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07/09/2008 Archived Entry: "Los Vatos"
Los Vatos
By Ted Sares
Courtesy of Eastsideboxing.com
"Hey vatos; Do you know who the best fighter in the world is pound for pound? Hands down, vatos, hands down! Los jabs, los hooks, los uppercuts...Mando Ramos!"
--Edward James Olmos' 1992 film, "American Me".
He was a man of many great qualities…He had the rough and tough outer exterior of a fighter. But inside, he had a pure heart and a gentle soul. He was a great champion in the ring, but he was an even greater champion in life. He helped a lot of inner-city kids.
--Mando Ramos Jr.
The California boxing connection is a strong one and the ex-boxers meet regularly. When Mando Ramos sadly passed away this week, the connection evidenced itself front and center. Superstars such as Alberto Davila, the Baltazar boys, the Sandoval's, Bobby Chacon, Frankie Duarte, Paul Gonzalez, Danny “Little Red “ Lopez, Arturo Frias, Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez, and Oscar DeLaHoya expressed their grief and shock.
Many of these fighters came out of the Los Angeles Junior Golden Gloves tournaments. All became world class professionals. Some became World Champions. Frankie Baltazar, 40-3-1, was one tough duded and so was his brother Tony “The Tiger” Baltazar, 38-7-1. Both were inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006, along with Carlos Palomino
To read the rest of this piece, click on the link below:
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=16442&more=1
