Sugar Ramos facts for kids

Ultiminio Ramos Zaqueira (born December 2, 1941 – died September 3, 2017) was a famous professional boxer. He was born in Cuba but later became a Mexican citizen. Most people knew him by his nickname, Sugar Ramos.

Sugar Ramos became a national hero in Mexico, where he lived and fought. He was a World Featherweight boxing champion. He is also a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which means he was one of the best boxers ever.

Early Life and Moving to Mexico

Ultiminio Ramos was born in Matanzas, Cuba. He started boxing when he was young. In 1960, he won the Cuban Featherweight championship.

Around that time, Fidel Castro became the leader of Cuba. Many people left Cuba, and Sugar Ramos moved to Mexico City. Mexico became his new home, and he continued his boxing career there.

Becoming a World Champion

Sugar Ramos had many important fights in Mexico. He was known for his powerful punches.

A Difficult Fight in 1963

On March 21, 1963, Sugar Ramos had a very tough fight at Dodger Stadium in the United States. He fought against a boxer named Davey Moore. Ramos won the fight in the 10th round. Sadly, Davey Moore passed away a few days later due to injuries from the fight.

This was not the first time something like this happened in Ramos's career. Earlier, in his twelfth professional fight, another boxer named Jose Blanco also passed away from injuries. These events show how dangerous boxing can be.

Winning and Defending Titles

Sugar Ramos won several important titles during his career. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and The Ring featherweight titles. He defended his titles against strong opponents like Floyd Robertson and Mitsunori Seki.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1964, Sugar Ramos lost his featherweight titles to Vicente Saldivar. The fight was stopped in the twelfth round because Ramos had cuts.

After this, Ramos moved up to a heavier weight class called lightweight. He got a chance to fight for the lightweight championship against Carlos Ortiz in 1966. Ramos lost both that fight and a rematch.

He continued to box until 1972. Sugar Ramos had a long and successful career in boxing.

Life After Boxing and Passing Away

Sugar Ramos retired from boxing in 1972. He lived in his adopted home of Mexico City.

He passed away on September 3, 2017, at the age of 75. He had been dealing with health issues from cancer. Sugar Ramos is remembered as a brave and skilled boxer. He was survived by his four children.

Boxing Achievements

Sugar Ramos had an impressive boxing record. He won 55 fights, with 40 of those wins coming by knockout. He had 7 losses and 4 draws (ties).

In 1992, he was honored by being chosen for the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Interestingly, he was listed twice, once as "Ultiminio Ramos" and once as "Sugar Ramos." This shows how well-known both his real name and his nickname were in the boxing world.

See also

In Spanish: Ultiminio Ramos para niños