Remembering Mando Ramos
BY Dr. Robert Quam, D.C.
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.
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