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By Thomas Gerbasi - Ask Rico Ramos how many Puerto Ricans are in his native Pico Rivera, California, and he thinks about it for a second. Then he laughs.
“Not that many,” he said. “Really, none at all. They’re all in New York and Florida.”
There will certainly be plenty in New York City this weekend, with the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade taking place, but from a boxing point of view, there will be no Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Lopez, or Ivan Calderon fights at Madison Square Garden, like there usually is. But rising star Ramos promises that one day, he will be there to celebrate with his fellow Boricuas.
“I will get there,” said Ramos. “All I gotta do is keep training and keep winning and I’ll get there to the top. I just want it so bad and I want to get to that MGM Grand and Madison Square Garden. I want to get everywhere.”
He’s on his way. On July 9th in Atlantic City, Ramos will challenge for his first pro title when he takes on WBA super bantamweight champion Akifumi Shimoda, and it’s not only an opportunity to gain a valuable trinket for his trophy case, but it’s an HBO-televised showcase that can bring his fast fists and hands into the nation’s living rooms.
In other words, to the world, it’s the first step in the star-making process. But the process really began when Ramos walked into the Broadway Boxing Gym in Los Angeles at the age of eight. It’s the part of the boxing story few refer back to, assuming that fighters fall out of the sky and into the amateur or pro ranks. That’s not the case, and what happens in those formative years can dictate where a boxer eventually winds up, because “real” life usually interferes. [Click Here To Read More]
“Not that many,” he said. “Really, none at all. They’re all in New York and Florida.”
There will certainly be plenty in New York City this weekend, with the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade taking place, but from a boxing point of view, there will be no Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Lopez, or Ivan Calderon fights at Madison Square Garden, like there usually is. But rising star Ramos promises that one day, he will be there to celebrate with his fellow Boricuas.
“I will get there,” said Ramos. “All I gotta do is keep training and keep winning and I’ll get there to the top. I just want it so bad and I want to get to that MGM Grand and Madison Square Garden. I want to get everywhere.”
He’s on his way. On July 9th in Atlantic City, Ramos will challenge for his first pro title when he takes on WBA super bantamweight champion Akifumi Shimoda, and it’s not only an opportunity to gain a valuable trinket for his trophy case, but it’s an HBO-televised showcase that can bring his fast fists and hands into the nation’s living rooms.
In other words, to the world, it’s the first step in the star-making process. But the process really began when Ramos walked into the Broadway Boxing Gym in Los Angeles at the age of eight. It’s the part of the boxing story few refer back to, assuming that fighters fall out of the sky and into the amateur or pro ranks. That’s not the case, and what happens in those formative years can dictate where a boxer eventually winds up, because “real” life usually interferes. [Click Here To Read More]
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