By Ryan Maquiñana
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN -- In the round of 32 at the AIBA World Championships this morning, Olympic lightweight hopeful Jose Ramirez of Avenal, Calif., dropped a 16-9 decision to defending 2009 gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine.
However, unlike the two losses that have befallen Americans Eros Correa (light flyweight) and Jamel Herring (light welterweight) so far in the tournament, this decision sparked a bit of dissent from Ramirez and his supporters.
“Jose called and we spoke briefly,” Armando Mancinas, Ramirez’s longtime trainer, told BoxingScene. “He said that Lomachenko did not do anything, that he felt he did better than what the score indicates.”
Lomachenko led 5-3 after one round, 9-6 after the second stanza, and increased his lead to 16-9 by the final bell.
“He said Lomachenko kept holding, and that he (Jose) was the stronger puncher,” Mancinas said. “He also said that Lomachenko had his back to the ropes because Jose was pressuring him most of the bout.”
While Ramirez was not immediately available for direct comment, his two teammates who were both eliminated without controversy offered their takes on the judges’ verdict.
“Jose lost, but they (the judges) cheated him though,” Correa told BoxingScene. “No way he lost that fight.”
“Robbery. Jose really outworked that man,” Herring said via Twitter. “I can’t believe it.”
Now Ramirez joins them in the predicament of having to win next spring’s USA Boxing National Championships to qualify for London.
While he will enter that particular tournament as the two-time defending champion, it will be with a cloud over his head, as Ramirez maintains he should still be fighting for the coveted top 10 position at worlds that would yield the automatic Olympic berth.
“Jose said he would like to meet Lomachenko again, hopefully in the Olympics,” Mancinas said, “and that he had no doubt he would beat him in a neutral venue.”
Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. He’s a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com, check out his blog at www.maqdown.com or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
