Ringside Boxing Report: Ramos Decisions Valdez on ShoBox

Friday night at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey unbeaten Rico ‘Suavecito’ Ramos of Los Angeles, California, improved to 19-0 (11), with a controversial decision over Alejandro Valdez of Obregon, Mexico, now 24-5-3, (17). Scoring was not indicative of the bout, which appeared to be closer to a draw. Ramos is the WBA number one contender.

Southpaw Valdez appeared to win the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth rounds by coming forward aggressively and taking the fight to Ramos in heated exchanges in center ring and by trapping him in corners. However, Valdez failed to get his front foot on the inside of the orthodox stance of Ramos, and was unable to finish him as a result.

Ramos appeared to win the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds by moving side to side and winning exchanges in center ring. Whenever Ramos got trapped in corners by Valdez in these rounds, he countered with straight power shots and power hooks which rocked Valdez, but lacked the power (like Valdez) to land the sort of power shots to end matters.

However, most of the rounds appeared close, difficult to score; the bout appeared to be able to go either way on the scorecards. Ramos was clearly the aggressor in the first half of the bout. Valdez was clearly the aggressor in the second half of the bout.

Result: Rico Ramos W10 Valdez
Scoring: 97-93 twice and 98-92

In the preliminary to the main event, the bomb defeated the beast. Super Middleweight Donavan ‘Da Bomb’ George of Chicago, Illinois, exposed the unbeaten record of 17-0 Cornelius White of Houston, Texas. White was down three times in the first round for a TKO at 2:02 of the first round. George, now 22-3 (16), never worked a sweat in testing his unbeaten foe and ending the contest quick and early.

If the ring contest were for Mr. Olympia, White would have won that contest, and appeared with the physique of a professional bodybuilder. When the opening bell rang, White’s outer shell and padded record got exposed, as George picked him apart quickly with power overhand rights over his left. White fell quickly, unable to run away, and with nowhere to hide. Referee Randy Neumann waved a halt to the contest with a helpless white on the way down for the third time along the ropes, just unable to defend himself.

Result: Donavan George TKO1 Cornelius White
Time: 2:02 of first round

In an untelevised International Boxing Federation heavyweight eliminator rematch of their 2007 bout, Philadelphia’s “Fast” Eddie Chambers walked down Derric Rossy of Medford, New York, for all twelve rounds and winning a unanimous decision. Chambers, coming off his stoppage in the twelfth round of a title bout with Wladimir Klitschko last year, got a good twelve round workout.

The bout was one of respect by Rossy, who fought the entire bout cautiously moving along the ropes, looking to counterpunch but not punch himself out at 237 pounds. Chambers, at 208, appeared to emotionally enjoy the whole affair, and was content to torture Rossy from pillar to post. Rossy spent the bout bleeding from the nose and a cut on the corner of the right eye. Veteran corner man ‘Big George’ Mitchell did an excellent job working the right eye and nose of Rossy and keeping him functional in the bout.

Rossy’s entire problem can be summed as follows: Rossy held his left hand at his waist the whole bout, allowing Chambers to throw his overhand right and land it. If Rossy had his left hand up and kept Eddie at bay with his jab, he would have had a better chance.

Rossy also started dropping his right hand down to chest level, leaving him susceptible to Eddie’s left hand and left hooks, one of which dropped Rossy in the sixth round. Rossy got up with heart and courage, and took a good shot for the rest of the fight.

After being stopped in the fifth round of their first encounter, Rossy avoided anything to do with the center of the ring until the beginning of the twelfth and final round. Chambers quickly gave Rossy a brief beating there, and Rossy retreated to his ‘foxhole’ along the ropes. Neither man was inclined to engage in a slugfest or tire himself out, so neither happened. The winner is rumored to be fighting the winner of a second IBF eliminator between Samuel Peter and Maurice Harris-if that bout ever happens.

Strange scoring marked this bizarre grudge match. One judge had it runaway shutout, one judge gave Rossy three rounds, and another judge had it 115-112, perhaps swayed by Chambers showboating much of the bout with his hands down.

Without the knockdown in the sixth, or if referee Eddie Cotton had deducted a point from Chambers for low blows in the tenth, that judge would have had the bout 114-113 for Chambers, meaning Rossy would have only had to win one more round to win one of the cards and cause a split decision in a bout which wasn’t close.

Result: Eddie Chambers Win12 Derric Rossy
Scoring: 120-107, 117-110 and115-112

In a six round welterweight bout, former 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Ricardo Williams of Houston, Texas, still trying to climb his way back into contention after surgery to repair a detached retina, improved to 17-2 (10), with a sixth round stoppage of five time world title challenger John Brown of Atlantic City.

Williams boxed patiently and cautiously with counter lefts, breaking Brown down but without trying to slug it out or punch himself out. Brown showed a good defense, but gave away height and reach advantage not being able to reach Williams significantly to overcome it, so the outcome of the bout was never in doubt.

Midway through the sixth, a power left uppercut by Williams dropped Brown, who got up. Williams dropped Brown again with a straight left in his own corner, prompting corner man Julio Sanchez in the Brown corner to halt the contest. Former world cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill was supposed to be working in Brown’s corner, but was not present due to minor injuries received in a car accident several weeks ago.