100 plus attend Raphael Ramirez’s pre-fight workout

Can you imagine if the gentleman working the pads can return the 37-year-old Raphael Ramirez (18-4-2, 4 KOs) to his former glory? A win by Ramirez on Friday, after a four year, three months and two days layoff sounds impossible.

On Monday afternoon, at the Victory MMA Gym on Midway Drive in Point Loma, close to 100 people, to include the working Press, family, friends and boxing fans attended the first of three Raphael Ramirez pre-fight workouts. On Friday night, at the Salon Mezzanine Hall in Tijuana, Ramirez, who hasn’t fought since August 17, 2013, will be making his return to the ring after a more than four-year hiatus from the sport. After four plus years of working as a trainer/coach and co-owner of the Pride of San Diego Gym in Bonita, Calif., Ramirez just couldn’t shake the desire to get back in the ring.

(photo, right) Also scheduled to fight on Friday night is Brandon “2 Smooth” Cruz, who began his training at Ramirez’s gym in Bonita, Calif. The young lady posing for a photo with Cruz was handling the front desk duties at Victory MMA

With his sister, Mom and Dad by his side plus two children, son Angelo and daughter Savannah, Raphael “The Pride of San Diego” poses for a family photo.

Now, what’s the real reason? In July of this year, Ramirez got on the scales after a buddy mentioned he was getting fat. Once on the scale, he looked down and discovered he had tipped the scales at 200 lbs. Whoa! For a guy who rarely if ever weighed over 160 lbs., that was a real eye-opener. With the backing of his wife, family, and friends, he then returned to the Mayweather Gym in Las Vegas and got serious help to get his priorities straight. For the last four months, Ramirez has been training extra hard and now weighs just 155 lbs., just one pound over the desired 154 lbs. where he would qualify to compete as a super welterweight.

The question now is – can Ramirez once again compete in the squared circle. We will find out on Friday night when he heads to the Salon Mezzanine in Tijuana to fight a still to be announced opponent. If anybody can do it, Raphie can.

Here we have a photo taken on August 16, 2013, the day before the 32-year-old welterweight Rafael Ramon Ramirez (17-4-2, 4 KOs) from Spring Valley, Calif. (left) made his return to the ring after not fighting since October 5, 2006. His opponent at the time was Alejandro “Iron Man” Alonso from Rosarito.