Boxing Hall of Famer Bruce Trampler tweeted, "Boxing and the Top Rank family lost one of our own last night with the passing of former WBA bantamweight champ Richie Sandoval.  Hurts personally and professionally to know that Richie is gone at 63. RIP, campeon." Sandoval made the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the Soviet Union meant Sandoval would never have the chance to win a medal. He turned pro and campaigned from 1980-1986, compiling a record of 29-1. In 1984, Sandoval knocked off long-reigning WBA 118-pound champion Jeff Chandler via fifteenth-round stoppage. Chandler never fought again. Sandoval went on to make two official title defenses plus win a bunch of non-title fights until losing to Gaby Canizalez in 1986. Sandoval had terrible difficulties making weight and was greatly weakened in the ring against Canizalez. (In those days, the weigh-in was on the day of the fight, so Sandoval had little time to recover from being so drained). He was knocked unconscious for an extended period of time by Canizalez and was unable to fight again. He remained involved in boxing as an employee of Top Rank and reportedly convinced a reulctant Bob Arum to sign Michael Carbajal to a promtional contract. Carbajal went on to become a world champion. Boxingtalk salutes the memory of Richie Sandoval and sends its deepest sympathies to his friends and family.