LOS ANGELES, July 31 – Fans may call it “Manchester Muscle vs. New York Flash,” “England vs. The United States,” or “Brawler vs. Boxer.” Regardless of how it is described, the Junior Welterweight World Championship unification bout between England’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and New York’s Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be a clash between the two best 140-pound fighters in the world and one of the most intriguing and exciting fights of 2008.
Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 go on sale Friday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. Ticket sales are limited to four (4) per person at the $1,000 price level and a total of two (2) tickets either at $750, $500, $300 or $150. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com.
“I am looking forward to returning to America, fighting again at the MGM Grand and challenging Maglignaggi for his title,” said Hatton. “Las Vegas is like a second home to me. The fans treat me like gold and I promise them another exciting value for money fight.”
Malignaggi said, “I am thrilled to be involved in the biggest 140 pound fight of ’08. This will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which makes it all the more exciting. Las Vegas’ nickname is the “City of Lights”, so it is only fitting that on November 22, 2008 “The Magic Man” will be lighting “The Hitman” up all over the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”
Hatton vs. Malignaggi, a 12-round Junior Welterweight World title unification bout for Hatton’s Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight World Championship and Malignaggi’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Welterweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Punch Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, and will air live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing.
Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, said, “Hatton is an aggressive puncher who swarms his opponents from start to finish while Malignaggi is one of the purest boxers in the game today. As a fan, I am excited to see if Hatton can lure Malignaggi into a brawl or if Malignaggi can dictate the tempo and make the fight his. No matter what happens, I think when their styles collide, it’s going to make for great action and great drama.”
DiBella Entertainment President, Lou DiBella, said, “Paulie Malignaggi is a champion and an elite fighter I am thrilled that he will be able to achieve superstardom when he fights Ricky, one of the world’s most popular and accomplished fighters.”
Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming for HBO Sports, said, “Ricky Hatton and Paul Malignaggi are two fighters who put it all on the line each time they enter the ring. This is an important fight for both of their careers.”
Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE, said, “We welcome the return of Ricky Hatton and his supporters to MGM Grand in November as well as the opportunity to host Paulie Malignaggi’s Las Vegas debut. We have no doubt this could be one of the most exciting events of 2008 for the fans as well as our customers and look forward to an electric atmosphere inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”
An international superstar hailing from Manchester, England, the storied career of Hatton (44-1, 31 KOs) began in 1997 and for the last 11 years, he has been thrilling fight fans around the world with his aggressive style in the ring and down to earth attitude outside of it. Owner of wins over Kostya Tszyu, Vince Phillips, Luis Collazo, Jose Luis Castillo and Juan Urango, Hatton – a two division world champion – fell short of the pound-for-pound and world welterweight championships in his 2007 super fight against Floyd Mayweather. However, the 29-year-old bounced back impressively at his natural weight of 140 pounds in May as he scored a near shutout 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano.
Known for his flashy style and pound for pound ability to out-talk any fighter in the world, Brooklyn’s Malignaggi (25-1, 5 KOs) has also developed a positive reputation for his heart and determination to overcome adversity throughout his seven-year pro career. A dazzling boxer with a stiff jab, lightning speed and quick combinations, the 27-year-old gained a legion of fans for his gutsy effort in a 12-round defeat at the hands of Miguel Cotto in 2006, and even more followers jumped on his bandwagon when he nearly shut out Lovemore N’dou in 2007 to win the IBF Junior Welterweight World crown. Malignaggi has since defended his title against Herman Ngoudjo and in a rematch against N’dou, but a victory over Hatton is what this New Yorker is truly seeking.
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian
www.dmboxing.com
This past Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, and for the millions watching on HBO/PPV, we were treated to a terrific fight between the two best welterweights in boxing today – Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.
As I saw the fight – I actually had the fight even on my scorecard, 5 rounds each, before the dramatic knockout came at the 2 minute, 5 second mark of the eleventh round.
Here’s my round by round capsule look:
Round One – Cotto was the more accurate and with excellent counter punching, sticks with left jab and moves effectively … Cotto wins round
Round Two – Margarito is most effective with a pressuring attack and walks Cotto down with Cotto developing a nose bleed … Margarito wins round
Round Three – Cotto lands harder punches & escapes the more aggressive Margarito, who is warned by referee for low blows … Cotto wins round
Round Four – Styles are most evident now with Margarito relentless in his attack and Cotto landing the better punches and avoids the onslaught attack … Cotto wins round
Round Five – A carbon copy of round three, but Margarito comes on strong at the end of the round with convincing clean body punching … Cotto still does enough to eek out the round with overall boxing skills … Cotto wins round
Round Six – Sharper punches from Cotto still score well, but Margarito continues to press forward. The fight now starts to shift direction in favor of Margarito as he gets stronger … Margarito wins round
Round Seven – Big round for Margarito – his style really starts to take a toll on Cotto as he holds on in the final minute … Margarito wins round
Round Eight – Margarito takes Cotto’s best shots and keeps coming, lands some very effective body shots … Margarito wins round
Round Nine – Cotto again is effective with the better and sharper punches, but Margarito keeps the attack and pressure up - this was the hardest round of the fight to score … Cotto wins round
Round Ten – Cotto wins first part of the round, but Margarito staggers Cotto and closes out the round in convincing fashion … Margarito wins round
Round Eleven – It’s will vs. skill now and Margarito finally chops and wears down Cotto to drop him once, then twice before Cotto’s corner, with 55 seconds left in the round does the right thing and throws in the towel as they acknowledge that their fighter is a beaten man
This fight lived up to every expectation of the pre-hype Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry, with every round action packed and exciting and in case you missed it – HBO will show the replay in its entirety on Saturday night ( August 2 ) prior to the Zab Judah vs. Joshua Clottey fight.
After what I witnessed on Saturday night, if I were Oscar De La Hoya and thinking of one more farewell fight before my retirement and if Floyd Mayweather is considering coming out of retirement – this is one guy that I might not want to fight … Antonio Margarito, WBA Welterweight Champion!
STOCKTON, CA - A hot and musty gym in downtown Stockton is the place mixed martial arts fighter Nick Diaz calls his second home.
It is inside Pacific Coast Martial Arts where he has prepared for his next big MMA fight, facing Thomas Denny on Saturday at the Stockton Arena.
“This is huge to fight in front of my home fans,” Diaz told News10. “Ever since my first fight, I have claimed Stockton and I am proud to say this is my home and this is where I train.”
Fan favorite knockout artist Vinny Maddalone (29-4, 20KO’s) is back in action and looks to continue his winning ways and re- establish himself as the most exciting heavyweight in the world when he takes on Joe Stofle (11- 13- 2, 10KO’s) on August 6th at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City, New York.
Maddalone was last seen on March 6th at the Grand Ballroom in New York City, NY where he dismantled and destroyed Jeff Yeoman (21-9, 8KO’s) in less than two rounds. Maddalone who recently re-signed with DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, feels that he is going to surprise a lot of people in the coming year, and that he belongs among the top heavyweights in the world.
“I give the fans what they want to see,” said Maddalone. “I am not just in there for a payday or just to go through the motions, I am in there to look good, give the fans something exciting to watch, and ultimately knock my opponent out. The fans come to see the knockout, and that’s what I try to give them. I feel really good, I am one hundred percent healthy now, and I honestly feel that I am going to turn a lot of heads in the next year,” stated Maddalone.
Joe DeGuardia is excited about both shows on August 6th and believes that this is something that boxing needs. “On August 6th I am teaming up with not one, but two of the top promoters in the New York Area to put on two great shows. This is what boxing needs, for us promoters to work together to put together exciting shows and give the fans what they want to see. Each show is loaded with top level talent, along with some of the top young prospects to hit the boxing world in a long time,” said DeGuardia. “I expect Ali, Vinny and Albert to put on spectacular showings come fight night. August 6th is going to be a great night for boxing, a great night for the fans who will be attending or watching, and a great night for New York City,” stated DeGuardia.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or by going to www.starboxing.com. Tickets are priced at $160 (VIP seats and VIP tables), $100 (ringside seats and ringside tables), and $60 (standing room only).
Bronx,NY - Jul 24, 2008 On Wednesday August 6th Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing is teaming up with Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum to promote ESPN2’s “Wednesday Night Fights” telecast from the Aviator Sports and Recreation Center in Brooklyn, NY. That same night Star Boxing, in association with DiBella Entertainment, are putting together a card at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York City, New York. One night, two shows, three great fights make for one extremely exciting night of boxing.
In the main event of the ESPN2 broadcast from the Aviator in Brooklyn, Star Boxing’s hot Jr. welterweight prospect Ali “Hurricane” Oubaali (21-3, 17KO’s) takes on tough Christopher “Kid Kayo” Fernandez (15-4-1, 9KO’s). Oubaali, originally from Courrieres, France signed with DeGuardia prior to moving to the U.S. in 2007. Oubaali has not lost a fight since 2004, and since signing with Star Boxing has put together two impressive performances, a TKO in the fourth over Victorio Abadia and a ten round unanimous decision over Ashley Theophane.
In Oubaali’s last fight he beat Theophane (20- 2-1, 7KO’s at the time) in a 10 round co-feature shown on ESPN2. Oubaali lived up to his nick-name, “Hurricane,” and continuously pressured Theophane for the entire 10 round contest. Oubaali’s fan friendly, come forward, non-stop punching style, has enabled him to quickly establish a fan base here in America.
Star Boxing CEO and founder Joe DeGuardia is excited to once again feature Ali on ESPN2. “He is exciting, and he comes to fight. Every time he is in the ring he gives the crowd what they want to see. He is fast, he throws a lot of punches, he can take a good shot and, as you can see by his record, he can certainly knock you out,” said DeGuardia. “We feel that after a couple more fights people will really begin noticing this kid, and it will only be a matter of time before we get him a shot at a world title in the 140 lb. division.”
In the co-feature of the night Star Boxing once again showcases one of its top heavyweights, Albert “The Dragon” Sosnowski (43-1, 26KO’s) who is set to take on Kevin Burnett (13-1-1, 8KO’s). Sosnowski last fought on April 25th against Terrell Nelson, stopping Nelson in the fifth. The Sosnowski vs. Nelson bout was the co- feature on that weeks ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights”. Since teaming up with Star, Sosnowski has been impressive and DeGuardia expects big things out of the 29 year old native of Warsaw, Poland. “I think that he has all the tools to take over the heavyweight division. We feel that we can really move Albert along and after a few more fights have him in the position to take on one of the top world rated contenders,” stated DeGuardia.
Tickets are priced at $200, $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by calling (718)823-2000 or by going to www.starboxing.com. Doors open at 6:30 with the first bout scheduled to go off at 7:30. The Aviator is located on Flatbush Ave, just south of the Belt Parkway, Exit 11S, Brooklyn, NY 11234 (718) 758- 7500.
Tonight’s “Fight Night at Frontier” boxing card has been postponed due to expected inclement weather. “Fight Night at Frontier” has been moved to its scheduled rain date of Thursday, July 31st. Gates at Frontier Field will open at 6:00 p.m. with the first fight to begin at 7:00 p.m.
For ticket information, please call the Frontier Field box office at 423-WING (9464)
Friday, August 1, Live at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (July 17, 2008) –ShoBox: The New Generation returns to New York City for the first time in four years with New Jersey’s own Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak (21-0, 14 KOs) as he puts his undefeated record on the line against ShoBox veteran Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (19-3, 19 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout, Friday, Aug. 1, live on SHOWTIME at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The co-feature pits undefeated, Bronx native Jorge “The Truth” Teron (21-0-1, 14 KOs) against the hard-hitting Mexican, Michael Lozada (29-4-1, 22 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight battle.
The fights will be promoted by Gotham Boxing from the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, New York.
Born in Poland, “Raging Bull” Wolak has an aggressive, in-your-face style. He is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision victory against then once-beaten Troy Browning on May 17, 2008.
Prior to his fight against Browning, Wolak thrilled boxing fans at Madison Square Garden when he registered a stunning and electrifying second-round knockout of Dupre “Total Package” Strickland on March 15, 2008.
Smith on the other hand is looking to keep his championship hopes alive. This fight is a must win as he’s lost two of his last three fights by unanimous decision – albeit to world-class opposition in Sechew Powell and Joel Julio – and a loss here could be detrimental to his career.
Fighting on ShoBox might be Smith’s good luck charm since he has won his previous three fights on the acclaimed SHOWTIME series.
Smith’s impressive victories on ShoBox provided nationwide notoriety. He notched a decisive unanimous decision win against Randall Bailey, handed David Estrada his first defeat, and outpointed veteran Sam Garr.
Smith gained additional mainstream success when he was tapped to be on the reality TV show The Contender in 2004. He would ultimately be matched against Sergio Mora, the tournament’s eventual winner, where he lost by split decision. Mora went on to become a world champion when he upset Vernon Forrest on June 7, 2008 to win the WBC super welterweight belt via majority decision on SHOWTIME.
The Teron-Lozada fight has the potential to be another explosive match-up. Teron is coming off six impressive knockout victories in his last ten fights while the aggressive Lozada is on an extraordinary run having won seven straight fights by way of knockout.
Teron grew up and still lives in the Bronx, only a subway ride away from the Aviator Arena. He will rely on home court advantage in his continuing quest for a lightweight title.
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. ShoBox recently celebrated seven outstanding years on the air.
1. How long have you been involved in boxing?
I was interested in boxing around 7yrs. old.
2. We’re you confident about winning the Olympic Gold medal?
Yes, I did know I was going to win the Gold Medal I was the only one left to get the job done.
3. Is anything wrong with the sport of boxing today?
The state of Boxing and Boxers today is in need of good leadership. We need people in the corners who have fought and know the skill of the game.
4, I know you do a lot for the sport. What motivates you?
I give back to the sport of boxing because someone gave it to me! It would not be right to keep it to myself!
5. So, what can be done?
Once again it is about Leadership. I wrote a book in hope to show young fighters the right ways of the fight game. I would change boxing by requiring all trainers to have some fighting experience.
6. Who are/where some of your favorite fighters?
Some of my favorite fighters are Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Rocky Graziano, Ray Robinson.
7. What’s your favorite boxing movie?
My favorite is Million Dollar Baby.
8. Your gym is very well known.
We are one of the oldest boxing gym in Philly. Just like Washington D.C. is the Capital of the U.S. in Philly we are the White House!
9. I understand you may be doing a movie?
Penny Marshall, is looking to do my life story to be re-leased sometime in 2009! If you need more information speak with my promoter Les Wolff!
IOWA CITY, Ia. — Jeff Lacy’s fight against Epifanio Mendoza was supposed to be his big comeback fight to silence the critics. Instead, Lacy survived a tough fight that he could have easily lost and left more questions than answers about his future.
The first round was vintage Lacy, with swarming style that had Mendoza on the defensive. He jumped on Mendoza, who was previously stopped by Chad Dawson in his previous fight.
Lacy nailed Mendoza with his patented left hook along with a solid right and Mendoza looked like he was ready to find the exit. This continued for the first two minutes of the second round before a Mendoza right caught Lacy on the side of the face and sent Lacy reeling backward.
From there a fight broke out. Lacy went on survivial mode for 30 seconds before recovering enough to launch his own counter attack.
The next three rounds saw Lacy take control of the fight as he got inside of the taller Mendoza but there were signs of Lacy’s vulnerability that would nearly derail the Floridian comeback later in the fight.
While Lacy was winning on points, he kept getting nailed by Mendoza right hand upper cut on the inside. In the opening minutes of the sixth round, Mendoza nailed Lacy with a solid right that sent his mouthpiece flying.
From the sixth round through the ninth, Mendoza’s right proved to be decisive punch as he consistently nailed Lacy with right uppercuts on the inside or right crosses from the outside. Once in a while, Mendoza delivered his own left hook against the famous “Left Hook” Lacy.
Lacy simply survived those rounds and came close of being stopped at least twice. In the final round, it was do or die for Lacy as he out-hustled Mendoza in the final stanza to salvage a decision.
While one judge had it 97-93 in Lacy’s favor, the other two had it 95-95 draw and a close 96-94 decision with the final round being the decisive round.
Lacy survived this fight but showed weakness that need to be corrected or his career as an elite fighter will be short lived. He’s a technically sound fighter who doesn’t often use his full arsenal.
He rarely jabs his way inside and that leaves him vulnerable to counters. As ESPN’s Ted Atlas noticed, he often threw one punch at a time and rarely doubled up on his fearsome left hook.
Lacy didn’t look like the fearsome “Left Hook” Lacy of two years ago and appears to taking steps backwards. He looked exposed as a fighter on the downside of his career and in a division that has gotten tougher over the past three years; this is not good news for Lacy chances to regain the title.
Mora vs. Forrest II, is the 12-round co-featured bout to the highly anticipated Joel Casamayor vs. Juan Manuel Marquez showdown. The fight is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Tournament of Contenders, Gary Shaw Productions and Fight Knight, LLC. Casamayor vs. Marquez – “The Challenge”, a 12-round bout for Casamayor’s Ring Magazine World Lightweight Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Romanza Boxing and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, Cazadores Tequila and Southwest Airlines. The world title bout will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
“I am a friend of Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, the new President of AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Association), and have a lot of respect for him and his principles of honesty, integrity and impartiality, as well as his striving for the best in his organization.
“I am suggesting to President Wu that he take a very important step in the history of amateur boxing, which is to warn the ring officials that will work in the coming Olympic Games in Beijing, China, to devote themselves absolutely to the principles of honesty, impartialitiy, competency, and loyalty to the AIBA institution, and that those who do not should be eliminated from the Olympic Games and never be appointed officially by AIBA again.
“I believe strongly in Dr. Wu’s honestly and intregrity, and am confident that he will work very hard to erase the apparent corruption that has existed in the past with some of AIBA’s ring officials and hurt many innocent boxers and nations who have deserved to win medals with their actions in the ring only to see them given to others because of the judges.
“I wish the best Olympic boxing games ever for Dr. Wu, and wish him good luck next month.
“The WBC will hold its 46th annual world convention in Chengdu, China, from November 2 - 8 after the Olympic Games that will end in August.
“The WBC regrets to announce the passing away in London, England, of Mrs. Edward Thangarajah on Sunday, July 27, and declares today a day of mourning in the WBC. She was the wife of our dear member of the Board of Governors, Edward Thangarajah.
“Mrs. Thangarajah devoted her life for the love and care of her dear family, and lived with a passion and devotion to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.
“May she rest in everlasting peace, and may God bring to our dear Edward and his family a prompt resignation to such a deep sorrow.
“All of the members of the Board of Governors and myself have the closest friendship and empathy for the Thangarajah family and especially for our colleague, who is one of the most loyal WBC members ever.”
It is somewhat of a shame when the question comes up, who was the greatest fighter to come out of Mexico? The answer is usually Julio Cesar Chavez. Some say Salvador Sanchez. Others may say Ruben Olivares. The three are truly legendary fighters. To me another outstanding boxer from Mexico is Carlos Zarate.
Zarate began his career in 1970 and won his first 52 fights, 51 by kayo. Amazing! A lot of Zarate’s early opposition may have been, in the words of Greg Haugen when he questioned Chavez’s fine record were over a bunch of Mexican taxi drivers. Well I don’t know if I’d go that far but Carlos beefed up his record but he was also learning his trade and learning it well.
By 1974 Zarate was moving up in the ratings. He stopped a tough fighter from Odessa, Texas named James Martinez. He halted unbeaten Joe Guevara. He stopped Orlando Amores, Benicio Sosa and Nestor Jimenez.
In May, 1976 Carlos halted the talented Rodolfo Martinez in nine rounds to win the WBC bantamweight title. That would lead to a run of seven title defenses. In 1977 Carlos would meet WBA champion Alfonso Zamora in a non title match. Zarate won the “Battle Of The Z Bombers” with a convincing fourth round KO. In 1978 Carlos would turn back the challenge of future champion Alberto Davila.
Carlos decided to move up in weight and challenge the also undefeated Wilfredo Gomez for the WBC 122 pound title. The fight took place Oct. 28, 1978 in Puerto Rico. The extremely gifted Gomez appeared to be too fast for Zarate. Wilfredo had Carlos down and the fight was stopped in the fifth round with Gomez retaining his title.
Zarate would drop back to 118 pounds. He would defend his WBC title one more time and then meet tough Lupe Pintor. Zarate started well but Pintor came on strong in the later rounds. After fifteen rounds Pintor was awarded a very controversial decision and the title. In disgust, Carlos would walk away from the game for nearly seven years.
Carlos returned in 1986 and would reel off twelve more wins, ten by knockout. In 1987 he took on Australian sensation Jeff Fenech for the WBC Super Bantamweight title. Jeff held on to his crown by a technical decision in four rounds. On Feb. 29, 1988 Carlos met Daniel Zaragoza for the vacant WBC 122 pound title. The rugged Zaragoza stopped
Carlos in the tenth round. It would be Zarate’s last fight.
In all Carlos had 70 fights. He won 66 of them. Sixty three were by the KO route. He was tall and rangy. He had a stiff jab and a booming overhand right. He also had one of the best left hooks to the liver I have ever seen. Three of his four losses were to boxers now enshrined in the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. To me he has to rank among the best bantamweights of all time.
Awhile back I was introduced to Dennis Hardesty by ex-fighter and promoter Eric Jakobowski, from Hammond, IN. Eric seems to come up with some class people to help with stories.
Dennis Hardesty has worked in boxing for some time now. He’s worked with a who’s who of boxing–from his first fighter, Jack Callahan, to Randall “Tex” Cobb to George Foreman.
Although Dennis had limited amateur experience, he started in boxing in the early eighties. He ran a gym in the Hammond area for several years. Now he runs a gym with Rodney Wilson, one of his ex-fighters who works with him as a trainer. The pair work out of the South Side of Chicago with several young, up-and-coming fighters.
Dennis, a class-act guy, down to earth and straight on the fight game–meaning he knows what he’s talking about and has a high degree of honesty. When he began in the game, Fred Berns, Indiana-based promoter, took him under his wing. Dennis gives Fred Berns a lot of credit for helping him and a lot of up-and-coming fighters pursue their dreams.
Once the TV show “Chatting with Chester” did a segment on him. After seeing the piece, I thought it was great. A couple of months back I did a story I did on Amy Yuratovik, a fighter out of Hammond. Dennis is very high on her. She’s a classy gal as well. I consider Dennis Hardesty, not only consider him a good man in boxing, but also a good friend.
It was only natural for me to have an affinity with Antonio Margarito; after all, I’d just spent a week in Cabo San Lucas and was still very much in a Mexican state-of-mind. Plus Margarito is a shorts and sandals sort - my kinda guy. He has an infectious smile and a beach bum gone boxer look - he just might be the Maynard G. Krebs of the squared circle.
After three National Anthems and the bellowing bravado of Michael Buffer the bout began.
Round One established the pace and style of the entire fight. Margarito pursuing Cotto with Cotto responding by taking some shots and delivering powerful punches of his own, mostly off the ropes. I wondered right off, whether Cotto could possibly go on this way for entire fight, strictly countering the aggressive tactics of the much taller Margarito. I had the first round even - Margarito had the volume but Cotto the crisper combos.
In Round Two Margarito seemed to hurt Cotto, buckling his opponent briefly. Cotto responded with some brutal headshots, while Margarito seemed content on body blows, uppercuts and teasing, almost flailing shots to the head. ..Round Margarito.
In the Third Margarito tossed a couple of low blows, which got referee Kenny Bayless to issue a warning. Cotto bounced back from the previous round by landing the kind of shots that snap an opponent’s head and send sweat and spit airborne. Cotto seemed to be settling into the pattern of the fight and I gave him the round.
The Fourth brought more of the same but with a slight bit of caution or rest by both combatants. Again, Cotto landed the more telling blows and won another round on my card.
The Fifth made it three in a row for the Puerto Rican. Cotto landed some brutal lefts, despite the fact that Margarito came out very aggressive. Cotto must have been feeling what his loyal fans felt - that he’d figured out the rangy Mexican, could score at will and would soon be done with the whole affair; he ended the round toying with Margarito, his fists at his waist, his bobbing head exposed, daring Antonio to “catch me if you can!” Cotto won the round decisively.
I was prepared for the Sixth and final round, not so much because Cotto had hurt Margarito but because he seemed to have figured him out and was ready for the cue de grace, but alas, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry…
The round started with Margarito seemingly a man with a stick trying to strike a turtle whose head is already retracted into the shell, folly and frustration! But as the round closed, Margarito’s persistence paid off and his relentless assault and eventual scored punches forced me to give him the round.
Round Seven was the turning point. Perhaps Cotto was tiring. Perhaps he felt he could only counterpunch to stave off Margarito but not to hurt him. In fact, I noticed and took note that as Cotto answered the bell, his round-by-round genuflection seemed less crisp. I’m serious!
Somewhere in the exchanges I think Margarito busted Cotto’s nose. Cotto thumbed it now and again, distracted, frustrated and perhaps pained. And Margarito went right for it with volleys of uppercuts. Despite Cotto’s solid counterpunches the tide was turning and I gave Antonio his second straight round.
Round Eight started with Cotto seemingly frantic in his desire to avoid a dust up with Margarito. If you got points for making someone miss you, than Cotto would have cleaned up, sadly, you don’t. The third straight for Margarito.
Just when you thought a pattern had developed and that it was just a matter of time before Cotto’s defensive offense would finally collapse, he tossed some big shots. The pattern was the same but much as in the early rounds Cotto’s shots seemed crisp and on the mark. Therefore, I gave him the 9th.
The Tenth started much as the Ninth had ended with Cotto seemingly timing Margarito’s aggressive tactics, landing some big shots until…
As the round wore on, Margarito wore Cotto out, staggering Miguel and in my opinion stealing a round he might have lost, but stealing it decisively!
In the Eleventh, Cotto looked like a guy caught in a thunderstorm, desperately seeking shelter, but finding himself in the middle of nowhere.
Margarito turned assassin. He stalked his prey and pummeled Cotto. Cotto went down, one part put down, one part sanctuary. He got up only to find more of the same and this time, in the opposite corner from the first fall, he took a knee and the referee kindly put him out of his misery by stopping the fight.
The crowd was all for Margarito and as I exited the arena I saw many waving their betting tickets (Margarito took tons of late action and closed at minus 190). I turned back to the ring and there he was, hoisted on the shoulders of a cornerman that smile shoving aside his scraggly beatnik beard. I couldn’t wait to get home, get out of my slacks, put on a pair of shorts and have a shot of tequila and a cool Tecate.
At a press conference held today at the Westin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, promoter Don House of the XBC (Xtreme Boxing Challenge) introduced 4 of the heavyweight fighters that will be taking part in the inaugural show on August 29 at the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa and televised on Fox Sports Net.
The concept is that instead of negotiations for fighters pay, they get paid for their performance.
The fighters fight 5 three minute rounds in a single elimination.
The first round of eliminations there is $50,000.00 total available to win at $10,000.00 per round. The fighter who wins each round gets $7,000.00 and the loser of the round gets $3000.00. Win the fight and advance to the second round of eliminations. If a fighter wins all 5 rounds he walks away with $35,000.00 and advances.
The second round of eliminations there will be $100,000.00 total available to win at $20,000.00 per round. The fighter who wins each round gets $15,000.00 and the loser of the round gets $5000.00. Win the fight and advance to the third round of eliminations.
The third and final round of eliminations there will be $600,000.00 total available to win at $120,000.00 per round. The fighter who wins each round gets $100,000.00 and the loser of the round gets $20,000.00.
If a fighter wins all 5 rounds in each elimination bout he walks away with $610,000.00
There is also a bonus for any fighter that wins all 3 of his bouts by knockout of $500,000.00
The first card will feature the following heavyweights.
Fres Oquendo 28-4 17KOs from Puerto Rico
Duncan Dokiwari 25-3 22KOs from Nigeria
Cisse Saliff 23-10-2 21KOs from Mali
Javier Mora 21-4-1 17KOs from Mexico
Andrey Fedosov 17-1 13KOs from Russia
Chris Koval 24-4 18KOs from the USA
Rusty Rubin is the editor of Ringsports.com website and author of three acclaimed boxing books! “Woozel, Boxing and Me”, “Off the Canvas” and “Billy Soose, the Champion Time Forgot” co-authored by Tom Donelson.
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This weekend, in Las Vegas, the long-awaited and highly anticipated twin-title match-up between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto takes place at the MGM Grand. Both the WBA and IBF welterweight crowns are on the line and it figures to be a great battle for as long as the fight lasts.
Before his last fight, you could have easily picked Cotto, because Margarito, although taller, had two weaknesses. He was a very slow starter and his defense could be easily penetrated. The last fight showed that one of those problems was gone, as he destroyed his opponent early in the first round.
Cotto, who has not really shown any weakness, will have his chin tested as never before. It’s going to be a great fight, folks and while I still think Cotto wins on superior defense, Margarito is a heavy puncher.
Enjoy the fight, it should be more than worth the cost for HBO PPV, and I’ll pick Cotto by a stoppage, midway.
Glove 2 Glove:
Prayers are needed for the recovery of boxer Oscar Diaz, who suffered a brain bleed in his last fight and is in a coma in a Texas hospital.
Please say a prayer for the complete recovery of ring announcer Michael Buffer who has been diagnosed with throat cancer.
Former President of the Golden State Boxers Assn. and wrestling great Count Billy Varga is in a So. Cal. nursing home and would love to hear from his fans….Please drop him a line at Brighton Gardens of Northridge, 17630 W. Devonshire St., Northridge, Cal 91330.
Prayers for the return to health of Patti Brandenburg, wife of boxing manager Gary.
Please say prayers for the recovery of good friend and great boxing guy Norm Cote, Past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, who is undergoing dialysis three times a week. Norm’s a great guy and a real fighter and we have to be there in his corner.
Please say a prayer for the recovery of Geneva Luna, mother of our ace photographer, Ray. Geneva suffered a stroke on Easter Sunday. Happy to report that she is recovering nicely.
Prayers also for former World Boxing Hall of Fame President Charlie Casas who is having some severe health problems as well as one of the founders and past President, Dub Harris, who suffered a stroke.
Prayers for Audrey Talmo, wife of solid boxing guy, Ed. Also prayers for the recovery of Mills Lane and Denis Wilxox.
Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***
Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.***
Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their friends and relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and contact our members when someone is in need. It’s absolutely free to join. God doesn’t ask for money, and neither do we. Joining us is as Simple as sending us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.***
LOS ANGELES — An upbeat celebration of Armando “Mando” Ramos’ life was fitting for the two-time champ who had won an early battle with alcohol and drugs, living the rest of his life dedicated to giving back and helping others. Ramos died on July 6 at the age of 59.
Managed by trainer Jackie McCoy, Ramos (37-11-1) was the youngest-ever lightweight champion at 135 pounds. He had turned pro at the age of 17, having forged his birth certificate. He retired at the age of 26, after well-documented substance abuse problems derailed his once-promising boxing career. After his ring career ended, Ramos worked as a longshoreman and lived in San Pedro with his wife of 32 years, Sylvia and is also survived by a son, Mando Jr. and four grandchildren.
On July 18, a memorial celebration was held at the Longshoremen’s I.L.W.U. Memorial Hall in Wilmington. The evening featured film clips and displays of photos, boxing gloves, robes, belts, memorabilia and other highlights from Ramos’ career. On stage, there was a constant stream of personal anecdotes as the huge room filled to capacity and fellow fighters, friends, and family paid tribute during the four-hour celebration.
Many fighters, including Carlos Palomino, Bobby Chacon, Mando Muniz, Paul Gonzales, Ruben Castillo, Frankie Duarte, Andy “Kid” Heilman, Joey Orbillo were all there to say goodbye to Ramos. His former stablemate and friendly rival Raul Rojas (now in a wheechair) even came out to pay his respects to his past opponent. On December 10, 1970, Rojas fought his very last fight against Ramos. Ramos won the bout by a KO in the sixth round.
Through the ‘Ten Count’ and the tears, there was also plenty of laughter and shared memories. Considering that the large crowd had braved the notorious Friday night traffic on L.A. freeways is a testament to the loyal and lasting friendships Ramos had built through the years. After their careers are long over, ex-fighters form a fraternity, a brotherhood; it’s a bond created by both the troubles and the triumphs that fighters invariably live through. It is not uncommon for former foes to become respected friends outside of the ring, thus cementing a lifelong connection through boxing.
Ironically, this year had been a year full of accolades and honors for Ramos. In April, he and his dad, Ray were honorees at the Golden State Boxers’ Association first-ever “Don Fraser Lifetime Achievement Awards” for fathers and sons involved in boxing. Ramos had been inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame on June 21 and was also an inaugural WBC Hall of Fame inductee at the June 27 Legends of Boxing ceremony for their new museum in San Bernardino.
Ramos had donated a red boxing robe and shoes from his second title fight for a display that is showcased in the WBC museum. Vinnie Johnson, museum Co-chairman, recalls, “Mando was one of the first ones to arrive and the last to leave. He didn’t want to get off the stage; he was really enjoying the moment. I’ll never forget it.”
Fighter Paul Banke was inducted with Ramos in both of the June events and stated, “This is so sad about Mando. We’re all brothers in the boxing world.”
Boxing trainer and sculptor Steve Harpst had known Ramos for over a decade and said, “It was a privilege to know Mando. His sense of humor was the best and I’ll miss all of his joking around.”
Ramos had received one of Harpst’s bronze statues during the WBC awards banquet. Harpst said it’s a bittersweet time for the boxing community, since Ramos died just nine days after the banquet.
Sylvia Ramos said, “Mando was so proud and honored to receive the bronze statue. This and his Ring magazine boxing belt were two of the things he was most proud of.”
Sylvia, whose nickname is “Chiquita,” is blonde and petite and was a stark contrast to her husband’s dark, burly physique. The couple were a mainstay at various Los Angeles boxing matches, awards banquets, and fundraising events.
Sylvia spoke of her husband’s history of ailments, including diabetes, heart and back problems, saying, “He had a spinal cord stimulator, a pacemaker and a bunch of other things. I called him “The Bionic Man,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “He always set off the alarms while going through airport security, ” she remembered. His physical ailments did not deter the two from traveling, often going to Mexico and Las Vegas for short trips.
They had also been looking forward to a month-long vacation in Spain, Italy, and Greece that was to begin next month. The two had been planning this vacation for a while. But after Ramos’ passing, Sylvia chose to cancel the trip, rather than go without her husband. “It just wouldn’t have been the same without Mando,” she said.
Since Ramos’ death, fellow champions, friends, and associates have expressed their sadness at losing one of their compadres, while remembering a guy who just loved to have fun.
Having known both Mando and Sylvia Ramos myself for over a decade, I have my own memories of Ramos’ spirited and feisty sense of humor. While attending many of the Golden State Boxers’ Association meetings and parties at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood, I witnessed Ramos’ fun-loving, boisterous personality many times. He got a big kick out of joking around during somebody’s speech and Ramos would ‘heckle’ them and crack a joke or two. I would always find myself laughing out loud, and this only encouraged Ramos’ good-natured heckling. Sylvia would whisper to Mando to keep quiet and she said, “I would tell Mando, ‘It’s not always about you,’ but he would continue joking and getting attention.” After Sylvia’s light admonishments, Ramos would indeed continue shouting out jokes, and I would continue to laugh every single time. Ramos would look at me and giggle (looking like a schoolboy caught doing something naughty) and then would go back to the wisecracking.
Many in the crowd also recalled seeing Ramos fight at the famed Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, where Ramos fought over 25 times from 1965-1968.
Mando Muniz, was still an amateur boxer when Ramos turned pro, and the two Southern California fighters became good friends through the years. Both were inductees at the WBC Hall of Fame event and Muniz said, “I was honored to be one of the first WBC inductees along with Mando. Unfortunately, he finished his boxing career so early. He had an easy attitude, a really good heart, a great sense of humor. He would call me “Cara de Lastima’ and “Cara de mil Chingasos”
World Boxing Hall of Fame President and WBC Induction Chairman Adolfo Perez first met Ramos in the late ’60s said, “I saw him fight at the Olympic and the L.A. Sports Arena.” Regarding the WBC Hall of Fame award recently bestowed upon Ramos, Perez said, “He was one of the local champs who really deserved to be inducted. Mando was one of the first ones we nominated for the award. He was right next to me on stage and he was so happy.” Ramos had also been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.
Don Fraser, President of the California Boxing Hall of Fame, said that during this year’s induction ceremony, “Mando seemed in good spirits.” Fraser was the Public Relations Director for the Olympic Auditorium from 1959-1967 and remembered, “I saw Mando fight in Spain and saw him at his best during his Olympic Auditorium days. He had such an ability. But with his alcohol and drug problems, he didn’t train the way he supposed to…and yet, he was still a champ.”
After years of drug abuse, Ramos got sober, and founded a non-profit youth organization called B.A.A.D. (Boxing Against Alcohol and Drugs). He proudly wore a large, gold pendant that said “Mr.B.A.A.D.” and he became known for contributing to others in need.
Gwen Adair, female boxing referee and judge agreed, “When I first started as a referee, I met Mando at the Olympic Auditorium. He was a star. He got off track, but then he got his life together to help and support young people. Mando turned it around and was always trying to help others.”
Ramos got inspired in various ways on how to help the less fortunate. He was patiently growing his curly hair out and sometimes wore it in a ponytail, which got a lot of ribbing from other ‘macho’ fighters. But he was letting it grow long for a good cause. Sylvia explains, “Mando was going to donate his ponytail to an organization that makes wigs for kids with cancer. His ponytail was eight inches long. It needed to be 12 inches in length before he could donate it, so that’s why he was still growing his hair out.”
In the end, Ramos had made a decision to give back in an ultimate way. Years ago, he had arranged for his body to be donated to UCLA’s organ donor program. Sylvia confirmed that her husband’s body was donated to the program, as this was Mando’s final request.
It seemed the fallen champion had truly learned from his past mistakes and lived his life doing what he knew was important–helping others, sharing good times with friends and family, enjoying his retirement with his beloved wife, Sylvia, and making fans smile with his ever-present sense of humor and laughter.
And his family made sure he had the very last word. On the back of the memorial program they handed out was a quote from the champ:
“Keep your chin down and your ass off the canvas!” Mando Ramos
The title says it all, the Latinos (Hispanic fighters) are now a primary force in our great force.
I had the occasion to listen to Russ Amber (the coach) on Toronto’s Sports Network (TSN). He does a show called “In This Corner”. He discusses the fights of the week. Russ was asked who he rated as the best “Latino” fighter of the past. He mentioned Carlos Monzon, former middleweight champion as his choice. Good choice but I for one could see other deserving pugilists.
How about Oscar de la Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez, Alexis Arguello, Roberto Duran, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Kid Gavilan, just to name a few?
Monzon was a great fighter, he was from Argentina, won his middleweight crown from Nino Benvenuti, gave Benvenuti a drubbing, fact is he did it twice. Monzon was a great fighter, beautiful left jab, big right hand. Carlos did a great job and retired as middleweight king. I heard Monzon had passed away at an early age, big shame!
Russ Amber is from Montreal, knows the sport of boxing up and down, they call him the coach. He has worked with many, many fighters. He really knows his stuff.
As I said, Monzon did a great job but I must give consideration to another great fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez, from Mexico. He won numerous world titles. I would guess his best years were at 135, 140. Great puncher to the body and head. He came from an extremely poor family? As he made money in boxing he took care of a great many people. I would imagine the only black mark on his career was his fight with Pernell Whittaker, the judges called the fight a draw, reality Whittaker won going away!
Another incident was when he faced Oscar de la Hoya and took a bad beating. I would imagine that these two fights were the downfall of Chavez, it seems he was past his prime. You can only go so far!!
We should also consider Alexis Arguello from Nicaragua, good puncher, speed of foot, Alexis won world titles at 126, 130, and 135. He whipped them all. His last big triumph was over James Watt, lightweight champion of the world, in Scotland. Alexis won comfortably.
Alexis took a shot at the junior welterweight crown (140), but ran into a buzz saw called Aaron Pryor the champ at that time. Pryor seemed to have a jaw of steel. Alexis nailed him with big right hand blasts but Pryor shook them off. He stopped Arguello in a late round. In the return match, same result; Arguello was stopped. Yes I imagine Alexis reached a little too high. Alexis Arguello had a great career, he truly deserves recognition as one of the great latino fighters. I met Arguello in Rochester, New York. Good looking fellow, very articulate.
We now look at Roberto Duran, Manos de Piedra (Hands of Stone). He came from Panama, a vicious puncher, also I would say he was heartless. His main aim was to destroy his opponents and show his utter contempt. He certainly did that.
As a lightweight Duran was unbeatable, he won the lightweight crown from Ken Buchanan of Scotland. Duran was on top all the way. He hit Ken with an obvious low blow late in the fight, of course Mr. Buchanan hollered foul. The ref paid him no mind and declared Duran the new champ. Duran lost a close decision to Estaban de Jesus but in the following two rematches de Jesus was beaten badly.
Roberto Duran won the welterweight crown (147) from Sugar Ray Leonard in Montreal. Out hit and out smarted Leonard who decided to mix with Duran in close, big mistake, new champion Roberto Duran. In their second meeting Leonard fought an entirely different battle. He moved, kept Duran at bay. Duran, quit in an early round. He complained about stomach pains but truth be known, Roberto Duran was being humiliated so he passed the dice, gave up.
Duran started to gain weight after his loss to Leonard. His worst moment would have to be when Tommy Hearns KO’d him with a vicious right hand!
Duran won a version of the 160 pound title from Iran Barkley. I thought Roberto was the loser, but the judges gave him a close decision. A while later Duran had a tough battle with Marvin Hagler at 160 pounds. No one gave Roberto much of a chance but he did great, although losing a close decision.
We know Hagler was one of the greatest middleweight kings, so I would have to say Duran did a magnificent job. Again I must say Duran fought too long, lost fights to some who in his early days, shall I say, would have been cannon fodder!
We will now look at Marco Antonio Barrera. Mexican born, he won the 122 pound title, the 126 pound title, and the 130 pound title. He was born into a rather affluent family. He had his first pro encounter at 15 years of age (?). He beat some tough guys and gave Prince Naseem Hamed a beating at 126 pounds. Barrera was a fighting machine that day. Out-boxed Haseem in each and every round. Naseem never requested a rematch.
Barrera had 3 wars with Erik Morales, at 122 and 126. Morales eked out fight number one, beaten in fights two and three. Each decision was up for grabs. You could say the swan song for Barrera were his two losses to Manny Pacquiao. He (Barrera) was stopped in fight number 1, fight number two Paquiao won in a walk. It appears that Marco Antonio Barrera will pack it in after a great career.
How many remember Kid Gavilan from Cuba? He featured the Bolo Punch, Gavilan was hard to hit, not a big hitter, he held the welterweight title (147). Gavilan had two fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, good tough battles. Came up short. He tried to take the 160 pound crown from Bobo Olsen but came up short again. Gavilan means “hawk” in Spanish so they called him the Cuban Hawk. He had a magnificent career. Je passed away a while back, yes Gavilan could’ve been considered as the number one Latino fighter.
We should look at Oscar de la Hoya, a great fighter, won numerous times at 135 to 154. Oscar was brought up in California, won an Olympic title. I for one always look for someone to beat de la Hoya. I never thought he was that great (wrong!!). I felt that Ike Quartey would handle him in their welterweight title fight. Oscar won with a late round combination of punches. Both men hit the deck in that one. I also thought Felix Trinidad would beat him. Trinidad won the decision but I have always felt that Oscar got the short end of the scorecards. He should’ve been declared the winner.
Oscar’s fight with Bernard Hopkins was a classic. I thought Oscar would’ve been too quick for Hopkins. The fight was very close until Bernard Hopkins landed a short left hook to Oscar’s liver, fight over! We could view Oscar’s fight with Ricardo Mayorga. Tough puncher, lacking in finesse, many thought Mayorga would push de la Hoya around. No sir! Oscar gave Mayorga a sold thrashing. We look at Mayweather-de la Hoya and again I was of the opinion that Oscar would be just too big for Floyd but I forgot that Floyd was younger and quicker. I thought Oscar was ahead after round nine, but for some reason de la Hoya held up his assault, Mayweather came up strong in those late rounds to win the decision, slightly! Mayweather and de la Hoya are probably going to do it again. I sincerely hope that Oscar can fight for twelve solid rounds. He could get the best of Mayweather! I imagine the consensus would say no.
As far as Latinos go you could look at Hector “Macho” Comacho,]great boxer, Carlos Ortiz who beat Joe Brown for the lightweight title awhile back. While there were many Latino fighters to consider, but I could say that Carlos Monzon would be a good choice for number one. We all have our opinions so Russ Ambers’ choice is a good one.
Let’s look at today’s warriors of Spanish heritage. We should start with the middleweight contenders, the bigger guys, heavyweights, cruisers, light heavies, do not seem to have outstanding Latinos. So at 160 we look at Edison Miranda, a big hitter, I picked him to beat Kelly Pavlik in their meeting. Pavlik was just too tough. In the junior middles we have Oscar de la Hoya.
The welters feature the great Miguel Cotto. He, in my eyes, could take the measure of Floyd Mayweather. Antonio Margarito, would give Mayweather fits, big tall heavy banger. The junior welters, we have J.L. Castillo. He had two big wars with Diego Corrales, won one, lost one (Corrales recently passed away). Castillo’s undoing was his loss to Ricky Hatton. The lightweights feature Juan Diaz, ex-lightweight king. He got whipped by Nate Campbell in a big upset. Now we have Joel Casamayor, from Cuba. Julio and David Diaz.
The junior lightweights feature J.M. Marquez, fierce puncher. Hunberto Soto, tough kid. Juan Guzmen, fierce puncher.
The featherweights have Oscar Larios, big hitter, ex-champion. The junior featherweights feature Israel Vasquez, heavy puncher. Ponce de Leon, murderous puncher. Raphael Marquez, ex-bantamweight champion.
I will not go any lower because I am not as familiar with the rest of the little guys. However a shout out should be given to Raul Marquez and Jorge Arce.
The year was 1966, and I was training two amateur fighters at Jake Shugrues Hoover Street gym in Los Angeles. I started watching an obviously talented slender lightweight work out. He was useing a”Birdcage” (boxing term for a complete nose face cover-up device). He looked extremely impressed.
I asked who he was. That’s Mando Ramos, a gym person told me. “He’s undefeated at 9 and 0. My first and lasting lifetime impression was that we were in the presence of future greatness, pugilistic wise.
Ramos was trained by Jackie McCoy and Lee Prilia. McCoy was a training wizard, You might remember that he taught Gerrie Coetze of South Africa the left hook to go with his bionic right hand that enabled him to dethrone heavyweight champion Michael Doaks, in an upset. for a version of the heavyweight title
It was very educational and enjoyable to watch McCoy go over various techniques with Ramos. He didn’t seem to mind an observer or someone listening in.
I followed Mando’s career from then-on, including when I moved from the LA area in 1968 and beyond.
Mando Ramos would go on to become the youngest (19) lightweight world champion in history. I record that I think may still stand. My talented, lightweight amateur (later pro) fighter Rick Rogers got to spar with Mando fairly often, Rogers hit like a middleweight. So he kept the pros on their toes. He really couldn’t do much with Ramos offensively or defensively.
It was no disgrace though, as Mando Ramos was the most naturally talented fighter I have ever observed in person. He was like liquid poetry in motion. I have observed dozens, perhaps hundreds, of world class fighters in training and at live fights and I never saw anyone with more sheer fistic talent.
Jackie McCoy alluded to this after Mando had retired, in a boxing article. The last time I saw Mando was at a pro card in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, I don’t think he actually remembered me but he did remember Rick Rogers, the boxer I had trained.
Mando was very heavy by then, and I heard he had some back surgeries after that. It was a too soon ending for a great boxing champion. Rest well Mando Ramos.
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian of www.DMBOXING.COM
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a wonderful event that is on the horizon, which is: the Greg Haugen Foundation for Autism.
I will personally be attending this gala weekend event in Seattle, Washington, next month … so will you now please join in support by going to www.greghaugenfoundation.com for further information, or by contacting co-founder and executive director Patrick Dzurcanin at (253) 306-8083 or (253) 661-4336 … thank you!
