A Prayer For Rickey Womack

Published

11 years ago

July 15, 2013

On January 19, 2002, at age 40, undefeated heavyweight Rickey Womack died in a hospital bed with a hole where his eye should have been.

Rickey was not always this way. Once upon a time, Rickey was young and free. He had big dreams and, perhaps more importantly, the talent to make them real. Everything was set. Rickey was going to be a star.

Except that maybe everything wasn’t set. Rickey had secrets. Rickey had doubts. There was darkness inside.

His childhood had been rough. He and his eight brothers and sisters had to be removed from their home and placed into foster care because Daddy wasn’t good at bringing up kids. Momma didn’t help. Daddy would get mean and make things rough. Too rough. It was bad. All too often, it was just plain savage. No one deserved it. It’s just what it was. Rickey learned the law of the world: brutality. It never left him. Never.

But Rickey found a way to use it. He found success inside a boxing ring. As an amateur, he was the best light heavyweight in the world, national champion in 1983. He missed out on the 1984 Olympics by losing a box-off against some tough kid from Atlanta he’d beaten twice before named Evander Holyfield.

Tough break.

Rickey was fierce in the trenches. He had fast hands and real power. More than that, he fought lean and mean. He wasn’t just a machine when the bell rang though. He fought with passion. He was a savage killer in the ring, the kind that makes real money in the sport when the headgear comes off. Despite his Olympic dream washout, he was sure to be a fantastic professional. Everybody knew it.

“Rickey was a light heavyweight, but he had the speed of a lightweight,” said former cornerman Rick Griffith. “He had speed, punching power, the chin…I mean the guy could fight. Rickey Womack was the truth, man. The truth.”

Rickey’s professional career started fast. After suffering a draw in his professional opener, Rickey reeled off ten straight wins as part of Emanuel Steward’s illustrious Kronk boxing team in Detroit. Soon enough, Rickey had everything he needed. He had a mentor in Steward, a promotional deal with Top Rank, a boxing contract with ESPN that was set to pay him a minimum of $100,000 in 1986, and a pristine professional record that was sure to set him on the path to future glory.

“He was just a young guy having fun and boxing,” said Griffith. “He was a joy then. You know how it is, when you’re young and you don’t have a care in the world. He was a great guy back then.”
But Rickey’s life outside the ring was moving even faster. And there was still that darkness.

Rickey always had trouble walking the straight and narrow. Amateur teammates reported multiple thefts by Rickey during his reign as national champion, and the behavior didn’t stop when he hit the professional ranks. Rickey was a rough dude.

By 1985, Rickey had turned to violent crime. Rickey pistol-whipped a female clerk with a 9mm handgun for just a few hundred dollars and a handful of videos. Months later, he attempted another robbery that ended with him panicking and shooting a passerby who happened to walk into the store that night to rent a movie. His victim lived, but Rickey’s career was now on life support.

Rickey was arrested for the shooting on June 9, 1986. Police found Rickey’s car keys and wallet at the scene of the crime. It was an easy trial for the prosecution. At the tender age of 22, Rickey was sentenced to serve 12–25 years in prison.

Years passed, but as Rickey aged, he found things in prison he had never had before. He found a faith in God, and he found friendship in the form of pen pal and visitor Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum.
Kirschenbaum is a boxing guy. A Detroit-area podiatrist, he’s done just about everything one can do in the sport of boxing. He’s been a fighter, a judge and even Michigan’s state boxing commissioner. Like any good Detroit fight fan, Kirschenbaum had followed Rickey’s amateur exploits as he was coming up ranks, and the two men got to know each other through letters and phone calls during Rickey’s stay at the Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit. They kept at it, even when Rickey was moved to other prisons around the state.

Rickey was still troubled, but having a friend like Kirschenbaum helped him.

“Man, Dr. Kirschenbaum has been such a great help to me,” Rickey told The Detroit News back in 2000 as he waited to face the parole board. “Whenever I needed someone to talk to, to chastise me, he accepted my call. I cherish it.”

Kirschenbaum cherished it, too, and the day Rickey was finally released from prison in November of 2000 (paroled almost fifteen years into his sentence), Kirschenbaum was there to pick him up.

“My life, I can’t play it back,” Rickey told the parole board before his release. “I can’t change the past. The only thing I can do from the past is to learn from it.”

Rickey left Jackson state prison with basically nothing. Now 39 years old, the man who once had the world in the palm of his hand was reduced to simple things: a change of clothes, hand wraps and a check for $28.82. But Rickey was free now, and he’d kept himself in good enough shape to look almost as if he’d never been there at all.

Rickey probably thought about a lot of things on the 77 mile ride with Kirschenbaum back to Detroit. He must have been full of wonder, fear and hope. Rickey had told Detroit sports journalists who’d kept in touch with him while he was incarcerated that boxing was the furthest thing from his mind, but that probably changed on his trip back into the city. Boxing is what Rickey knew.

“We’ve talked about Rickey getting a job in real life,” Kirschenbaum told The Detroit News before Rickey’s release. “He can get a job working construction, or anything, just like anyone else. If Rickey wants to go to the gym and work out and maybe have a fight, that’s OK. But it’s going to be his avocation, not his job.”

Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for Rickey to find himself back inside the boxing ring. Just three weeks after his release, Rickey met his new team at Detroit’s Johnson Recreation Center. It consisted of Kirschenbaum, head trainer Bill Miller, assistant coach Rick Griffith and promoter Bill Kozerski. Rickey was right back where he belonged. He was a highly skilled boxer with a topnotch team behind him.

Even at his advanced age, Rickey still had promise. Boxing was what he was born to do, and it was almost immediately apparent to Rickey’s team that he still something left in the tank.

“I was amazed a guy could come back after 14 years and look that good,” Miller told the Detroit Free Press.

“He basically was the same fighter he was before he went to prison,” added Griffith. “His body was basically preserved.”

Rickey had support from his fellow 1983-84 counterparts as well. Griffith said both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, by now multi-millionaire stars of the sport, reached out to Rickey after his release to offer their support. Tyson even supplemented Rickey’s income to help him get back on his feet.

Rickey had it all now. Again.

Griffith said no one on Rickey’s team had delusions of grandeur, but once they witnessed him back inside the boxing gym, optimism was high. Rickey was a beast when he trained. He was the real deal.

“Now, I’m not going to say he would’ve been world champion,” said Griffith. “But with the promoter he had (Kozerski also represented James Toney and Chris Byrd) he would have been put into a position to fight for the title. I know he would’ve at least gotten a shot.”

On Thursday, March 29, 2001, Rickey Womack returned to the boxing ring against a 10-4 heavyweight from New York named Curt Paige. The Yankee was tough. Every one of his wins had been a knockout. But Rickey Womack was the truth. He knocked Paige out halfway through the scheduled 6-rounder. Rickey was back.

Griffith told TSS it wasn’t long before Rickey was living the highlife again. The 39-year-old indulged himself in new clothes and nice a cars, and he married a beautiful lawyer named Angela.
“Rickey was getting $10,000 a bout to fight journeymen,” said Griffith. “He should’ve been happy.”
But Rickey wasn’t happy.

Rickey picked up two more victories after defeating Paige. He defeated Gesses Mesgana by TKO in the fourth round that May and outpointed Kenny Snow just two months later.

Despite his success, people began noticing a change in Rickey.

“There were some days he was a great guy,” said Griffith. “But some days, he’d just shut down.”

Griffith said Rickey suffered from terrible mood swings, and that unbeknownst to those at the gym, his relationship with Angela had turned sour.

“Rickey was so incredibly jealous,” Kirschenbaum related to Frank Fraser. “He used to lock her in the house if he had to go somewhere and she wasn¹t allowed to leave. Rickey had a hard time understanding what a marriage was about. He looked at her as a possession and kept her away from his career. He had a lot of trouble sharing with her his problems. He treated her as if he was the warden and she was the prisoner…”

Griffith said Rickey was also immensely distrustful of people he didn’t know.

“As a person, he was very standoffish. He didn’t really want to be around people. If you weren’t in our clique, you didn’t have much coming with Rickey. Even us, some days he’d just come and say he didn’t want to talk. He’d just work out, get his bag and leave.”

Despite it all, Rickey still looked great in the gym. But it was fight night that mattered most, and Rickey had issues when it counted.

“In the gym, he looked like a million dollars, but when we used to go the fight and the lights came on, he was always worried about what people thought.”

Griffith said Rickey was obsessed with the past. He’d constantly ask Griffith if he thought people were laughing at him.

“You think they think I don’t look as good as I did in the 80s?” he’d ask.

Rickey’s last fight was November 23, 2001 against Willie Chapman at The Palace at Auburn Hills. Rickey won a unanimous decision in front of 10,000 raucous Motor City fight fans but appeared sluggish and disinterested throughout the bout. The boo-birds let him hear it, too, and Rickey did not take it well.

“He was just so worried about what the audience was thinking that he wouldn’t pull the trigger,” said Griffith.

Griffith said Rickey was so obsessed with the crowd that he even began talking about it between rounds. Spotting legendary champion Thomas Hearns at ringside seemed to make things worse. As “The Motor City Cobra” was milling around with friends and fans during the fight, Hearns cracked a smile and laughed.

“Is Tommy laughing at me?” Rickey angrily asked Griffith.

“What?” Griffith replied. “Well, he’s laughing, but I don’t know if he’s laughing at you. Should we even be thinking about this right now?”

Rickey was dead within two months.

It’s hard to say what Rickey could’ve accomplished as a professional had he never turned to crime. There are plenty of amateur standouts that never pan out in the pros, but something about Rickey strikes a chord with people. Evander Holyfield dedicates a portion of his autobiography to telling Rickey’s story, and goes so far as to say the hardest part of his Olympic journey was getting past him.

“No fighter I’d go up against during the Games was as good a fighter as Rickey Womack,” Holyfield wrote.

For his part, Griffith believes Rickey could’ve been just as good a professional as Holyfield, a surefire all-time great, turned out to be–maybe even better.

“Had he never gone to prison, all the accolades Evander Holyfield got would’ve been Rickey Womack’s. All the guys Evander beat, Rickey would’ve beaten. Now, Rickey would’ve had problems with Riddick Bowe the way Evander did…but Rickey would’ve beaten all the guys Holyfield did, including Mike Tyson.”

It was not meant to be.

“That armed robbery: it was dumb. And honestly, he got what he deserved. But after he served his time, after he paid his debt, he should’ve been able to live his life and move on. And Rickey just couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t do it.”

Rickey didn’t tell anyone he was going to kill himself. Maybe he thought he’d already done that. Years before, Rickey had sent Kirschenbaum a letter from prison. Rickey was especially distraught that day. He felt the walls of life closing in on him, and he was losing hope he’d ever be free.

Doc,

Hello to my one true friend in life whom I have adopted as a father figure. It’s sad but true, I don’t like getting sad news and yet this is a sad goodbye. As I write this letter I’m trying to fight back the tears of my inner pain.

As I once told you, my dear friend, there are doors that are open, and that no man can close them, and there are those that are closed that no man can open.

Doc, in this life it has been bittersweet and untastefully sad. To the Creator, at the sad end of my life, I was a bit mad. I used to fear death until I understood death. When I muster up enough courage I will take this physical life of my own through the death of hanging. Tell not my twin brother of this, but let him know that he was and always will be the shadow of life in my every thought.

Love,
Ric

Or maybe Rickey thought he’d said enough to Kirschenbaum on his way back home after his last fight inside the boxing ring where he took the win over Chapman.

“Don’t worry about me anymore, doc,” he said.

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Kirschenbaum replied, but Rickey didn’t answer.

Maybe Rickey Womack died in prison after all.

“I remember one day we were in the ring doing hand work,” Griffith said. “He just stopped and said Rick, man, I’m still in prison.”

“I said what are you talking about? You’re out here, you’re making good money, you have a beautiful wife, and you’re in the thick of things as far as making money as a fighter. I mean, he was making good money for those little 4-5 round fights he was having. I was like man, you’re out, you’re doing your thing, and he says: nah, man I’m still in prison in my mind.”

Griffith paused a bit, as if he was hearing it for the first time.

“And when he made that statement, that’s when I knew that this was going to be rough. Because he still felt he was in prison. Not in a physical prison, but in the prison of his mind. And the prison of his mind was his past.”

One Friday night, after a heated argument with his wife, after holding her hostage, after threatening to kill her and almost everyone else in the world who still loved or cared for him, including Kirschenbaum, Miller, Griffith and Kozerski, the undefeated Rickey Womack decided to remain that way forever. He pulled out a pistol he’d borrowed from his nephew, loaded it, placed the unforgiving barrel up against his head and squeezed the trigger.

“The day Rickey killed himself, I was so hurt, and this really shocked me: his wife explained he had said he was about to go to the gym and kill all of us. He named all of us. I don’t know where that came from. We were nothing but supportive to Rickey…”

Almost a decade later, there is still hurt in Griffith’s voice.

“I felt as close to him as I could have with the short time we were working together.”

It had to be even more painful for Kirschenbaum, who dedicated well over a decade of his life to the friendship.

“Rickey wouldn’t share his problems with people…he distrusted people too much,” Kirschenbaum lamented to the Oakland Press after Rickey’s passing. “He was still incarcerated in his own mind. I’m distraught over the whole thing.”

Some things are just plain lousy. Rickey Womack died at St. John Oakland Hospital under a two police guard with a bloody bandage over his eye. There was no happy ending for Rickey in this world. Instead, there was only hurt and only pain.

I asked Griffith if he’s a praying man. Griffith said he believes in God, but isn’t sure what to call Him: Jesus, Allah or Buddha. I ask what his prayer for Rickey Womack is today.
It does not take long for Griffith to answer.

“To the Creator, wherever Rickey is now, I pray he has peace that he couldn’t get on earth. Wherever Rickey is, to whoever is in charge, I hope they show mercy to his soul. And that he’s at peace now.

“He was not at peace here.”

+++
Author’s note: Heaven—I choose to believe in such things for many reasons. There’s not much time for it here, but Faith and Reason are hallmarks of my personal belief system, Catholicism.

But I do not believe in heaven just for my own sake. I do not believe in it just for my wife, my mom and dad, my sister, my pets, best of friends, etc. I do not believe in it just for the Saints, the Mother Theresa’s and the Mahatma Ghandi’s of the world. I do not believe in it just for the people I know, the smiling, happy people who are nice to one another, or the admirable people I read about in books or see in movies.

Sure, I believe in heaven because of these people and things, but mostly, I think, I believe in heaven because of people like Rickey Womack. I believe in heaven because there has to be more to life than love overcome by hate, more to it than joy snuffed out by misery, more than just the imprisoning of a heart and a bullet to the brain, more than bloody bandages over a hole where an eye should be.

There just has to be a heaven for people like Rickey Womack, because they certainly do not find it here.

My past is history. My future is a blessed mystery. Thank the Lord.– Rickey Womack, 2001

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Kelsey McCarson

Golden Boy in Riyadh Results: Zurdo Ramirez Unifies Cruiserweight Titles

Published

21 hours ago

November 16, 2024

David A. Avila

Golden-Boy-in-Royadh-Results-Zurdo-Ramirez-Unifies-Cruiserweight-Titles

Mexico’s Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez endured the grinding style of England’s Chris Billam-Smith to become the unified WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion by unanimous decision after a bruising battle in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

“I’m a true champion,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) used angles and experience to out-maneuver the very strong Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs) in Golden Boy Promotion’s first joint adventure with “Riyadh Season” in Riyadh, Saud Arabia.

Footwork by Ramirez seemed to surprise Billiam-Smith whose relentless approach could not corral the Mexican fighter who was fighting only for the second time at cruiserweight.

The former super middleweight champion used his experience and ability to create punching angles to optimum success against Billam-Smith. The movement confused the British fighter who never could find a solution.

“He has consistent shots,” said Billam-Smith. “I had trouble tracking him.”

But Billam-Smith used his relentless attacking style for all 12 rounds despite suffering a cut near his eye in the sixth round. He never quit and pounded away at Ramirez who simply out-punched the incredibly strong British cruiserweight.

No knockdowns were scored. Billam-Smith did have success in the 10^th round but couldn’t overcome the overall success Ramirez had tallied with body shots and straight lefts throughout the contest.

“It meant a lot for me to try and stop him,” said Ramirez. “But he’s pretty tough.”

After 12 rounds of bruising action all three judges saw Ramirez the winner 116-112 twice and 116-113.

Barboza’s Quest

After 11 years Arnold Barboza (31-0, 11 KOs) finally got his wish and met former super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) in the boxing ring and handed him only his second defeat.

“It was a long time coming,” Barboza said.

Barboza started slowly against the pressure style of Ramirez but soon gathered enough information to determine his own attack. Accuracy with jabs and body shots opened things up for the Southern California fighter from El Monte.

Ramirez seemed to lose that fire in his legs and usually attacking style. Though he occasionally showed the old fire it was only in spurts. Barboza took advantage of the lulls and pierced the former champion’s guards with accurate jabs and quick body shots.

He was sharp.

After 10 rounds all three judges favored Barboza 96-94 twice and 97-93.

“This was my championship fight,” said the undefeated Barboza. “I respect everything about him (Ramirez) and his team.” Ramirez’s only previous loss came in a bout with Josh Taylor for the undisputed world title at 140 pounds.

Lightweight clash

William Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) survived a knockdown to out-punch former champion Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) and walk away with a split decision victory in their lightweight confrontation.

“I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” said Zepeda. “He surprised me a little bit.”

Zepeda opened up with his usual flood of punches from every angle and soon found himself looking up from the floor after Farmer floored him with a perfect counter-left in the third round.

It took the Mexican fighter a few rounds to find a way to avoid Farmer’s counter lefts and then the deluge of blows resumed. Though Farmer continued to battle he couldn’t match the number of blows coming from Zepeda.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Farmer 95-94 but the two other judges saw Zepeda by 95-94 scores.

“I just brought it to him,” said Farmer who knew it was a close fight.

Puerto Rico’s New Unified Champ

In a battle between minimumweight world titlists Puerto Rico’s Oscar Collazo (11-0, 8 KOs) knocked out Thailand’s KO CP Freshmart (25-1, 9 KOs) to become the WBO and WBA champion.

Freshmart, also known as Thammanoon Niyomtrong, was the longest reigning champion in the 105-division weight class for a total of eight years. That was quickly ended as Collazo’s floored the strong Thai fighter three times during their clash of champions.

Body shots proved beneficial to Collazo as both exchanged blows to the abdomen but the Puerto Rican added flashy combinations to control the fight for six rounds.

“I saw him breathing hard,” said Collazo.

Possibly understanding he was falling behind, Freshmart began to advance more aggressively and forced exchanges with the fast Boricua. Bad idea.

During a furious exchange in the sixth Collazo connected with a counter right hook on the chin and down went Freshmart. He recovered and finished the round.

Collazo opened the seventh searching for an opening and immediately connected with another right hook during an exchange of blows with the Thai fighter. Down went Freshmart again but he got up to fight again. Collazo moved in cautiously again and this time fired a left uppercut that finished Freshmart at 1:29 if the seventh round.

“We got the stoppage,” said Collazo the unified WBO and WBA minimumweight champion.

Puerto Rico has another unified world champion in Collazo.

“I want all the belts,” Collazo said.

Duarte edges Akhmedov

Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (28-2-1, 22 KOs) scrapped past Botirzhon Akhmedov (10-4, 9 KOs) in a rugged super lightweight battle to win by unanimous decision. But it was a close one.

“He’s a great fighter, a warrior,” said Duarte of Akhmedov.

Akhmedov started faster using angles and bursts of punches as Duarte looked to counter. In the second half of the 10-round fight the extra energy expended by the fighter from Uzbekistan seemed to tire him. Mexico’s Duarte took advantage and looked stronger in the second half of the match.

All three judges saw Duarte the winner 98-92, 97-93, 96-94.

Welterweights

Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Almaayouf (6-0-1) and Mexico’s Juan Garcia (5-6-1) fought to a majority draw after six rounds of action.

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Jake Paul Defeats Mike Tyson plus Other Results from Arlington, Texas

Published

1 day ago

November 16, 2024

David A. Avila

Hake-Paul-Defeats-Mike-Tyson-and-Other-Resulys-from-Arlington-Texas

The power of Mike Tyson.

Tyson’s power was on display in the people he attracted from all over the world to fill up the 72,000-seat Texas stadium and to capture the interest of more than 160 million viewers on Netflix. But, not in the prize ring on Saturday.

Youth and Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) were the winners after eight tepid rounds over legendary heavyweight champion Tyson (50-7, 44 KOs) who failed to beat the chains of time. But he did stir them a bit at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Paul moved in and out of danger against Tyson the former undisputed heavyweight champion whose name struck terror in the 80s and 90s. Though the social media influencer had a 31-year younger body, he could not take full advantage.

“I was afraid he was going to hurt me,” admitted Paul.

In the opening round Tyson stalked Paul like a hungry lion about to pounce on a piece of meat. The younger fighter used his legs and smart jabs to keep separation. It was a wise decision.

At times Paul would unleash quick combinations, but the experienced Tyson’s muscle memory kicked in and he easily avoided the blows. But from the third round on the legs seemed to lock up and every movement seemed a struggle.

Paul landed left hooks to the head but Tyson managed to avoid their full power. And when Tyson connected with a left uppercut in the fifth round Paul wagged his tongue to acknowledge it connected, but the power was not damaging.

The eight two-minute rounds were perfect for this fight.

When a 58-year-old body is forced to fight for its life with all the necessary tools such as agility, endurance and quickness, the mind can play tricks. But Tyson was resolute and kept advancing against Paul in every round.

In the seventh round the aged heavyweight rekindled a second wind and fired dangerous combinations for the first time since the second frame. His winning spirit blazed for a moment or two until Paul unleashed his own combination blows. The moment for miracles had passed.

The final round saw Paul use more jabs and a few combination punches. Tyson tried to fire back but was unable to get his legs to cooperate. Still, his bravado was intact and Paul marked the last 10 seconds by bowing down humbly in front of Tyson. Paul had survived the lion’s maw.

“He’s the greatest heavyweight to ever do it,” said Paul of Tyson. “He’s a really tough and experienced fighter.”

Tyson was almost silent after the fight.

“I knew he was a good fighter. I came prepared,” said Tyson.

Katie Taylor Wins Again

In an even more brutal fight than their first encounter, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1) again edged out Amanda Serrano (47-3-1) after 10 bloody rounds to win by unanimous decision.

It was Serrano who jumped on Taylor in the first round and ravaged the Irish fighter with rifling lefts that snapped her head back. There was no wasting time to get acquainted.

Taylor got her footing in the third round with her quick-handed flurries. Though Serrano landed too it was Taylor’s resilience that kept her from being over run by the Puerto Rican’s power blows.

In the third round however, Taylor rushed in with blows and then grabbed Serrano and butted her with her head. A bloody gash opened up on the side of the Puerto Rican’s right eye. The referee quickly acknowledged it was a butt that caused the bad cut.

In the next round the cut opened up even more and the referee and ringside physician asked if she wanted to continue. She acknowledged to continue though the fight could have been stopped and judged by the scores accumulated up to that point. Serrano probably would have won.

Serrano did not want to stop.

“I chose to be great,” Serrano said. “I’m a Boricua. I’ll die in the ring.”

For the remainder of the fight the two combatants battled furiously. It was even more savage than their first encounter in New York two years ago. The referee repeatedly warned Taylor for intentionally diving in with her head and took one point away in the eighth round. He could have deducted more but did not.

“Sometimes it’s tough in there,” explained Taylor.

Serrano’s right hooks and left crosses found their mark repeatedly. Taylor’s quick combinations and strafing rights blazed often. It was up to the judges after 10 rounds had expired. All three judges saw it in favor of Taylor 95-94.

Many in the crowd booed. Even the announcers seemed surprised.

“She’s a fantastic champion,” said Taylor of Serrano. “She’s a hard puncher and tough.”

Serrano seemed displeased by the decision, but happy for the success of the fight card.

WBC Welterweight Title Fight

The theme for the WBC welterweight title fight was only sissies block and slip punches as Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) the champion and challenger Abel Ramos (28-6-3, 22 KOs) slugged each other gruesome for 12 bloody rounds and a split decision.

Barrios retains the WBC title.

“I knew it was a close fight,” Barrios said. “He made it a war.”

The two Mexican-American warriors blasted each other with knockdowns but somehow continued to battle on.

Texas-born Barrios was defending his title for the first time and Arizona’s Ramos was finally invited to challenge for a world title. He accepted.

Barrios opened up with sharp jabs and rocked Ramos with a straight right. He almost went down. In the second round he was not as lucky and was floored with a perfect three-punch combination. Ramos smiled and resumed the fight.

After a few more one-sided rounds in favor of Barrios, who trains in Las Vegas with Bob Santos, the match seemed to be dominated by the welterweight champion. It was a false read.

Ramos opened the sixth round in a more aggressive attack and began hammering Barrios with right hands. A three-punch combination blasted the champion to the ground and forced him to take an eight-count. He barely survived the round as the crowd panted.

“He can crack,” said Barrios.

For the remainder of the match both fought back and forth with Barrios finding success with jabs and rights to the body. Ramos rocketed rights on the champion’s head and occasional left hooks but the right seemed lasered to Barrios head.

Both of their faces were swollen and bloodied by punches to the face and neither seemed willing to quit. After 12 rounds one judge saw Ramos the winner 114-112, another saw Barrios win 116-110, and a third judge saw it 113-113 for a split draw. Barrios retains the WBC title.

“It was a great fight for the crowd,” said Ramos with a smile. “Two warriors like us are going to give an action-packed performance.”

Indian Fighter Wins

Neeraj Goyat (19-4-2) of India defeated Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes (0-1) in a super middleweight fight after six rounds. No knockdowns were scored but Goyat was the busier and more skilled fighter.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: Mike Tyson Returns; Latino Night in Riyadh

Published

3 days ago

November 14, 2024

David A. Avila

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Iron Mike Tyson is back.

“I’m just ready to fight,” Tyson said.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) faces social media star-turned-fighter Jake Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) on Friday, Nov. 15, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Netflix will stream the Most Valuable Promotions card that includes female super stars Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano.

It’s a solid fight card.

The last time Tyson stepped in the prize ring was 19 years ago. Though he’s now 58 years old there’s a boxing adage that fits perfectly for this match: “it only takes one punch.”

Few heavyweights mastered the one-punch knockout like Tyson did during his reign of terror. If you look on social media you can find highlights of Tyson’s greatest knockouts. It’s the primary reason many people in the world today think he still fights regularly.

Real boxing pundits know otherwise.

But Tyson is not Evander Holyfield or Lennox Lewis, he’s facing 20-something-year-old Paul who has been boxing professionally for only five years.

“I’m not going to lose,” said Tyson.

Paul, 27, began performing in the prize ring as a lark. He demolished former basketball player Nate Robinson and gained traction by defeating MMA stars in boxing matches. His victories began to gain attention especially when he beat UFC stars Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.

He’s become a phenom.

Every time Paul fights, he seems to improve. But can he beat Tyson?

“He says he’s going to kill me. I’m ready. I want that killer. I want the hardest match possible Friday night, and I want there to be no excuses from everyone at home when I knock him out,” said Paul who lured Tyson from retirement.

Was it a mistake?

The Tyson versus Paul match is part of a co-main event pitting the two best known female fighters Katie Taylor (23-1) and Amanda Serrano (47-2-1) back in the ring again. Their first encounter two years ago was Fight of the Year. Can they match or surpass that incredible fight?

“I’m going to do what I do best and come to fight,” said Serrano.

Taylor expects total war.

“I think what me and Amanda have done over these last few years, inspiring that generation of young fighters, is the best thing we could leave behind in this sport,” said Taylor.

Also, WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) defends against Arizona’s Abel Ramos (28-6-2, 22 KOs) and featherweight hotshot Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (13-0, 8 KOs) meets Dana Coolwell (13-2, 8 KOs). Several other bouts are planned.

Riyadh Season

WBA cruiserweight titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez headlines a Golden Boy Promotions card called Riyadh Season’s Latino Night. It’s the first time the Los Angeles-based company has ventured to Saudi Arabia for a boxing card.

“Passion. That’s what this fight card is all about,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy.

Mexico’s Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) meets England’s Chris Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) who holds the WBO title on Saturday Nov. 16, at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy card.

Ramirez surprised many when he defeated Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA title this past March in Inglewood, California. The tall southpaw from Mazatlan had also held the WBO super middleweight title for years and grew out of the division.

“I’m very excited for this Saturday. I’m ready for whatever he brings to the table,” said Ramirez. “I need to throw a lot of punches and win every round.”

Billam-Smith is slightly taller than Ramirez and has been fighting in the cruiserweight division his entire pro career. He’s not a world champion through luck and could provide a very spectacular show. The two titlists seem perfect for each other.

“It’s amazing to be headlining this night,” said Billam-Smith. “He will be eating humble pie on Saturday night.”

Other Interesting Bouts

A unification match between minimumweight champions WBO Oscar Collazo (10-0) and WBA titlist Thammanoon Niyomtrong could be a show stealer. Both are eager to prove that their 105-pound weight class should not be ignored.

“I wanted big fights and huge fights, what’s better than a unification match,” said Collazo at the press conference.

Niyomtrong, the WBA titlist from Thailand, has held the title since June 2016 and feels confident he will conquer.

“I want to prove who’s the best world champion at 105. Collazo is the WBO champion but we are more experienced,” said Niyomtrong.

A lightweight bout between a top contender from Mexico and former world champion from the USA is also earmarked for many boxing fans

Undefeated William “El Camaron” Zepeda meets Tevin Farmer whose style can provide problems for any fighter.

“There is so much talent on this card. It’s a complicated fight for me against an experienced foe,” said Zepeda.

Tevin Farmer, who formerly held the IBF super featherweight title now performs as a lightweight. He feels confident in his abilities.

“You can’t be a top dog unless you beat a top dog. Once I beat Zepeda what are they going to do?” said Farmer about Golden Boy.

In a non-world title fight, former world champion Jose Ramirez accepted the challenge from Arnold Barboza who had been chasing him for years.

“I’m ready for Saturday to prove I’m the best at this weight,” said Ramirez.

Arnold Barboza is rubbing his hands in anticipation.

“This fight has been important to me for a long time. Shout out to Jose Ramirez for taking this fight,” said Barboza.

Special note

The fight card begins at 8:57 a.m. Saturday on DAZN which can be seen for free by non-subscribers.

Fights to Watch (all times Pacific Time)

Fri. Netflix 5 p.m. Mike Tyson (50-6) vs Jake Paul (10-1); Katie Taylor (23-1) vs Amanda Serrano (47-2-1); Mario Barrios (29-2) vs Abel Ramos (28-6-2).

Sat. DAZN, 8:57 a.m. Gilberto Ramirez (46-1) vs Chris Billiam-Smith (20-1); Oscar Collazo (10-0) vs Thammanoon Niyomtrong (25-0); William Zepeda (31-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-6-1); Jose Ramirez (29-1) vs Arnold Barboza (30-0).

Mike Tyson photo credit: Esther Lin

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