This time Whitaker took revenge, winning a near-shutout 12-round decision. The two also contested the vacant WBC belt. When Chavez vacated to move up in weight, Ramirez took a rematch with Whitaker, who had since claimed the IBF title. Such was their closeness, Chavez’s now ex-wife is Ramirez’s daughter’s godmother. The fight went to the scorecards and Chavez was the victor. “I felt there were not a lot of punches in the fight, I don’t know why.”Ĭhavez buckled his friend’s legs in the fourth round and got the better of proceedings until a clash of heads opened a cut on Ramirez’s forehead, bringing the bout to a premature end in the 11th. and met former stablemate and rival titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez in a unification matchup in Las Vegas. Ramirez (left) at war with friend and countryman Julio Cesar Chavez. It was a very close fight but, for me, I won, although I respect what people say.” “It was one of the biggest wins of my career. ![]() “It was a tough fight because of his style, but I remember the victory against Whitaker,” Ramirez said of his highly contentious 12-round split decision win in France. In his first defense, he impressively stopped former titlist Cornelius Boza-Edwards in five rounds, and then he faced met star Pernell Whitaker. “That was a very big fight,” said Ramirez, who prevailed by hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision. Ramirez won seven fights and positioned himself to face tough Guyana-born Terrence Alli for the vacant WBC 135-pound strap that Camacho had abdicated. “He was a very good runner in the ring,” laughed Ramirez.Īfter this setback, Ramirez’s manager-trainer, Ramon Felix, brokered a deal with the Acaries brothers that allowed the former titleholder to stayed active in France. Ramirez dropped the title to another Puerto Rican star Hector Camacho in his first defense in August 1985. When the fight was over, the Puerto Rican fans were provoking me and my team, but we had protection so nothing happened.” “I went down twice in the early rounds and came back to win by knockout. “The rematch against Edwin Rosario in Puerto Rico was the best win in my whole career,” Ramirez said proudly. He stopped Rosario in the fourth round of a wild fight. The two met in a rematch 18 months later and this time Ramirez would not be denied. When the great Arguello moved up in weight, he relinquished his WBC crown and Ramirez was matched with fellow-big puncher Edwin Rosario for the vacant belt in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May 1983.Īfter a slow start Ramirez grew into the fight but it wasn’t enough and he lost a close unanimous decision. Ramirez went on to defend his Mexican title and he also annexed the NABF belt. “And Arguello told me after this fight that he was going for the title and that if he won he would give me a rematch but he never did.”Īfter getting back to winning ways, Ramirez met the hugely popular Ray Mancini in a de facto eliminator to face Arguello in the summer of 1981 but he dropped a wide decision. “I remember when the fight was over, I told Arguello, ‘They gave you this decision,'” Ramirez revealed. Ramirez performed admirably but dropped a 10-round split decision that he still contests. “Zurdo” returned to action quickly, posting 24 consecutive wins and claiming the Mexican lightweight title, which helped earn him a bout against boxing superstar Alexis Arguello in Miami, Florida in November 1980. ![]() It would be the only time in the iron-jawed Mexican’s career that he would lose inside the distance. It was supposed to be a passing of the torch, however, nobody told the old warrior and he sensationally knocked out Ramirez inside two rounds. In April 1978, Ramirez, who was still a teenager, found himself matched again bantamweight and featherweight great Ruben Olivares.
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