Jerson Ravelo: On a Date with Destiny
Posted on | June 19, 2008 | No Comments
By: Danny Serratelli
www.brickcityboxing.com
Expect a fight of the year candidate this Friday on Showtime when undefeated 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, 15-0, 10 KO’s takes on The Brick City’s best, 200 Olympian, Jerson “SuperJerz” Ravelo 18-2, 12 KO’s. Promoter Dan Goossen recently said, “Ravelo is a fighter who’s still on the upswing in his own career, so it’s another good matchup at this point for Andre.” It is hard to believe that Goosen really believes that Jerson is still on the upswing of his career and a major threat to his fighter, but he may be in for a rude awakening.
Word has been out time and time again that Jerson was damaged goods, but he has always possessed the total package as a fighter, and his heart, perseverance, confidence, skills and an undying determination are included in that package. Unfortunately for Goosen and Ward, Ravelo prides himself on always staying in shape, is injury free for this fight and has had one of the best camps of his 8 year professional career.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Jerson since he was an amateur where we trained together in the now defunct Red Brick Gym in East Newark for many years. My earliest memories of him are when he was ducked as an amateur in New Jersey, winning the National Golden Gloves and New Jersey’s Amateur Fighter of the Year a couple times. I remember disagreeing with him on the Oscar Delahoya vs. Pernell Whitaker (as I remember it, I thought the fight was very close, while Jerson agreed with the judges who had Oscar winning pretty easily), back in 1997. So I have known Jerson for at least 12 years and I have seen him spar hundreds of rounds, seen most of his professional fights and got to know him as a person outside of the gym.
After accomplishing his goal to make the Olympic team Ravelo advanced quickly as a professional. He was the first 2000 Olympian to go 10-0, and early on appeared to be way ahead of Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy (both former champions now). Early issues with trainers, managers and promoters presented problems early on in his career, followed by several untimely injuries. His powerful right hand was broken in at least three different fights against tough opponents in George Walton, Allen Green and Paul Buchanan, and has been hurt in the gym as well. In those fights, Jerson went 2-1, losing only to Green. The talented Allen Green would later say that Ravelo was the hardest puncher he ever faced. The statement was made after Green lost a unanimous decision to feared puncher Edison Miranda, who went after Green in the final round of their fight and knocked him down twice.
Jerson has experienced a multitude of highs and lows in boxing and in life, but he has refused to give up on his abilities no matter how down and out he has appeared. He has stayed the course and refused to give up no matter what doctors and jealous people have told him over the years.
Some people would say he has brought some of the problems upon himself due to the fact that he is very knowledgeable in both the fighting and the business sides of boxing. Despite the fact that he has always been willing to fight anyone any time, he has also had to keep an edge and stay smart to prevent promoters from taking advantage of him in this sport in which many people are used and abused and many believe are as good as your last fight, regardless of injuries, sickness, or personal problems. In every other major sport, baseball, basketball, football, and even MMA, failure is accepted and tolerated on a regular basis, you win some you lose some, but in boxing unless you are always perfect (and no one is) people are quick to turn on you.
After starting his career at 13-0, 10 KO’s he suffered his first defeat as a pro, to a very under rated opponent in David Lopez, in which Jerson was fighting under very adverse circumstances that many people are not privy to. He returned months later to defeat the rugged Muhammad Said. Ravelo would then be on the sideline for almost 2 years. It seemed he could not catch a break. He got to the point where he was having problems paying his gym dues, so he hung some bags in a garage and kept the faith. He was training himself for a while looking for fights on his own in a sport where fighters on their own are quickly relegated into journeyman who have to take whatever they can get on short notice with odds stacked against them.
Ravelo eventually found a way on to a couple of Lou DiBella’s Broadway Boxing shows and a small Main Events card. DiBella had been Jerson’s promoter early in his career, and they began to talk business again, but it wasn’t to be. Jerson’s search for a trainer would prove to be difficult. After going through many including Jose Rosario, who trained him for many years, Mark Breland and Tommy Brooks, among others, he was surprised to find that people lost the faith in him. However, he knew he needed to stay strong for his family in body and in mind. He has a young son who lives with him and he has always known in his heart that boxing was his ticket. Even during the extended layoffs people from the neighborhood would always see Jerson running the streets of the Brick City, Newark New Jersey. In all the years I have known him, regardless of circumstances, I have never seen him where he did not look ready to go 12 tough rounds.
At one point after a couple surgeries to the hand and the issues with the back Jerson briefly started to question himself. He needed to make more money to support himself and his young son so he went to camp with Bernard Hopkins to help him get ready for Jermain Taylor and he also went to camp with Antonio Tarver to help him get ready for Roy Jones. Jerson was invigorated after these camps as he felt he had fared well with both champions. With all the problems he had persevered and overcame he realized, what does not kill you makes you stronger. Despite the fact that Tarver was heavily favored to beat Hopkins who was moving up 2 weight classes, Jerson told me way before the fight that Bernard was going to win the fight easily, which he did.
At one point, current champion Nate Campbell, another man with a great story of overcoming obstacles to win championships went out of his way to reach out to me to tell me how he always admired Jerson as a fighter. Campbell had been close with Jerson’s amateur rival, Jeff Lacy but told me that even back then as an amateur Jerson possessed a confidence as a fighter that he could see would carry him to the top.
After getting himself ready in the garage in 2006, Jerson scored three consecutive 1st round knockouts. He also finally settled on a trainer, Nettles Nassar, who has been with him ever since. Ravelo and Nassar are set on winning this belt and accomplishing Jerson’s ultimate goal of becoming world champion. Without a big promoter behind him, Jerson has had to take short money to fight very tough fighters like Allen Green and Andre Ward; he is determined to make the most of it this time.
This fight for the NABO super middleweight title has all the makings of a great fight. It will be the first time either fighter has been scheduled for a 12 round bout. Ravelo has been 10 rounds before while Ward has yet to go past 7. Ward will be the fastest fighter Ravelo has fought to date with the best pedigree while Jerson will be by far the most experienced and talented fighter that Ward has fought as a professional. Ravelo also appears to be the bigger, stronger fighter. Both of these men are classy and talented individuals and there has been no trash talk, just two hungry fighters with top notch talent saying how they have trained for this fight for their entire lives.
Ravelo truly believes in his heart that it is his destiny to be world champion. Five years ago most boxing people would have agreed, since that time many, if not most, have given up on him. Lesser men, who come from where Ravelo and I come from, wouldn’t have made it this far in an area of bad influences and trouble, surrounded by people who always want to drag you down. Jerson Ravelo has chosen the higher path. I know first hand how much he wants this and I know first hand how good he really is. I said it 12 years ago to anyone who wanted to talk boxing and I still say it now. Tune in on Friday night to Showtime and experience it for yourself.