Ray Mancini vs Bobby Chacon

On January 14, 1984, a WBA World Lightweight Title fight took place at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The defending champion, Ray Mancini, faced challenger Bobby Chacon. The bout was promoted by Robert Andreoli and officiated by referee Richard Steele. Mancini entered the contest with a record of 28-1-0, while Chacon's record stood at 30-0-1. Both fighters weighed in at 133¾ lbs.

The match began with Mancini, hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, and Chacon, from Sylmar, California, sizing each other up. Mancini initially displayed a cautious approach, outdueling Chacon with his jab. Once Mancini realized that Chacon's punches lacked power, he became more aggressive, launching a furious assault in the second round that saw him throw 173 punches.

In the third round, Chacon tried to keep the fight centered in the ring, but Mancini's strength proved too much for him. Chacon found himself backed against the ropes, enduring a relentless barrage from the defending champion. At 1:17 in the third round, referee Richard Steele stepped in to stop the fight, awarding Mancini a technical knockout victory.

Chacon, who earned $575,000 for the fight, later expressed mixed feelings about the referee's decision. He initially thanked Steele in the ring but later stated that the fight should not have been stopped. Mancini, on the other hand, praised the referee's intervention, especially in light of his tragic bout with Duk Koo Kim in 1982, which resulted in Kim's death.

The victory marked Mancini's fourth successful defense of his WBA World Lightweight Title, earning him a purse of $1.3 million. Mancini demonstrated his formidable punching power and durability throughout the fight, while Chacon's resilience was evident in his ability to withstand Mancini's onslaught.