Ultiminio Ramos speaks in singsong and dances in the ring. The house at Compostela 16 in Matanzas, Cuba, is the birthplace of this young world champion, who made three successful title defences. Through discipline in the gym, he forged his body, his spirit, and the heart to be the best. With nostalgia he recalls the time his opponent Davey Moore, ‘a real master of the corner’, had to be hospitalised because he felt bad after a fight. Five days later he died, with many citing the fight as the cause of death. Bob Dylan wrote the song ‘Who killed Dave Moore’ about this epical fight. Sugar Ramos spent almost a week outside of Moore’s hospital room day and night until they gave him the news that Dave Moore was dead. Maybe because of that, Ultiminio became ‘the man who wanted to forget’. But he started to sing ‘guaguanco’ (a narrative song style) day and night, running away from chats, interviews and personal contact. He never wanted to see a boxing ring again, until the day he found his old friend Jorge Ramos, another boxer and a modern gladiator - both forgotten. Forty years of friendship have served them well: ‘To us, boxing is really beautiful, because it’s give and take.’ Two months after we shot this documentary Ultiminio ‘Sugar’ Ramos died from cancer.
- Tags
-