13-Seconds left, Bobby instinctively moved off the Ropes and into Sotello, in an attempt
to swarm him and prevent the Mexican from getting in any more 'free' head shots.

Bobby tried to 'grab-and-hold', but he was 'rocked again' as he was nailed by a looping right-hand to
the head.

At the end of the Round, the Mexican supporters of David Sotello were roaring with chants of
'May-Hee-Co'.

[greynotsoold]

February 25, 1976

The Forum ~ Inglewood, California

* Bobby Chacon - 29-3-0 {27 KO's} ~ 5' 5 1/2" ~ 131 lbs. ~ {Age; 24 years, 3 months}
vs.
* David Sotello - 39-10-2 {22 KO's} ~ 5' 7" ~ 131 lbs. ~ {Age; 27 years, 6 months}
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ The Skinny ~

I remember this card because Lopez, O'Grady and Davila were on it. Note that Lopez and O'Grady fought at a catch weight of 125, while Davila and Pintor fought at 117. Same day weigh ins.