Category Archives: R.I.P.

Sugar Ramos – R.I.P.

September 15, 2017David Martinez, Obituary, R.I.P.David Martinez

By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

Boxing has lost a great champion. On September 3, 2017, Cuban featherweight Ultiminio “Sugar” Ramos passed away in Mexico City from cancer complications. Born in Matanzas, Cuba, he was 75 years old.

Ramos is most remembered for two ring deaths, one inspiring a Bob Dylan song. On March 21, 1963, Ramos and champion Davey Moore traded vicious punches in a scheduled 15 round featherweight title fight at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, that was witnessed by 26,142 in attendance.

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Lou Duva – R.I.P.

April 12, 2017David Martinez, Obituary, R.I.P.David Martinez

By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

On March 8, 2017, Lou Duva passed away from natural causes at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Patterson, New Jersey. He was 94 years old.

Lou had a remarkable career as a trainer, handling nineteen world champions. Some of the boxers, just to name a few, that Lou was involved with were Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Michael Moorer, Arturo Gatti, Mark Breland, Lennox Lewis, Rocky Lockridge, Bobby Czyz, Johnny Bumphus, Tony Tucker, Mike McCallum, Vinny Pazienza, Hector Camacho, Fernando Vargas, Andrew Golota, Alex Ramos, Livingstone Bramble, Tony Ayla Jr., and Joey Giardiello who was his first world champion in 1963.

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Dub Harris R.I.P.

February 5, 2017David Martinez, FLASHBACK, Hall Of Fame, R.I.P.David Martinez

Johnny Ortiz, Dub Harris, David Martinez

( photo taken October 18, 2002 )

*** FLASHBACK – this article originally appeared on dmboxing on July 21, 2011 … In Memory of Dub Harris (R.I.P.) I am re-posting in his honor.

By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

Last month the boxing world lost a friend, Maurice “Dub” Harris, who passed away peacefully on June 27, 2011 at the age of 94. He was a highly decorated veteran of the United States Army serving in both World War II and the Korean War.

Dub, along with Everett Sanders (original founder), Charlie Casas, and Gordon Del Faro, was one of the charter members of the World Boxing Hall of Fame that started in 1980. Dub served five terms as president (1982), (1985), (1989-1990), (1995-1996), (1997-1998). Dub remained active as Chairman of the Board and President’s Advisor until failing health in 2005 forced him to depart the World Boxing Hall of Fame after twenty five years of dedicated service with the goal to always strive for excellence.

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Johnny Ortiz … My Friend … My Best (Boxing) Friend

October 30, 2016David Martinez, FLASHBACK, Johnny Ortiz, Obituary, R.I.P.David Martinez

*** FLASHBACK – this article originally appeared on dmboxing.com on September 7, 2014 … In Loving Memory, I am re-posting in honor and respect to my friend Johnny Ortiz.

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By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

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On September 3, 2014, we laid to rest my best (boxing) friend – Johnny Ortiz, at All Souls Catholic Cemetery in Long Beach, California.

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Johnny Ortiz R.I.P.

October 24, 2016David Martinez, FLASHBACK, Johnny Ortiz, R.I.P.David Martinez

*** FLASHBACK – this article originally appeared on dmboxing.com on August 10, 2104 … In Loving Memory, I am re-posting in honor and respect to my friend Johnny Ortiz … his funeral article will re-post next week (October 30) for viewing.

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By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

Where do I start to talk and grieve about my friend – my good friend – Johnny Ortiz, who passed away on Saturday, August 9, 2014.

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I met Johnny back in 1997 upon my arrival into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as a Director of the Board. I knew about Johnny prior to that because I would catch him at times when I was in the Los Angeles area and listened to his boxing radio talk show “Ringside with Johnny Ortiz”.

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Bobby Chacon R.I.P. (Revisited)

October 15, 2016David Martinez, Obituary, R.I.P.David Martinez

NOTE: This article was originally posted last month on September 10, 2016 … re-posting in honor and remembrance to a friend and great boxing champion of his recent passing … may his memory be with us all now and forever!

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By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

On September 7, 2016, one of the most exciting, fan friendly boxers I have known, in my 55 years in boxing, passed away – two time featherweight champion Bobby Chacon. He was a friend to many, including myself, and was 64 years old at the time of his passing.

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Bobby engaged in some of the best fights of his era, during his brilliant career (1972-1988) 59 wins, 7 losses, one draw, with 47 wins by knockout. He fought all comers, to name a few: Tury Pineda, Jose Luis Martin Del Campo, Frankie Crawford, Chucho Castillo, Ruben Olivares, Danny Lopez, Alfredo Marcano, Rafael Limon, Alexis Arguello, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Ray Mancini, Freddie Roach and Arturo Frias.

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Chacon Lopez 2

Bobby’s fight vs. Danny Little Red Lopez at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, on May 24, 1974, can arguably be considered one of the greatest intracity rivalries in the history of boxing. I was ringside that night and witnessed a great fight, with Bobby winning by knockout in round nine. I remember sitting next to Bryant Gumbel who was working as a sports newscaster for KNBC channel 4 at the time. We both had two things in common – a love for boxing and being born in the same year.

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Aaron Pryor – R.I.P.

October 13, 2016David Martinez, Obituary, R.I.P.David Martinez

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By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

This past week on October 9, 2016 boxing lost a great champion, Aaron Pryor, at the age of 61 due to heart failure.

Pryor won the WBA junior welterweight title from Antonio Cervantes on August 2, 1980. After ten successful WBA/IBF title defenses he briefly retired in 1985 with a undefeated record of 35 wins.

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I consider his first bout with Alexis Arguello on November 12, 1981 to be one of the greatest fights that I have ever witnessed in my 55 years in boxing. Being behind on two of the three scorecards, Pryor rallied to stop Arguello in the 14th round.

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Rusty Rubin R.I.P.

September 21, 2016David Martinez, FLASHBACK, Glove2Glove, R.I.P., Rusty RubinDavid Martinez

*** FLASHBACK – this article originally appeared on dmboxing.com on November 13, 2014

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By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

When I think about the many friends I have met in over fifty years of being involved in boxing – one name surfaces to the top – Rusty Rubin.

This week, on Tuesday November 11, 2014, Rusty, age 72, passed away peacefully at his home in Reno, Nevada.

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I met Rusty back in the late nineties upon my entry into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as a Director of the Board. He would always come to our annual banquet and we “instantly” became friends from that point forward in life. I wrote articles for his RingSports Magazine and when I founded my website dmboxing.com in July 2007; he offered and was my first feature writer with his award winning column “In Rusty’s Corner”.

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