Ramos set for showdown with Shimoda

Ramos set for showdown with Shimoda

Mark E. Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

July 6, 2011

I don't usually like to inject myself into a story of mine, but rules are meant to be broken.

I've seen fifteen of his nineteen professional fights, nine of them in a ringside capacity. That has been no coincidence.

When I first saw unbeaten super bantamweight Rico Ramos turn pro just more than three years ago, I knew I was watching something that had the potential to be very special.

Even at twenty years old and against a non descript opponent, I felt that Ramos had the tools necessary to not only be a world champion, but a future pound-for-pound entrant.

Now set to contend for his first world title as he meets WBA 122-pound champion Akifumi Shimoda this Saturday in the opening televised bout of HBO Boxing After, my predictions are at a point where they have a chance of coming true.

Having only began to attend fights in the press capacity a month prior, Ramos was the first fighter I saw that instantly left this kind of impact on me.

He was also the last.

In that four round bout in March of 2008 against Sammy Yniguez, Ramos did not knock his opponent out. He did however fight with the poise of a capable veteran, not that of a young fighter not yet old enough to drink making his introduction into the paid ranks.

His amateur credentials could have suggested that he would attain success at the next level. He was an Olympic alternate and winner of the 2007 national PAL championship en route to a recorded 97-17 mark.

But often fighters with such storied success at that level don't achieve the same way when it gets more complex and when there is more on the line.

A fighter who has been fighting since they were 8 years old the way Ramos has can often get burnt out on boxing or get lazy the way that prized blue chip Golden Boy Promotions prospect Frankie Gomez did after receiving a six-figure signing bonus.

At twenty years old and boxing for a living, many are not emotionally mature enough to handle their business when boxing becomes their source of income. Supposed can't miss prospect Ricardo Williams, Jr. could not manage himself once signing his big bonus with Lou DiBella following his silver medal in the 2000 Olympics. Williams ultimately did not take it seriously, fighting two or three divisions out of his preferred weight class until he ultimately suffered a setback against a .500 journeyman Juan “El Pollo” Valenzuela on HBO and then later found himself in jail in a drug related crime.

To even be on the verge of a world title, even in today's diluted era of belts, is nothing short of impressive.

Credit for Ramos' success lies with many parties. For one, Ramos latched onto esteemed advisor Al Haymon early on in his career.

Haymon is known amongst boxing circles of having a heavy influence on the matchmaking over at HBO. If a fighter is matched up in a showcase type bout against a propped up opponent, you can bet that you are watching an Al Haymon fighter.

Ramos has also been thrown every kind of test on his way up to his eventual title shot. In nineteen professional contests, Rico has seen a little bit of everything, in no small part due to Goossen-Tutor Promotions, who owns the promotional rights to the young fighter.

In his third pro fight, he fought a guy who didn't yet know how to lose in 3-0 Jerry Mondragon. In his fifth pro fight, he fought 6-0 Jonathan Velardez, who had the boxing pedigree in his bloodstream, hailing from the fighting Velardez family which featured six boxing brothers in all.

In his seventh fight Ramos fought battle tested Manuel Sarabia, who although he had not seen a win in over a year, had tabulated over fifty pro bouts. Future world champion Yonnhy Perez at 15-0 had gone the six-round distance with Sarabia just four months prior. Prospect at the time Charles Huerta won two decisions over Sarabia within the same calendar year with one of those being a contested six-round decision. Ramos flattened Sarabia in one.

One fight later Ramos would decision Torrence Daniels for a busy 2008 that saw him fight eight times despite not fighting until the third month of the year. Unfortunately, Ramos would suffer a setback due to injury, forcing him out of action for nearly six months.

It turned out to be a minor setback as Ramos got back to his active ways, fighting five times in the last seven months of 2009. In that span he fought another veteran, Trinidad Mendoza [TKO3]; a brawler in Juan Jose Beltran [RTD4]; a former world title challenger and southpaw Kermin Guardia [UD6]; and a young and hungry Alejandro Perez [UD8].

The Guardia fight came just two weeks after another win of his.

The Perez bout was Ramos' first step-up fight, posing as the main event of his ShoBox: The New Generation debut. Ramos outshined a very game Perez to a near shutout decision to win his first regional title in a highly entertaining battle that helped begin to land him on everybody's watch lists.

In that firefight, Ramos weathered the relentless pressure of Perez, eventually discouraging him with his classiness, boxing ability, and unwillingness to back down.

It was this bout that highlighted not only Ramos' obvious skills like his handspeed, ability to take a punch, and his ring generalship but it also put emphasis on his intangibles.

For instance, when Perez landed a good shot, Ramos was always quick to come right back with his own artillery. He also showed plenty of resolve and focus in not being totally baited into a war as he was often able to turn it into a boxing match, which proved to be the right move.

Ramos also showed a desire to entertain as he could have boxed to a rather easy decision. He instead chose to make the most of his main event opportunity, giving the fans a captivating contest.

“I traded with him, boxed a little bit. He was tough, hard head, hard chin. That's why I just boxed and moved around, did what I had to do in the ring,” said Ramos in an interview with Brent Alderson in immediate reflection of his victory.

Perez would later stop contender Antonio Escalante in a single round two weight classes above where Ramos was handling his best shots with ease, a testament to the young charge's chin.

Later came a win over former title challenger Cecilio Santos, where he scored a fourth-round knockout.

Ramos looked a bit unspectacular against Cuahtemoc Vargas last July, but that can be excused due to the 100+ degree heat, which you wouldn't be aware of if you just checked the result on Boxrec. That heat had this writer quite exhausted and I wasn't even being forced to trade punches over eight rounds.

Ramos took out another former title challenger in his next victory, a two-round destruction of Heriberto Ruiz that all but erased the Vargas performance.

To set up the showdown with “Sugar” Shimoda, Ramos went ten rounds for the first time as he coasted to a relatively easy win over Alejandro Valdez.

There are claims that Ramos may not be ready for this opportunity, but despite his age and low number of fights, the young fighter aptly nicknamed “Suavecito” seems as ready as he could possibly be.

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SHIMODA THE NEXT ISHIDA?

It wasn't long ago that Nobuhiro Ishida burst onto the scene in a similar situation to what Akifumi Shimoda enters this Saturday. Ishida was being used to re-introduce a recently released from prison Kirkland back to the pay-per-view audience, yet it was Ishida who would make the statement, blasting out Kirkland in a three-knockdown opening round to land on American fight fans' radars. Ironically enough this card was almost headlined by Ishida who was initially accepted to be the opponent for a comebacking Paul Williams in the main event before HBO withdrew their acceptance of the Japanese import.

To nearly everyone tuning in this Saturday, Shimoda is a complete unknown. This also means that to even the most educated boxing fanatic, this looks as though Ramos is being spoonfed a belt as Shimoda will be traveling halfway across the globe to defend against the challenging Ramos.

It isn't what it looks like.

Shimoda [23-2-1, 10 KOs] is likely at his physical peak at 26 years old. Despite his age, the Japanese based WBA titlist has experience as he turned pro at 18 and has been fighting sans headgear for eight years.

Shimoda is also a southpaw whose two losses are of the majority decision variety. He is also a natural 122 pounder, not a guy moving well out of his weight to make his opponent look good the way Saul Alvarez' opponents have.

It is necessary to note that I have only seen two bouts in full of Shimoda's, his two most recent. In those bouts against Chang-Hyun Son and Ryol Li Lee, Shimoda showed me a few things.

He is a very sound technical fighter who utilizes good head movement and precise punching. He parries incoming shots well with his right hand. Furthermore, he is a monster for 122 pounds at nearly 5'8” and will enjoy a sizable reach advantage against the much shorter Ramos, who stands at 5'5”. He uses that to his advantage as he has proven to be a good judge of proper distance in the bouts of his I have viewed.

Shimoda also doesn't neglect the body, which if successful could prove to help wear down Ramos in his first twelve-round bout. He additionally has a large head which he tends to use against the rules of the game to do damage.

Shimoda also showed me a few deficiencies in his game. He holds his left hand very low and also flicks his jab out without much intent behind it, both of which will leave him open to the elite counter punching of Ramos, specifically his straight right hand. His southpaw stance leaves him open for Ramos' money punch, the left hook. He can be lured into traps set by the savvy Ramos.

His victory over Son is not without controversy. In round four, Shimoda tasted a huge right hook from Son with thirty seconds left in the round. Shortly afterwards the two heads of the fighters came together and caused a bad gash above the eye of Son. Shimoda also suffered a cut due to the clash. Despite only five knockouts to his name, Son definitely had Shimoda in retreat but did not have the opportunity to follow up immediately.

The fight would only go a minute into the fifth before Shimoda's cut was deemed too deep to allow the bout to continue. He would walk away with a decision.

Against Ryol Lee it wasn't easy, but Shimoda got the job done.

Lee was coming off a shock win over Thailand's Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, who many felt was the division's toughest out. Lee endured the Thai tank's pressure and outlasted him to a close decision. Lee was riding a career high into his first defense against Shimoda.

After controlling the first two stanzas, Shimoda dropped Lee with a picture perfect left hook that came off of a quick jab just a minute into the third round. The punch resembled one that Paul Williams ate courtesy of Sergio Martinez last year for Knockout of the Year.

Shimoda would control the remainder of the round before being dropped with just seconds left in the round by a straight right hand courtesy of Lee. Shimoda was lucky that the bell came soon after as he was hurt.

Shimoda had to endure a nasty cut suffered over his right eye caused in the fourth round of his battle with the WBA champion in their all-Japan showdown.

The challenger would rebound in round five, dropping a leaping in Lee with another left hook that put the champion in a heap.

From that point on the momentum stayed mostly with Shimoda, who won a majority of the remaining rounds which featured a third knockdown of Lee in the eighth.

The question is, will Shimoda emerge as another Ishida, Dmitry Pirog, Marcos Maidana? All three were fighters that were thrown onto the big American stage under heavy pressure against house fighters and all managed to come out on top. Did Team Ramos bite off more than they can chew?

Saturday night these questions will be answered in what promises to be the surprisingly most entertaining fight of a weekend full of well matched bouts.