"El Terror" Ramos looking good at 10-0

Light welterweight Tito "El Terror" Ramos (10-0, seven knockouts) of Mission has come a long way since moving to the Rio Grande
Valley three years ago from Reynosa.

aRamos, 21, said he didn't know a word of English before he came over,and now, he's as fluent as can be in his adopted second language and is a student at South Texas Community College in McAllen.

His boxing skills have vastly improved, also, according to veteran trainer James Gogue, who works with Ramos on a daily basis at Marines Boxing Academy in Edinburg.

"Tito had never had an amateur fight," Gogue said. "He came in the gym as my first fighter here two years ago, and basically,he knew nothing. He was a wild, straight slugger, and now, he's developing into a pretty good professional fighter." Ramos was hampered by a deltoid muscle injury for a couple of months earlier this year, but he's back to 100 percent now.

In his last bout against Jeremy Marts (5-6, three KOs) of Iowa on May 9 at Brownsville Sports Park, Ramos won on a technical knockout at the 2:37 mark of the first round. Three of his last four fights have ended on TKOs during the first round.

"It was a pretty quick fight," Ramos said. "We were expecting a longer fight, but I also felt strong. We trained pretty hard for that fight, and I had sparred with some really good fighters, so I was ready."

Ramos is expected to fight again in late July or early August.

He could possibly return to Brownsville Sports Park on a planned JulioMarines card July 25 at the new outdoor facility, or even fight out of the Valley.

According to Gogue, Boxing Hall of Famer Don Chargin met with Gogue and Ramos last week in New York to consider adding Ramos to one of the veteran promoter's upcoming shows. Chargin, 81, has been in the boxing business for more than 60 years and has produced 30 world champions. He's the senior advisor for Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

"I think Tito's ready for the next step," Gogue said. Added Ramos, "I don't worry about who I fight next, I let someone else take care of that. I just train and do my best to be ready to fight when the next fight comes."

DE LEON UPDATE

Mission featherweight Guadalupe de Leon experienced what it's like tofight at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Saturday night's HBO show featuring the Miguel Angel Cotto-Joshua Clottey cham-pionship bout, but his result wasn't quite what he wanted. De Leon (7-7, four KOs) lost a six-round unani-mous decision to Jorge Diaz (9-0, five KOs) of NewBrunswick, N.J. Gogue, who is also de Leon's trainer, said the Mission fighter was knocked down in the first and second rounds, but came back strong to give Diaz a tough fight.

"Those knockdowns were too much to overcome, but Lupe gave theguy a helluva fight," Gogue said. "Lupe hit him with some goodbody shots and hung in there all six rounds with the guy. It was just like our fight against Casey Ramos (on Feb. 6 in McAllen) only this one was better.

There was more action.

We had some people from Top Rank tell us it was the best fight on the undercard," Gogue added.

The veteran trainer said after the bout, current boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines stopped by the dressing room to tell de Leon he had fought a strong fight and that it was a shame he
lost.

"I have a photo of us all together to prove it," Gogue said.

UPCOMING

In addition to the anticipated Marines card July 25 at BrownsvilleSports Park, another Fists of Fury boxing show is scheduled Friday at Hidalgo's Dodge Arena. The main event will be a rematch between Fernando Vela of Monterrey, Mexico, and Eloy Suarez of San Antonio.

Valley favorites Omar Figueroa of Weslaco and Eric Molina of Lyford are also scheduled to fight on the card.

Also, promoter Anthony Cavazos said he is attempting to bring a Telemundo internationally televised boxing event to the Valley in early September.