The youngest Lightweight Champion in the world gave his fans Mando mania
American professional boxer Mando Ramos, who competed from 1965 to 1978, was of Mexican ancestry and hailed from Long Beach, California. At 17, after fighting successfully as an amateur, Ramos transitioned to the professional ranks and quickly established himself as a gifted fighter with exceptional speed and power. In his first 29 fights, he prevailed by knockout in 25 of them. His boxing career was over by age 24 due to his heavy substance abuse, but not before Mando Ramos became the youngest Lightweight Champion in history.
Known as “The Wonder Boy” who gave his fans Mando mania, Ramos drew large crowds to his fights, including celebrities like John Wayne and Liz Taylor. Ramos, at one point, was pulling in $100,000 per night, making him the highest-paid teenager in the world. Throughout his short but incredible career, he was trained by Hall of Fame trainer Jackie McCoy, who often said the young Ramos was the most gifted fighter he had ever seen.
Heroin, Early Retirement, and Notable Fights
Ramos was known for his flamboyant style and was often compared to Muhammad Ali – whose purse amount he came close to matching at age 18. Unfortunately, his career was also marked by intense personal adversity that resulted in him losing everything he had worked so hard for. Ramos struggled with his inner demons, drank heavily from a very young age, and became addicted to heroin, which nearly took his life multiple times.
Mando Ramos retired from boxing in 1978 with a record of 37 wins, 11 losses, and 2 draws, including 23 wins by knockout. He died in 2008 at the age of 59, after having successfully spent his last 25 years sober, mentoring young boxers and warning them of the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Despite the controversies and struggles he faced in his youth, he ultimately prevailed. His life story is both tragic and inspirational, and if you’d like to learn more about the fighter Hollywood called the wonder boy, there is an excellent documentary, “The Legend of the Los Angeles Olympic,” on YouTube.
Here are 5 of Mando Ramos’ notable fights:
- Mando Ramos vs. Hiroshi Kobayashi (1968) Ramos won this fight by unanimous decision to become the first Mexican-American fighter to win a world championship. It was a historic moment in boxing history, and Ramos’ speed and skill were on full display.
- Mando Ramos vs. Carlos Teo Cruz (1969) This was the fight that saw Ramos win the WBC lightweight title. It was a closely contested bout, but Ramos emerged victorious in the end, winning by TKO. He showed excellent footwork and hand speed, and was able to land some powerful shots on Cruz.
- Mando Ramos vs. Sugar Ramos (1970) In this fight, Mando Ramos faced off against Sugar Ramos, a former world champion. It was a brutal fight, with both fighters trading powerful blows. However, Ramos was declared the winner by SD after an exhilarating ten rounds.
- Mando Ramos vs. Ismael Laguna (1970) This was the fight in which Ramos lost his WBC lightweight title to Ismael Laguna. Ramos struggled to find his rhythm in the early rounds, and Laguna was able to take advantage, landing several hard shots. Ramos was eventually knocked down in the 11th round, and the fight was stopped shortly after by TKO.
- Mando Ramos vs. Pedro Carrasco (February 1972) In this fight, Mando Ramos faced off against Pedro Carrasco, a former world champion to whom he’d lost the year prior. It was a closely contested bout, with both fighters landing some powerful shots. Ramos won by SD, and repeated the victory against the same opponent in another fight that June.
These are just a few of the notable fights from Mando Ramos’ career, but they give a sense of his skill and fighting style. Ramos was a talented and exciting fighter, and had he not ended his career at 24, he would have undoubtedly continued to excite the boxing world for another decade. But the brightest stars often burn up quickly, leaving us to marvel in the lingering stardust.