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Young, Talented, and Humble Luis Ramos Looks to Continue Shining Under Espinoza Boxing Club!
By José Santana Jr.
“I’m still young, I’m still a baby in the sport, I’m still learning, but there’s a new lightweight champion coming!”
These are the words of Lightweight prospect Luis Ramos from Santa Ana, California. Ramos managed to bump his unbeaten record to 10-0, 5KO on March 7th against veteran Anthony Martinez who himself has faced a slew of prospects on their path up the rankings. Ramos, a 5’8’’ southpaw who trains at the TKO Boxing Club under his trainer Hector Lopez, now looks to enter the ring once again later in the spring. “I’ll be back in April or May. I just got to talk about it with Frank [Espinoza] and Hector, they are the ones that talk about fighting, I just do the fight part,” said the cheerful Ramos.
The Frank in which he speaks of is Frank Espinoza Sr., voted the 2007 Manager of the Year by the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Ramos is managed by Espinoza and his Espinoza Boxing Club who also manage Super Bantamweight world champion Israel Vasquez. “Espinoza Boxing Club has been great, they opened the doors for me,” stated Ramos. “They took that risk, and not a lot of managers wanted to take me [but] are now seeing what I’m capable of,” he continued.
Ramos who started boxing at the age of seven had a fabulous amateur career. He was a six time amateur national champion along with winning the Silver Gloves, Golden Gloves, and boasting an impressive 120 fights, of which he lost only 16. However, before attaining all those medals, trophies, and belts Ramos had to work hard with the help of his trainer Hector Lopez. “I wasn’t that well trained in boxing, like any typical kid. Then I started going to the gym and getting better and the first time I got in the ring I got a beat-down. The next day I went back and tried to get better and tried to beat the kid that beat me, back,” he recounted. This is the attitude that has carried Ramos onto the early success he has had in his amateur days and now as a professional.
Along with Lopez, Ramos gives much gratitude to his parents who he says are his biggest motivation. “They get up in the morning, go to work, have two jobs, both of my parents, and that really hurts me and that’s my motivation right there,” stated Ramos. “I carry them in my heart every time I’m in that ring fighting my opponent, taking my frustration out. That’s what motivates me to become a good person and work hard at the gym,” he added. He also looks up to Lopez of whom he mentions, “I want to be successful just like him and win a couple of championships.”
Now, as a professional, Ramos has demonstrated the hard work ethic to carry himself to the type of success of which he spoke. “I always say, it depends on how you work in the gym that determines how you’ll fight. If you work hard in the gym, the fight is the easiest part. Then there’s Hector; he’s like my dad, he just pushes me to a new level. I like to take it up to a whole new level in the ring,” claimed Ramos.
Yet, Ramos also doesn’t under-estimate the value of being a smart fighter. “I’m a thinking fighter. Every time I’m in there I’m thinking about what’s open, what’s not, what’s good to throw. My coach and I have a connection. I can hear him in the corner and he tells me what to do and we have a connection where I can only hear him and we break down our opponents.”
This is evidenced in the ring as Ramos eyes his opponents. He said of this, “I like to study the opponents in the first rounds and then from there I start breaking them apart. So this sport is like a chess game, if you make the wrong mistake you’re going to pay the price, but if you know how to play it you’ll win.” Ramos has demonstrated that he knows how to play the game including in his last fight against Martinez where he was able to sweep every round on each judge’s scorecard leading him to a unanimous decision victory.
That same victory against Martinez came on the undercard of the Golden Boy Promotions televised HBO triple-header featuring other top prospects Victor Ortiz and James Kirkland and former IBF world titlist Robert Guerrero.
Ramos was honored to be able to fight on this Golden Boy Promotions undercard and was very appreciative of the opportunity, “I got to thank them a lot because they gave me the chance to be on that card, and I tried to show what I’m capable of.” While Golden Boy Promotions was keeping close attention to Ramos’ fight, he still remains without a promoter of his own.
“If Golden Boy is there and they want to open the door for me I’m happy to be on their team, but right now nobody has mentioned anything. I’m just going to continue what I’m doing: to win and box and that’ll open the door for me,” he affirmed.
That is the kind of humble attitude many of Ramos’ fans have come to know him by- a fighter who truly believes in putting in the hard work to withdraw the best achievements possible and a charismatic person who brings the same allure into the ring. “I just grew up like that, [my parents and surrounding people] always taught me how to be humble, stay “humilde,” and that’s what I’m about,” Ramos proudly states.
He also appreciates the support in which he receives from his fans, “I know there’s a lot of people that know me and haven’t had the chance to meet me, but I’m happy and really appreciate that people go to see me fight. I like to perform well for my people and especially for my parents.”
Nonetheless, if you ask him, he is just Luis Ramos, nothing more. He likes to play sports, hang out with his friends, go snowboarding: “I’m just trying to be, as it’s called, a normal average kid. [Though], once I get in my training camp I’m different, that’s the fighter, but when I’m outside the ring in my regular life that’s Luis Ramos,” he said.
And this young and skillful fighter knows how to turn it up once he gets in that ring. With the combination of his intelligence and ability he will continue to please his fans as he looks to someday get his chance against the best fighters at the Lightweight division.
That day is a day in which he is certain will arrive. “There’s a lot of champions out there and later on in the year hopefully I get the chance to start fighting the best 135lb’ers… there’s a new lightweight champion coming!” Ramos adamantly claimed. However, do not confuse this sure confidence for brashness.
Ramos knows this can only be achieved through the hard work in which he puts in the gym where it all started under the watchful eye of his trainer Hector Lopez. Keeping in mind everything he was taught by his parents and people surrounding him who have helped guide his life, Ramos truly believes that the running, training, and work will pay off; the results will show in the ring. As Ramos will tell you himself, “I’m just like a regular guy and I like to have fun inside that ring.”
[IMG]http://i147.***********.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/b78443401z120081212003933000gnmfl3v.jpg[/IMG]
By José Santana Jr.
“I’m still young, I’m still a baby in the sport, I’m still learning, but there’s a new lightweight champion coming!”
These are the words of Lightweight prospect Luis Ramos from Santa Ana, California. Ramos managed to bump his unbeaten record to 10-0, 5KO on March 7th against veteran Anthony Martinez who himself has faced a slew of prospects on their path up the rankings. Ramos, a 5’8’’ southpaw who trains at the TKO Boxing Club under his trainer Hector Lopez, now looks to enter the ring once again later in the spring. “I’ll be back in April or May. I just got to talk about it with Frank [Espinoza] and Hector, they are the ones that talk about fighting, I just do the fight part,” said the cheerful Ramos.
The Frank in which he speaks of is Frank Espinoza Sr., voted the 2007 Manager of the Year by the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Ramos is managed by Espinoza and his Espinoza Boxing Club who also manage Super Bantamweight world champion Israel Vasquez. “Espinoza Boxing Club has been great, they opened the doors for me,” stated Ramos. “They took that risk, and not a lot of managers wanted to take me [but] are now seeing what I’m capable of,” he continued.
Ramos who started boxing at the age of seven had a fabulous amateur career. He was a six time amateur national champion along with winning the Silver Gloves, Golden Gloves, and boasting an impressive 120 fights, of which he lost only 16. However, before attaining all those medals, trophies, and belts Ramos had to work hard with the help of his trainer Hector Lopez. “I wasn’t that well trained in boxing, like any typical kid. Then I started going to the gym and getting better and the first time I got in the ring I got a beat-down. The next day I went back and tried to get better and tried to beat the kid that beat me, back,” he recounted. This is the attitude that has carried Ramos onto the early success he has had in his amateur days and now as a professional.
Along with Lopez, Ramos gives much gratitude to his parents who he says are his biggest motivation. “They get up in the morning, go to work, have two jobs, both of my parents, and that really hurts me and that’s my motivation right there,” stated Ramos. “I carry them in my heart every time I’m in that ring fighting my opponent, taking my frustration out. That’s what motivates me to become a good person and work hard at the gym,” he added. He also looks up to Lopez of whom he mentions, “I want to be successful just like him and win a couple of championships.”
Now, as a professional, Ramos has demonstrated the hard work ethic to carry himself to the type of success of which he spoke. “I always say, it depends on how you work in the gym that determines how you’ll fight. If you work hard in the gym, the fight is the easiest part. Then there’s Hector; he’s like my dad, he just pushes me to a new level. I like to take it up to a whole new level in the ring,” claimed Ramos.
Yet, Ramos also doesn’t under-estimate the value of being a smart fighter. “I’m a thinking fighter. Every time I’m in there I’m thinking about what’s open, what’s not, what’s good to throw. My coach and I have a connection. I can hear him in the corner and he tells me what to do and we have a connection where I can only hear him and we break down our opponents.”
This is evidenced in the ring as Ramos eyes his opponents. He said of this, “I like to study the opponents in the first rounds and then from there I start breaking them apart. So this sport is like a chess game, if you make the wrong mistake you’re going to pay the price, but if you know how to play it you’ll win.” Ramos has demonstrated that he knows how to play the game including in his last fight against Martinez where he was able to sweep every round on each judge’s scorecard leading him to a unanimous decision victory.
That same victory against Martinez came on the undercard of the Golden Boy Promotions televised HBO triple-header featuring other top prospects Victor Ortiz and James Kirkland and former IBF world titlist Robert Guerrero.
Ramos was honored to be able to fight on this Golden Boy Promotions undercard and was very appreciative of the opportunity, “I got to thank them a lot because they gave me the chance to be on that card, and I tried to show what I’m capable of.” While Golden Boy Promotions was keeping close attention to Ramos’ fight, he still remains without a promoter of his own.
“If Golden Boy is there and they want to open the door for me I’m happy to be on their team, but right now nobody has mentioned anything. I’m just going to continue what I’m doing: to win and box and that’ll open the door for me,” he affirmed.
That is the kind of humble attitude many of Ramos’ fans have come to know him by- a fighter who truly believes in putting in the hard work to withdraw the best achievements possible and a charismatic person who brings the same allure into the ring. “I just grew up like that, [my parents and surrounding people] always taught me how to be humble, stay “humilde,” and that’s what I’m about,” Ramos proudly states.
He also appreciates the support in which he receives from his fans, “I know there’s a lot of people that know me and haven’t had the chance to meet me, but I’m happy and really appreciate that people go to see me fight. I like to perform well for my people and especially for my parents.”
Nonetheless, if you ask him, he is just Luis Ramos, nothing more. He likes to play sports, hang out with his friends, go snowboarding: “I’m just trying to be, as it’s called, a normal average kid. [Though], once I get in my training camp I’m different, that’s the fighter, but when I’m outside the ring in my regular life that’s Luis Ramos,” he said.
And this young and skillful fighter knows how to turn it up once he gets in that ring. With the combination of his intelligence and ability he will continue to please his fans as he looks to someday get his chance against the best fighters at the Lightweight division.
That day is a day in which he is certain will arrive. “There’s a lot of champions out there and later on in the year hopefully I get the chance to start fighting the best 135lb’ers… there’s a new lightweight champion coming!” Ramos adamantly claimed. However, do not confuse this sure confidence for brashness.
Ramos knows this can only be achieved through the hard work in which he puts in the gym where it all started under the watchful eye of his trainer Hector Lopez. Keeping in mind everything he was taught by his parents and people surrounding him who have helped guide his life, Ramos truly believes that the running, training, and work will pay off; the results will show in the ring. As Ramos will tell you himself, “I’m just like a regular guy and I like to have fun inside that ring.”
[IMG]http://i147.***********.com/albums/r302/alphaqfrankie/b78443401z120081212003933000gnmfl3v.jpg[/IMG]