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Jesus Alberto Chong, the
former World Boxing Federation
(WBF) World Light Flyweight
Champion nicknamed “El Tigre”,
is one of countless fine Mexican
fighters who have made their
mark on the sports lighter,
often under-appreciated,
divisions.
Born on January 7, 1965 in Gomez
Palacio, a city in the
northeastern part of Mexican
state Durango, Chong is of
Chinese-Mexican heritage. In
1966 his mother gave birth to
Jesus´ baby-brother Hector, and
boxing would eventually become a
very large part of the Chong
family´s lives.
Hector Ulises Chong made his
professional debut at seventeen
in 1983, and had compiled a 5-2
record by the time Jesus
followed him into the paid ranks
in September of 1987. But while
he had a head-start on his older
sibling, Hectors career never
reached the same heights as that
of Jesus.
The younger Chong went on to win
the Chihuahua State
Featherweight title, defeat some
good fighters and share the ring
with some even better ones, such
as former or future world
champions Alejandro Gonzalez,
Jesse Benavides, Julio Gervacio
and Juan Manuel Marquez.
But after losing a unanimous
decision to Gonzalez in 1993,
his career soon went downhill
and he became a journeyman with
losses in sixteen of his last
seventeen bouts. He retired in
1998 with a less than
spectacular 27-22-3 record.
By the time Hector decided to
hang up his gloves, Jesus had
also seen better days in the
ring. But before that, he had
accomplished much more than his
brother. A big puncher, he won
his first nine fights by
knockout, before suffering his
first defeat on points at the
hands of tough fellow countryman
Justo Zuniga (20-13-1) in
October of 1989.
Four months later Jesus fought
outside of Mexico for the first
time, dropping a decision to
future Hall-of-Famer Johnny
Tapia (14-0-1) in Las Vegas.
There was no shame in that loss,
as Tapia went on to win world
titles in three weight classes,
and Chong would never shy away
from fighting the best opponents
possible.
Remaining in the USA, he
finished 1990 strong, beating
Oscar Calzada (8-0) and Martin
Llovera (0-1) in Tucson, before
picking up the IBC Light
Flyweight belt with a majority
decision over Francisco Montiel
(22-11-1) on December 13 in one
of the headlining fights of a
show at the Rosemont Horizon in
Rosemont, Illinois.
Looking to build on his
momentum, Chong accepted to move
up a division to fight Ysaias
Zamudio (21-3) for the North
American Boxing Federation
(NABF) Flyweight title a month
later at the Great Western Forum
in Inglewood, California. He
showed his quality again, but
came out on the short end of a
razor thin decision.
For his next outing, on March
21, 1991, he was back at Light
Flyweight, and back in Mexico.
Despite the setback against
Zamudio, Chong was now a main
event fighter, winning the
vacant NABF title with a fifth
round stoppage of Jorge Luis
Roman (13-2-1).
He followed that up with a
unanimous decision over highly
ranked Cuauhtemoc Gomez (21-0)
and a knockout in four over
Argentinian prospect Daniel
Humberto Lagos (11-1), firmly
establishing himself as a top
world contender. However, on the
hunt for a world title fight, he
had to settle for the next best
thing: Fighting the best!
IBF World Light Flyweight ruler
Michael Carbajal (21-0) was
looking for an opponent for a
non title fight on the October
18, 1991 undercard for the Tommy
Morrison vs. Ray Mercer WBO
World Heavyweight title fight
promoted by Top Rank at the
Convention Center in Atlantic
City.
With a nice-looking 15-3 record,
Jesus Chong fit the bill, and he
happily accepted what was his
biggest pay-day to date, along
with an excellent opportunity to
get valuable exposure on
American television. He was not
expected to beat Carbajal, but
even a good performance could do
wonders for his future.
And that is exactly how it
played out. Carbajal was the
better man that night, but Chong
again proved that he could hang
with the best. He gave the world
champion some problems, landed
some good punches, but in the
end the man from Phoenix won a
decision with scores of 97-93,
97-92 and 97-92.
Between February of 1992 and May
of 1995, Chong went 12-2 (11).
Time and again he showed that
his massive punching-power made
him a force to be reckoned with,
as he defended his NABF title
twice, stopping Francisco
Montiel in eleven rounds of a
rematch, and getting rid of
Danny Nunez (22-1) in seven.
He won the Mexican Light
Flyweight title in March of 1993
against Raul Rios (26-5-2), and
made six successful defense of
that title, against very
competent opposition, before
getting disqualified against
Edgar Cardenas (10-4-1), a man
he had beaten seven months
earlier.
While he was declared the loser
of that fight, there was no
doubt that Chong was still
genuine world class and better
than Cardenas. He had always
been ready to take on all
comers, so it was no surprise
that he accepted to challenge
reigning WBF World Light
Flyweight Champion Sairung
Suwanasil (6-1) on July 16, 1995
in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Also known as Sairung
Singwancha, the local man was
the favorite, but Chong was
certainly his best opponent to
date. With thousands of
enthusiastic fans singing and
rooting for their hero, the
Mexican visitor had everything
against him in his first, and
long-awaited, chance to become a
world champion.
Despite only seven recorded
professional bouts (he may have
had more which was not
registered by international
record-keepers), Suwanasil had
made three defenses of his world
title against tough challengers,
and knocked out six straight
opponents.
The bloodthirsty spectators
demanded that he also demolish
Chong, but it was not to be.
After a strong start by
Suwanasil, Chong started to take
over and use all the experience
he had gained fighting the likes
of Tapia and Carbajal. By the
middle rounds it was his fight,
and in round nine he stopped
Suwanasil and silenced the
crowd.
The new WBF World Light
Flyweight Champion instantly
became a star in Thailand,
having beaten their poster-boy.
So the financial rewards were
high when he was invited back
only three months later to
defend against another Thai hope
in Somsak Plapol, AKA Jakkrit
LG-Gym (4-0).
In Nong Khai, located on the
banks of the Mekong River, Chong
was, unfortunately for him,
making his first title-defense
against a very special talent.
Plapol boxed wonderfully that
afternoon, and deservedly won a
unanimous decision and the
hearts of his countrymen.
But Jesus Chong was not done
achieving big things. On April
16, 1996 he caused a major upset
as he knocked out two-time World
Amateur Champion and US Olympian
Eric Griffin (16-2) in seven
rounds to regain the NABF title
in Saint Louis.
A year later, with the vacant
WBO World title on the line,
relinquished by South African
legend “Baby” Jake Matlala,
Chong solidified the outcome of
the first fight when he stopped
Griffin in the second round of a
rematch, and he was now a world
champion again. But, just like
the first time, it would not
last very long.
The following August, three
months after beating Griffin the
second time, Chong was
convincingly out-pointed by
former WBC World titlist, and
fellow Mexican, Melchor Cob
Castro (50-5-4), and it would
turn out to be the beginning of
the end.
Always a warrior and willing to
face anyone, he continued to
fight at world level though, and
returned to Thailand in March of
2000 to challenge for his old
WBF World title. But, despite a
valiant effort, he lost a
decision to Linglom Por
Tawatchai (7-1).
In November of 2002 Chong
experienced what every boxer
fears, as opponent Jaime Parga
(reportedly 20-5 entering the
bout) died from brain injuries
sustained from being knocked out
in the ninth round by the former
two-time world champion.
Chong fought just once more
after that, losing a ten-rounder
by unanimous decision to
journeyman Rafael Chavez
(12-15-1), and retired at age 38
with a 32-16 (28) record.
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