By Eric Bottjer
ROCKY RAMON, 74, Texas welterweight and early Sugar Ray Leonard professional opponent, died in November. Ramon was 30-16-3 (19 KOs) from 1972-1981 and fought a who’s who of his era, together with Maurice “Termite” Watkins, Bazooka Limon, Mike Everett, Willie “Fireball” Rodriguez, Leroy Haley and Rolando Navarette. Ramon met Leonard in February 1978 on the Baltimore Civic Heart, dropping an 8-round resolution. Ramon, at 5-foot-3, was a half-foot shorter than Leonard (Ramon stood on a telephone guide when he took his wedding ceremony vows) and ate continuously earlier than the Leonard struggle to make 142 lbs. “I actually had no enterprise within the ring with him,” Ramon remembered years later, however the $17,000 payday lined numerous payments. Ramon labored for 30 years at an area cable TV firm after boxing.
DAVE RAMOS, 86, Utah light-weight, died in November in Utah, surrounded by relations. Ramos was 3-2 (3 KOs) from 1962-1967, off of the fights coming in Utah. Ramos was a U.S. Military vet and labored with native youth on the State Avenue boxing health club in Salt Lake Metropolis.
JACOB RAY, 23, West Virginian beginner boxer and Toughman competitor, died in November in a motorbike accident. Ray was well-known in his space for his vivid pink boxing trunks and extrovert character.
ANDRE REED, 77, Ohio light-weight, died in December. Reed was 5-6-1 (2 KOs) from 1970-1973. Reed was an U.S. Olympic alternate in 1968 as a light-welterweight (he misplaced within the Trials’ championship to James Wallington) and a 1969 Air Pressure and Armed Forces nationwide champion. Reed labored for an Akron cable firm after his boxing profession ended.
JIMMY REILLY, 78, Philadelphia middleweight, died in November at a nursing facility in Dallas. Reilly, of Wilkes-Barre, realized to field within the Military and turned professional in 1970, going 19-6-1 (9 KOs) over six years, most of his bouts in Scranton. Reilly was self-employed as a painter who additionally did development work.
HAROLD “Hackie” REITMAN, 74, a Florida physician who made headlines in South Florida by turning professional at age 39, handed away in March in Weston from coronary heart illness. Reitman was 11-7-4 (9 KOs) in an 11-year profession that started in 1989, a precursor to the wave of “celeb” boxers who’ve polluted modern-day fistiana. Not like most who adopted him in that style, Reitman was legit, as evidenced by his document. He took dangerous fights and authentically needed to see his boxing ceiling. Reitman boxed as a youngster in New England, however adopted his ardour for medication and have become a famous orthopedic surgeon, in addition to an skilled in mind research, lecturing and writing about autism and Aspergers. He based Completely different Brains in 2015, a nonprofit offering sources and help for these with neurological problems. Boxing by no means left Reitman’s thoughts (he turned down a professional contract as a youth from famed New England promoter Sam Silverman, explaining, “My Mother will kill me if I don’t grow to be a physician,” however Reitman jumped into the professional sport shortly earlier than his fortieth birthday. In 1991, he constructed a 7-2-2 document and challenged journeyman Tim “Doc” Anderson, a 25-14 veteran who’s finest identified for beating Mark Gastineau (and later taking pictures and killing promoter Rick Parker). Reitman scored two knockdowns and earned a draw. Reitman dabbled in boxing after that match, having a median of 1 struggle a 12 months earlier than retiring at age 50.
JOSE RENTA, 68, Puerto Rican super-lightweight, died in Passaic, New Jersey in March. Renta was 4-9 (3 KOs) from 1977-1984, however was significantly better than his document. He beat Todd Longmuir (10-1), Manuel de la Rosa (17-2) and Luis Pizarro (9-0). He misplaced to world-class contenders Gary Hinton, John Verderosa and future world champion Frankie Randall. Renta left a spouse and three kids.
RONNIE RENTZ, 60, New Mexican flyweight, died in January from most cancers, his Mother by his facet. Rentz was the nationwide Golden Gloves title in 1981 (as a flyweight) and had a short professional profession, going 3-0-1 (3 KOs). I 1979, Rentz stopped Pernel Whitaker in a single spherical at a Jr. Olympic match.
JOHNNY RICO, 78, Arizona middleweight, handed in February. Rico was 24-12 (14 KOs) from 1970-1975, dropping to Sugar Ray Seales, Elisha Obed and Armando Muniz (cut up resolution). Rico’s profession was lower brief at age 28 when he underwent emergency coronary heart surgical procedure. At that time, Rico was identified to being crowds as massive as 8,000 to his Tucson fights. He labored as a sheet metallic employee in retirement and was identified regionally for this cowboy expertise.
PEDRO ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ, 37, Mexican featherweight journeyman, died after dropping a 6-round resolution to an unbeaten prospect in Phoenix in July. Rodriguez, who had a 15-25-3 mark (7 KOs) coming into his struggle with Phillip Vella, misplaced each spherical of his six-round struggle, however left the sector after passing a post-fight examination. He video-chatted together with his spouse after returning to his motel, however safety found him lifeless in his mattress the following morning.
JEFF “Duke” ROUFUS, 55, Milwaukee famed kick-boxer and MMA coach who had two professional boxing matches in 1995, died in his sleep at his house in October. Roufus properly exited his boxing ambitions after he barely beat Sylvester “Hobo” Wiler in Milwaukee by majority resolution. Wilder was 3-46-1 on the time.
CHUCK ROWE, 59, Canadian middleweight, died in September. Rowe had a protracted beginner profession combating out of the Black Eye Boxing Membership in Brantford (in Ontario). Rowe turned professional at age 20 and had 5 fights in 9 months, going winless.
ALAN RUBENSTEIN, 79, Pennsylvania choose, handed away “peacefully” in August. Rubenstein, a Pennsylvania district lawyer and later a courthouse choose, was licensed as a professional boxing choose in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He labored professional fights from 1996-2020. Rubenstein was often known as a “no nonsense” prosecutor and labored quite a few high-profile homicide circumstances. Rubenstein left his spouse of 53 years, Marilynn (whom he met on a bus), two sons and 6 grandchildren.
JUANCHO RUIZ, 76, Panamanian light-weight, handed “peacefully” in Might in Colon. Ruiz was 14-8 (6 KOs) from 1965-1970. Ruiz settled in North Jersey after retirement and skilled amateurs in Newark.
MIKE RYAN, 82, Massachusetts welterweight, died in July. Ryan began a 28-month professional profession in June 1964, going 20-3-1 (8 KOs) earlier than retiring to work at a jail outdoors Lowell. Ryan retired as a deputy superintendent at Billerica Home of Corrections after 27 years. Ryan labored as a professional referee for a few years, nonetheless match sufficient at age 77 to deal with a boxer after a match who tried to assault his opponent’s coach.
SALIM SALIMOV, 43, Bulgarian bantamweight, died in October of most cancers. Salimov was 2-8 (2 KOs) from 2009-2011. He had extra success as an beginner, successful a bronze medal on the 2004 world beginner championships and representing Bulgaria at that 12 months’s Olympics in Athens.
JAY SALZMAN, 65, New Jersey referee, died in August from accidents suffered in a motorbike accident whereas he was driving house from working an beginner present. Salzman labored professional occasions from 2021 to April 2025.
ERNIE SHARIF, 68, Pennsylvania choose, handed in February. Ernie had one professional struggle in 1983 (a loss), earlier than
Discovering his true calling as a district lawyer (in Pittsburgh, after graduating from Duquesne in 1982) and dealing as a referee from 1990 to November 2024. Ernie labored IBF world title fights, together with Naoya Inoue-Nonito Donaire in 2019.
GARY SHULL, 75, Kansas heavyweight who debuted at age 42 in opposition to former NFL lineman Mark Gastineau, died in October. Shull, an all-around athlete who performed semipro soccer and rugby, earned a dwelling operating varied companies, together with a health membership, a bar and restaurant. Shull met Gastineau in November 1992 on the Allis Plaza Lodge in Kansas Metropolis. Gastineau was 11-1. A few of his fights had been mounted. There’s no proof Shull performed that sport, as he was stopped with simply 23 seconds left within the fourth and final spherical. Shull went 1-2 in three extra matches earlier than happening to his subsequent enterprise.
STEVE SILVER, 81, Minnesota middleweight, handed in October in California, the place he had lived for the reason that late Nineteen Seventies. Silver was 5-1-1 (1 KO) throughout his one 12 months as a professional in 1969. Silver went to varsity on the College of Minnesota, the place he was named its Athlete of the 12 months in 1965 for his beginner accomplishments.
IRENA SINETSKAYA, 46, Russian feminine boxing pioneer, died in September from a blood clot in her coronary heart. Irena was a world beginner champion as a light-welter in 2010 and finally grew right into a super-heavyweight, the place she gained a number of nationwide and worldwide tournaments.
HUBERT SKYRZPCZAK, 82, Polish beginner who gained a bronze medal on the 1968 Mexico Metropolis Olympics for Poland, died in November.
CARLOS REYES-SOSA, 22, Milwaukee welterweight, was shot to loss of life in Might throughout a theft. Sosa was 1-0, having turned professional in December 2024.
VINNIE STASIO, 92, New Jersey welterweight, died in April. Stasio, born in Brooklyn, was New England welterweight Golden Gloves champion in 1955 earlier than transferring to North Jersey and turning professional. After successful his debut in November 1955, Stasio misplaced his subsequent two and stop for good. He labored for 20 years for the native college system as a upkeep man.
PAUL TALBOT, 71, Canadian light-heavyweight, died in Might at a Halifax hospital. Talbot was 7-2 (1 KO), retiring in 1982 after a two-year profession. Talbot was a welder and ran a boxing health club after his ring profession ended.
ROBERTO TAMAYO, 47, Mexican super-lightweight, was murdered on New 12 months’s Day in Ciudad Obregon, his physique discovered with fingers and toes sure and a number of gunshot wounds. The ex-boxer had been executed and a notice was left together with his physique. Tamayo was 12-23-1 (7 KOs) from 2001-2019.
CARLOS TERON, 34, former beginner boxing from the Bronx, was shot to loss of life in April. Teron had greater than 100 beginner bouts and was the brother of Jorge Teron, a widely known New York professional. Teron had simply grow to be a father two months previous to loss of life.
GLENN THOMAS, 62, Kentucky middleweight fringe contender, handed “peacefully” in June. Thomas was 29-8 (16 KOs) from 1984-2002, his losses solely coming to top-notchers like Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Mike McCallum, Virgil Hill, Jeff Lacy and Merqui Sosa. Thomas had struggled with quite a lot of well being points since boxing retirement.
FRED TICE, 68, Michigan welterweight, handed in August. Tice was 1-3 (1 KO) from 1980-1983. Fred lived in Muskegon all of his life and labored largely as a handyman. He was remembered fondly in native publications for his serving to a lot of his neighbors over time.
THOMAS TILLERY, 65, Bakersfield cruiserweight, died in July. Tillery had three professional fights in 1984, going 0-3, together with an 8-round resolution loss to Bobby Quarry in his professional debut.
MICHAEL TIMM, 62, German beginner star and ace professional coach, died in September from most cancers. Timm gained the light-middleweight title in 1985 on the European championships and transitioned to the professionals as a coach, working with the promotional powerhouse Universum.
RINO TOMMASI, 90, Italian promoter, handed in January. Tommasi was a serious promoter in his house nation, selling WBC super-lightweight champion Bruno Arcari, in addition to championship fights involving Nino Benvenutti.
DAN TORIANI, 89, Buffalo light-weight, handed in February. Toriani turned a well-known billiards participant, however earlier than he embarked in that profession, he was an unbeaten light-weight combating out of Miami, skilled by Angelo Dundee. A 21-year-old Toriani turned professional in 1957 and he went 12-0-2 (11 KOs) earlier than hand accidents compelled his departure from boxing.
DEMETRIO TOVAR, 77, Texas light-weight, handed in October. Tovar was a Golden Gloves boxer out of Corpus Christi. In his one professional struggle listed on Boxrec, he misplaced a 10-round resolution to Freddie Harris in 1976.
HIROMASA UROKAWA, 28, Japanese light-weight, died in August from accidents suffered in an eighth-round knockout loss in Tokyo. Urokawa was forward on factors going into the eighth and closing spherical and appeared on his approach to a choice win till a single proper hand ended the struggle with 48 seconds left within the spherical. Urokawa underwent surgical procedure after his KO loss to alleviate stress on his mind, brought on by a mind bleed, however he handed one week after his match. His loss of life occurred in the future after the loss of life of a fellow Japanese boxer on the identical present, who additionally underwent surgical procedure for a mind bleed. It was the primary time in boxing historical past two fighters died from accidents suffered on the identical card. Urokawa was 10-3 (7 KOs) heading into his match.
KENNY VICE, 64, Louisiana light-weight, died in August at his house in Youngsville. Vice was 32-9 (26 KOs) from 1983-1995, a fringe contender with wins over Brian Baronet (who died from his injures from the Vice struggle) and Jim McDonnell. Vice was stopped in three rounds by a primary Julio Cesar Chavez in 1989 and in addition dropped fights to Livingstone Bramble, Dingaan Thobela and Frankie Mitchell. He constructed a health club after retiring and skilled fighters with Beau Williford, who guided Vice’s professional profession. Vice as soon as spent the night time in jail to maintain one in every of his boxers firm. When Vice bailed him out the following morning, he ran the fighter to exhaustion. The fighter credited the incident to his subsequent lifelong sobriety. A daughter introduced Vice died of mind trauma suffered throughout his boxing profession. Vice had labored for a sheet metallic firm after boxing.
RODNEY VINSON, 57, Indiana heavyweight, died in February. Vinson was 5-2 (2 KOs) from 1997-2000. Vinson labored for the Terre Haute housing authority for 32 years.
KEN VOLOVICK, 71, Massachusetts choose, handed in January. Volvovick labored from 2004 till October 2024 as a choose in Massachusetts exhibits. Ken labored as a respiratory therapist
JIMMY VOSS, 89, New York middleweight, died in February. Voss was 5-3-2 (3 KOs), from 1953-1955, with a closing struggle thrown in six years later (a 6-round resolution loss). Voss was raised in Utica and traded a fulltime profession in boxing for a job at a copper and brass firm, the place he labored 35 years.
ABDUL-HAKIM WAHEED, 69, New Jersey coach, handed in November. Waheed was a legendary beginner coach in North Jersey, understanding Elizabeth for many years and producing extra beginner champions out of that metropolis than any coach in its historical past.
ALEX WALLAU, 80, former ABC TV producer and boxing commentator, handed in October from throat most cancers. Wallau was recognized in 1987 together with his most cancers. He was then a commentator, after a stint at ABC as an Emmy-winning producer and purchaser of its boxing occasions. Wallau returned to the airwaves in 1988 and held his commentator’s seat with the community till it ceased boxing broadcasts in 2000. Wallau earned the fame of a no-nonsense commentator, unafraid to assail his personal community for broadcasting the occasional mismatch. Wallau entered the boxing radar when he (in addition to New York boxing gonzo journalist Malcolm “Flash” Gordon) revealed that ABC’s 1977 U.S. championships boxing match – promoted by Don King and assisted by The Ring journal – was rife with faux information and unqualified boxers. Wallau turned president of ABC TV in 2000 and later labored at Disney, the place he helped develop the Disney+ streaming service.
MARK WEINMAN, 62, Queens light-middleweight who made nationwide information in 2012 by successful a struggle after a 21-year layoff, died in Arizona in February from a respiratory sickness. Weinman battled this illness for a dozen years. Weinman, a Queens native, was runner-up in 1983 within the New York Golden Gloves and turned professional in 1985, rattling off 12 straight wins. Two straight KO losses despatched him to his first retirement in 1987 and a 3rd KO loss in 1991 jettisoned him for 21 years. At age 50, Weinman scored a KO win in Tampa, garnering headlines. His closing comeback was short-lived as three months later he was stopped by an 0-6 opponent. Throughout his varied retirements, Weinman skilled beginner boxers.
ABU YUSUPOV, 37, German light-heavyweight, was stabbed to loss of life in June at a practice station in Berlin. Yusupov was 9-0-1 (7 KOs) on the time of his loss of life, having turned professional late at age 32. Yusupov was strolling close to the station with two pals once they had a verbal confrontation with three strangers which turned bodily. Yusupov was stabbed from behind within the neck and died that day. No arrests have been made. Yusupov left a spouse and three kids.
JAN ZACHARA, 96, Czechoslovakian Olympian, died in January in his house village of Kubra. Zachara gained the featherweight gold medal on the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki (he additionally fought within the 1956 Video games, however didn’t medal). Like most of his European contemporaries of the mid-Twentieth century, Zachara didn’t flip professional (boxers from communist nations who needed to grow to be professional boxers typically needed to defect to a Western nation to take action). Zachara was an beginner coach after he completed his boxing profession.
