"Conn makes more mistakes in a minute than Ramage in 8rnds

[slakka]

"Conn makes more mistakes in a minute than Ramage in a whole fight".
Louis never forgot how masterfully Ramage had boxed against him. In a 1942 interview with The Ring magazine, Louis remarked on how well the Navy had chosen when it selected Ramage to teach sailors how to box. "They sure got the right man," Louis said.
"It tickles me to hear everybody rave about how good Billy Conn can box.
Conn is smart in a funny sort of way, but nobody I ever saw or ever fought could box like that Ramage, not when he boxed me, anyway. "The first time I fought him, I didn't hit him once for five rounds.
He looked like he was trying to see just how close he could make me miss.
And what a left!
He didn't block punches like Conn does; he just moved his head a little bit when I'd punch at him, and pop!
I'd get hit with another left." "I saw him box some other fellows out in Chicago, and he's one boy I loved to watch box.
I don't know how he did it.
Poor Chappie always said the same thing.
He was crazy about Ramage as a boxer.
Conn makes more mistakes in a minute than Ramage did in a whole fight." "Chappie" was Jack Blackburn, Louis' trainer. During his time in Las Vegas, where he worked in a garage and conditioned fighters, Ramage said he sometimes would call on Louis, then serving as a greeter for a casino.
"Joe always would introduce me the same way -- as the finest boxer he ever met," Ramage said.

Hey gang,
I wonder if any of you may have access to this source article from The Ring Magazine 1942?

What Joe sez is amazing. That its echoed by Chappie Blackburn is a massively astounding tribute!!!

[granberry]

What happened the second time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDakvPBTsa0

Start at 5:10

[dempseyfire]

Ramage looks to have incredibly long arms for someone who was 5'11.

Another example of a completely forgotten heavyweight of the 30s-40s who b/c of his record and how his era is summed up as the 'bum of the month' era is unjustly written off.

The mid 20s through the 40s was the deepest era in the history of boxing across ALL weight-classes and that includes heavyweight. People wax nostalgic of the 1970s heavyweights b/c of the colorful names and characters it had and it probably had the strongest TOP 5 fighters of any heavyweight era in it with Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton and Quarry. But comparing the top 40 of the 70s with those of Louis's era and I'll take the latter anyday. Boxing and baseball were THE sports vehicles out of poverty and into fame/fortune and the talent pools displayed that.

[Robinson]

I have the Louis-Ramage fight on DVD, but that is all I have of
Ramage on film. Does or has any one seen/got any more film
of him in action ?
He is a guy I would like to see more off.

Ramage seemed to stay very up right in the Louis fight and pecked
behind his jab. Whenever louis landed it jolted Ramage, Ramage's
jab was more an annoyance to Louis, whereas when ever Joe threw
his you could tell it had power in it.

The right hand Louis lands on Ramage looked hard, and perfectly
placed.
The left hook he ends it with was savage, you can not help to notice
though that Ramage keeps his chin up and about the place some
what high.

[slakka]

What happened the second time?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDakvPBTsa0

Start at 5:10

What happened was he got rushed into a rematch only a few weeks later....muy loco. If Lee made such a huge impression on Louis AND Blackburn how bout not de-emphasizing him??

1935-02-21 193 Joe Louis 196 14-0-0
Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, United States L TKO 2 10
~ time: 2:11 | referee: Jess Kentworthy ~
1934-12-14 183½ Joe Louis 192½ 11-0-0
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States L TKO 8 10

[TheGreatA]

Louis really seemed too strong for him in their second meeting, again proving why he was such a terror in rematches. Ramage had some nice wins over the likes of Maxie Rosenbloom, King Levinsky, Leo Lomski, Steve Hamas, Oscar Rankin, Ace Hudkins, keep in mind that Ramage was little more than a light heavyweight himself.

Here's the Louis-Ramage II fight although in poor quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47UVZSvDVgI

[Robinson]

I have the second fight of 1935 and not the first bout.

Thanks for posting this version of it as my copy has
no audio.

[TheGreatA]

Nevermind.

[Robinson]

Nah I have the rematch. Not the first.

[Robinson]

I edited what I wrote, because I had it about face. Sorry mate.

[TheGreatA]

Nah I have the rematch. Not the first.

How unfortunate for Ramage that it's seemingly only the second fight that was filmed, not the first. Sounds like he put up a great losing effort against Louis the first time.

[Robinson]

Indeed. Though against a young and green Louis. It is hard to deal
with the athleticism and power of Joe.

I wish that there was more of film of Ramage, let alone of other
past legends and near legends.

[slakka]

Right, the article emphasizes the fight preceding this filmed encounter- rematch.
On Dec 14 1934 Chicago Lee got KOed by Joe in the 8th. Had Lee made it to the final bell heda won!

[granberry]

. . . Had Lee made it to the final bell heda won!

If the Queen had balls she'd be King.

[TheGreatA]

It's still impressive to come close to winning against a young Joe Louis. This is the same man who 6 months later was destroying Primo Carnera, Max Baer, King Levinsky, Paulino Uzcudun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5zkE4BkMgg

Can you imagine trying to fight against this man?

I wouldn't mind having career sets of the likes of Lee Ramage and Bob Pastor at hand. I'm sure we would appreciate Louis's dominance even more if we could properly evaluate the quality of his opponents on film.

[slakka]

. . . Had Lee made it to the final bell heda won!

If the Queen had balls she'd be King.

Dunno why yer take on this is to De emphasize Lee?

[granberry]

I'm sure we would appreciate Louis's dominance even more if we could properly evaluate the quality of his opponents on film.

The only ones who are 'unable' to evaluate the level of Louis and his opponents

are those who shill for the more recent fighters.

The records and the films are there for all to see.

[slakka]

He was encouraged to try out for the football team, but he said he didn't care too much for that sport. In a room near the gym, meantime, some amateur boxers were working out. Ramage joined them. "I was so used to working out, I just went and worked with them," he said. "To me, boxing was just another game, just like baseball." At 17, he said, he won a San Diego amateur light heavyweight championship. Representing the San Diego Athletic Club, he went on to win two Far Western Amateur titles in San Francisco.

Poor Chappie always said the same thing.
He was crazy about Ramage as a boxer.
Conn makes more mistakes in a minute than Ramage did in a whole fight." "Chappie" was Jack Blackburn

How about Lee taking up boxing at San Diego high school and how good he got!

If only scenario!!!...Blackburn gets a hold of Lee at a young age, improves his learning curve 100 fold and keeps him at Lt Heavy, he'd be in the hall of fame today!

[Brutu]

I think the second Louis-Ramage fight in Los Angeles is the earliest recorded fight film of Joe Louis.
A lot of Hollywood celebrities were out to see Louis including Groucho Marx.
He mentions this on an episode of YOU BET YOUR LIFE in 1955 when Joe Louis was a guest on it(on dvd).
Groucho said the fight was like a farmer chasing a chicken around the barnyard with an axe.

[slakka]

Well good luck to me trying to turn this into an appreciation thread for Lee!
Prior to the first Louis fight that made such an huge impression on Joe and Chappie Blackburn Lee had 3 encounters with a prime Rosenbloom wherein he dominated.