The purpose of these interviews are to speak with people who have created successful outcomes, for themselves and for others in the world of sports, business, and other endeavors. It then follows that the person interviewed will be talking about their life and / or business philosophy that they have grown into over the years.
Rarely is the path to any goal or successful outcome an easy and direct ride. Yet the public most often sees or hears only about the end result and / or when the media picks it up. What’s missed and what the public often doesn’t hear about is all that happened in route, the work that was done, the sacrifices made, the life lessons learned, and the temporary setbacks that had to be overcome on the way to any given goal or destination.
My objective is that through these interviews, the reader will pick up pearls of wisdom and overriding universal life principles that they can apply to their own life regardless of their destination.
- Joseph Sale, Founder, Optimum Performance / Human Performance Systems
Joe / Alex, a good place to start is at the beginning. What early experiences in life led you into the sport of boxing?
Alex / I was the only boy with two sisters. I grew up in the South Bronx, which was a Mecca of boxing back in the 60’s and 70’s. From the age of 8, 9 and 10, the men from the bodega (supermarket) would lace up gloves on me and I would fight the neighbor kids. When I won, they would throw me up in the air and I would feel so proud! My Dad was a boxer in Puerto Rico. A carnival boxer. He loved the sport and he encouraged me. We would watch Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) and when I found out that Ali and I shared the same birthday, I guess I thought boxing was my destiny.
Joe / Alex, before we talk about the Retired Boxers Foundation lets discuss you’re your amateur and professional boxing career since that’s what led you to create the Retired Boxers Foundation. You were the 156 lb / middleweight representative on the 1980 United States Olympic Boxing Team, a great honor. President Jimmy Carter boycotted the Moscow Olympics that year and the United States did not participate. How did that affect you?
Alex / Funny thing. I fought every one of the fighters that I would have fought in the Olympics, with special permission from President Carter. They deprived me of the “official” gold medals, but I fought anyway, and won it all. Had it been “official” I would have made more money in my professional career, but because of the situation, I had a plan that included a TV contract and in 1980, the year of the Moscow Olympics, I turned Pro with Top Rank.
Joe / What was happening in boxing and in the world at that at that time?
Alex / Well, President Carter had boycotted the Moscow Olympics. Boxing was dominated by Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Leon Spinks and his brother Michael Spinks, who were all Olympic medalists, and others like Aaron Pryor, who would become Legends. During this same era, half of the USA Boxing Team was killed in a plane crash on the way to Warsaw Poland for the USA vs. the World, pre-Olympic fights. I would have been on that plane had I not beaten Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum in the semi finals for the Golden Gloves. I beat him and missed that trip. Lost a lot of really good friends.
Joe / As a professional boxer, in 1984, you won the United States Boxing Association / USBA Middleweight Championship defeating Curtis Parker in Atlantic City, NJ, another significant accomplishment. Possibly your biggest accomplishment as a pro. How did winning the USBA Middleweight title affect your life?
Alex / I knew I was a threat in the middleweight division. I was supposed to fight Wilfred Scypion. He couldn’t make weight and pulled out at the last minute. Curtis Parker took the fight at the last minute because he thought he could kick my ass. He thought he was “Smokin’ Joe Frazier” and he was over confident. I knew I could fight the best and win, which I proved with Curtis Parker. He was a monster and it was a grueling 12 round fight. I fought toe-to-toe every round and beat him. I was criticized for not using my jab in that fight, but I wanted to define myself as a puncher. In hind sight, not the smartest move. I proved my point, but in the end, I put my future at tremendous risk. The punishment I exposed myself to, affects my life today. It was a vicious fight.
Joe / Alex, you’ve been the consistent driving force behind the Retired Boxers Foundation since 1998. What significant challenges and temporary setbacks have you and the Retired Boxers Foundation had to overcome over the years and what was your strategy for doing so?
Alex / As you know, the sport of boxing does not have a great reputation. In the beginning, Bob Halloran, the President of Entertainment at the MGM hotels, said to Jacquie and I: “You are going to have to prove that you are not another washed up fighter looking for pocket change.” At first, I was insulted, but then I understood the challenge we were facing. Jacquie convinced me that we would have to walk the talk and take a step forward everyday, and soon, people would realize that we are in this for real and that we are working with integrity. After nearly 15 years, we proved the point and we are highly regarded around the world. Unfortunately, most of what we do is the old fashioned way, with labor and love and never enough money.
Joe / Alex, a significant challenge for retired professional boxers as well as others is alcohol and substance abuse. How is the Retired Boxers Foundation helping ex fighters with alcohol and substance abuse problems?
Alex / There are many reasons that substance abuse and alcohol are a problem in boxing (as in other sports, although not as profound or as public), including the fact that fighters come from the ghettos, the barrios and third world countries. Until recently, fighters were street smart rather than book smart. Like I always say, “Ain’t no fighters come from Beverly Hills, MIT or any Ivy League colleges!” Fighters are also susceptible to brain injuries, especially frontal lobe damage. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain responsible for “executive functions.” That’s where a healthy brain decides to filter what comes out of your mouth, where you understand consequences, and where you know when enough is enough. With an injured frontal lobe, there are no filters. Whatever comes into your brain, comes out of your mouth. You don’t drink until you feel good, you drink until it’s gone, until there is nothin’ left in the bottle. We have helped a lot of fighters who have substance abuse problems, again with no financial resources. Our fighters go to the Salvation Army or the Rescue Mission for detox and rehab. No Betty Ford or Promises for retired fighters. Our greatest accomplishment was getting Rocky Lockridge, a four time world champion who was homeless and addicted to crack and alcohol, on to the television program, “A&E Intervention.” We presented Rocky to the producers and after six months, he was selected for long term rehab and could have had nearly $120,000 in services. Rocky elected to drop out after 90 day of inpatient treatment, but will celebrate two years of sobriety on November 5. We tried to help Jimmy Young and had a rehab facility for him, but he died in the streets 5 days before he was supposed to check in. Heart breaking, but we understand. Some fighters are so lost that they do not want to come back. Almost like a slow suicide. The pain they suffer, both physical and emotional, can be a killer when dignity is long lost and they are hopeless. We say a lot of prayers.
Joe / The Retired Boxers Foundation has demonstrated consistency and longevity over the years in helping retired professional fighters. Please talk about projects you have taken on that you are most proud of.
Alex / In addition to our accomplishments with the fighters mentioned previously, we have also helped several fighters get Supplemental Security Income, along with Medicare and HUD housing assistance. This takes a lot of time. Fighters who have been transient or homeless require a lot of elbow grease, tracking down their medical records, keeping track of them on the streets, and getting them to Social Security hearings. We have gotten many awards for the work that we do, from the Boxing Writers Association of America, the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians, and I have been inducted into a couple of Halls of Fame. There are a lot of great stories about the RBF all over the Internet. That is a miracle because we cannot use the fighters we help to promote our mission, because we respect their privacy and their dignity. It’s really hard for me because I am disabled myself. My Executive Director, Jacquie Richardson works full time for the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, just so she can afford to work with the RBF. She and her husband, Reg, are devoted to helping retired fighters because they believe in me and my mission. Their financial contributions are significant and they never say “no” when we need help.
Joe / Alex, your work helping retired professional boxers appears to be your life purpose. What was the process by which you came to the conclusion that this is where you need to focus your life energy?
Alex / Because I lived the life. I was lost in the darkness of alcohol, drugs and homelessness and I felt the waste my life had become. I wasn’t alone on the streets…there are too many stories about retired fighters and they were out there with me. I wanted to regain my dignity and the first thing I thought of was to start a foundation for fighters. I had worked on a fundraiser for Sharon Stone’s foundation, Planet Hope, where she was helping homeless mothers with children. I thought, “Why couldn’t this work for retired fighters?” We are the forgotten, without a doubt. I thought about all the fighters before me and I did not want to die thinking I “coulda, shoulda, woulda” done something! I had tried to get the Retired Boxers Foundation started even when I was homeless in the early nineties. I met Jacquie Richardson and for whatever reason, she wanted to help me. The rest is history.
Joe / Alex, are you a different person today compared to the person you were when you were 25 years old and if so how?
Alex / We are all a different person than we were at 25. 25 is a time in our lives where we live without fear and we believe in ourselves. For me, I was living the dream. With age, we learn that life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. I suffered losses, far greater than losing a fight. From that, I learned to value what I had rather than to expect that I would be fulfilled. Since age 25, I have learned so much and I honestly feel that what I am doing today with the RBF is my greatest fight and it makes me happier than when I was a boxing star.
Joe / In closing, if you were to share 1 life lesson and 1 business lesson with the readers that they could apply to their life immediately, what would it be?
Alex / Life lesson # 1: God don’t make no mistakes. You take what life hands you and your make it work, one step at a time.
Business lesson #1: Make sure you treat people with respect on the way up, because you will meet them on your way down. I never burned any bridges and today, I have some of the greatest friends in the world. The same people that liked me when I fought, are there with me now. They are inspired by me and I am inspired by them.
Joe / If people and / or organizations would like to find out more about the Retired Boxers Foundation and / or participate by providing financial support to the Retired Boxers Foundation mission, how can they do that?
Alex / They can visit the Retired Boxers Foundation at http://www.retiredboxers.org/ and our Facebook page at Retired Boxers Foundation, Inc. Go ahead and Google us too! Every dime helps us. No one has to make a big donation to make a difference. Go to our website and donate what you can, even it its $20! Little donations add up and we can work miracles with your generosity. If you go to our website, you can PayPal your donation and for a minimum donation of $20, we will send you a DVD, “After the Last Round” that is about retired fighters and what we do. We are very proud of this production and we know the fans will find it inspiring.
Joe / Please visit the Retired Boxers Foundation and Alex Ramos TV to find out more.
About Alex Ramos
Alex “The Bronx Bomber” Ramos is a retired professional boxer with over 30 years in the sport. He conceived the idea of the Retired Boxers Foundation when he was working on a project for Sharon Stone’s foundation, Planet Hope, to help homeless mothers with children. He thought if programs like Planet Hope could raise money to help homeless mothers, why couldn’t he start a foundation to help retired professional boxers.
He started working on the foundation in 1995, initiating the organization in 1998 and incorporating as an IRS 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation in 2000. For the first five years, the foundation was endowed by highly acclaimed writer and director, Ron Shelton (White Men Can’t Jump, Tin Cup, Play it to the Bone, etc.). Ron donated $10,000 a year to cover the operating expenses, which until that time had been covered by Alex and Jacquie Richardson, the Executive Director of the Retired Boxers Foundation. Even now, no one is paid a salary by the Retired Boxers Foundation. All of the money received by the RBF is used for the retired boxers.
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