What to make of Mancini’s win over Jose Luis Ramirez?

On July 19, 1981, a still-on-the-rise Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini fought Mexican southpaw Jose Luis Ramirez in Warren, Ohio, and ran him out of the ring. One judge called it a shutout and the other two gave JLR a single round.

Ramirez brought a 71-3 record and was eight months removed from dropping a controversial, split decision to Alexis Arguello. One of his other two losses was to Reuben Olivares (when JLR was still a relatively green 20-year-old) and the other was early, really in his career.

Mancini, who was 19-0, ran him out of the ring.

I really don’t think anyone ever manhandled Ramirez like that. He went on to wins over Edwin Rosario (after losing a very close verdict in their first match), Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Terrence Ali and even Pernell Whitaker (whatever you think of the verdict, their first fight was way closer than Mancini’s win over JLR, and even in the rematch won going away by Sweet Pea he won by boxing - as usual - and didn’t beat up JLR the way Boom Boom did.) He gave JC Chavez a very good go before succumbing late and had several other quality wins.

You could argue that the Ramirez win is the best on Mancini’s resume.

At the time it didn’t make a huge impression as Ramirez, despite his record, wasn’t a household name. But in retrospect, it’s a fantastic performance.

So what do you make of it. Was Ramirez (despite giving Arguello all he wanted, including dropping him) still not ready for prime time, or was Mancini at a peak and showing his true level that day?

 

I wrote here before and believe it was a tank job .. Ramirez, who gave Arguello and Rosario wars gets shut out by Mancini ? This fight always stunk to me. Mancini was in wars w far lesser fighters like Kim and Romero .. no way.

 

It was a legit fight Mancini had an iron chin, thick neck and strength and stamina for days he swarmed him for 12 rounds and JLR could never really get set....JLR was not accustomed to 100 punch per round quality fighters. It was a style matchup that favored Mancini JLR was never a fast fighter he was a slower consistent fighter but Mancini's frenetic pace he struggled to figure out a rhythm. I think the Arguello and Rosario fights give some the idea that Ramirez was above Mancini's level but I disagree Mancini was at everyone's level because of his style he had a chin and heart if his head was in the fight unlike the first Bramble fight the 2nd fight he was in it and I thought he won.

 

Wow. Never thought about this one. Will watch today....

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Pretty sure Ramirez beat Arguello too in reality.

 

Agree with Rich. Mancini looked great in that fight. Outworked him big time and had total control in there. Completely had Ramirez number that day.

 

That is Mancini's best win.

I think he was faster and busier than Ramirez, had the chin to take his punch and was just as physically strong, if not stronger and could equal his stamina..

I think it was just a case of his game matching up perfectly with that of Ramirez.

 

Mancni was flattened by Arguello, rocked by Art Frias, Kim, Romero, Bramble and flattened by Haugen. No doubt he was a tough guy for sure but his chin was deniable .. Ramirez dropped Arguello, busted up Rosario and flattened Boza Edwards and had over eighty stoppages ..

 

Yeah, a particular piece of triangle theory not jiving MUST mean it is a tank job!

...unless we go with Occam's razor and embrace some cockamamie notion like "styles make fights"...nah. Tank job for sure.

edit: yes I realize "styles make fights" has its limits, and class tells ...but in order for it to not apply we need to be talking about the gulf between world class fighters and club level tomato cans who routinely lose 4-rounders ...I think Mancini, while a good few notches below the likes of Flaco Explosivo, is still of a high enough general caliber that he isn't excluded from the SMF principle.

 

-Arguello had terrific one shot power. Ramirez didn't.
- Mancini was physically stronger than Rosario
-Boza was shot

Mancini simply overwhelmed the slower Ramirez with volume.

Styles make fights.

 

Excellent input.

 

Often wondered about this one myself. Kind of an odd result, when you consider all the levels involved and how things would eventually come together.

 

Arguello and Rosario were several classes better than Mancini as fighters .. not even close.
What world class fighter did Mancini overwhelm ? Let me think ? None.

His title winning fight was a war and Frias was average.
Kim fought Ray tooth and nail for over 12 rounds.
Romero fought Ray the same.
Bramble, no great fighter, tore Ray to pieces.

I can't prove it but I find it very . very questionable that a man like Raminez who fought much better fighters tooth and nail simply gets shut out by Mancini ..

 

Mancini was not flattened by Arguello but he was stopped after Arguello landed several thudding shots not bad for a 20 yr old kid

The others he certainly got wild and got caught just because these guys were no KO punchers does not mean if they get an opening they cannot capitalize

Bramble was a style matchup post Duk Ku Kim it it was a good fight but bad physical matchup Mancini had a wide torso and short arms and hooked Bramble was narrow shouldered and punched up the middle it was obvious that Brambles high guard and inside shots up the middle were beating Mancinis busy work arm punching and wide hooks all night.....the rematch was a better fight I think Mancini and Wolf thought Bramble was going to be just another defense and disregarded the style conflict......

I am not sure what you are saying Mancini took alot of clean shots against other fighters physically he was built like a wrestler but because of his short arms he had to have a good chin....you forget that as hard as Ramirez hit he was a slow fighter who seemed to have one gear Mancini was a fighter with one gear swarm....other fights with Ramirez have no bearing on this one Mancini gave Arguello a great fight but faded after round 10 and Arguello started unloading and even then Mancini's chin held up well until a sledge hammer right in the 13th and the 14th.

I don't believe it was in Ramirez character to throw a fight and let a young tiger out maul him...

 

Ultimately Arguello flattened him.

I like Ray. I just put him in his place. He was a better fighter than a Gatti but limited for sure at a world class level as his brief stay at the top shows and I feel Ramirez may very well have been paid to step,aside at the time. I just see him as a much better fighter with much better performances against top competition. To me he fought that fight with hsndcuffs, some sort of alphabet dealing to build up army for a title shot.