Chris Robinson
Boxing Herald's, Chris Robinson sits down for an exclusive interview with Jerson Ravelo
Jerson Ravelo
Have a good talk with super middleweight Jerson Ravelo and it might be hard afterwards to associate him with a sport as cruel and punishing as boxing. Ravelo is a man who is extremely positive in his ways and it's hard to find a mean streak in the Dominican Republic native. Maybe his kindness comes from his upbringing or perhaps it stems from his learning lessons while being involved in the sport, but either way, Ravelo's humble nature seems to be what largely defines him.
Jerson Ravelo and Andre Ward
As he prepares for a June 20 showdown with undefeated Andre Ward, Ravelo is at a crossroads in his career. Just four years ago Ravelo was undefeated and on the verge of taking his career to new heights. An unexpected loss to David Lopez in April of 2004 saw Ravelo lose both his undefeated record and the support from many around him. Ravelo regrouped well, but another loss to Allan Green would follow in October of 2006, again setting the New Jersey resident back. Now sporting an 18-2 record with 10 knockouts, Ravelo has carved out a career that has been highly respectable yet still unfulfilled in many areas.
The losses in his career have been hard to take, but the lessons that Ravelo has learned along the way are priceless. Learning the true meaning of friendship and support after his setbacks, Ravelo is a man reluctant to give his trust to just anyone. And these days, he spends much of his time to himself. He knows what it is to be at both ends of the spectrum, as he was once an undefeated prospect on the rise and now finds himself as the underdog to the younger, undefeated Ward -- a 2004 Athens Olympics gold medalist. It may not have been scri pted the way he liked, but Jerson Ravelo's career has introduced him to a healthy dose of the good and bad associated within the sport. To his credit, Ravelo has remained steadfast throughout and a victory over Ward on June 20 will allow him to turn the tables in his favor.
Just weeks away from a pivotal make or break moment in his career, Ravelo was calm and low key as he spoke about his past experiences within the sport. In his own words, this is what Jerson Ravelo had to say about his showdown with Andre Ward, his childhood days, his early years in boxing, his dreams in life, and more…
Nettles Nasir, trainer and Jerson Ravelo
Coming to Win…
"I'm not really looking at my fight with Andre Ward as far as my advantages go. I don't want to look at it like that. I think it's a very interesting matchup. We have similar styles. He has shown his ability in previous fights and I think it's a good matchup. I just think that he's coming to win, I'm coming to win and whoever wants it more and is more determined will be the victorious one."
Early years…
"I was born in the Dominican Republic. I came to the United States when I was eight years old. Coming up as a kid I didn't have the things that other kids had. I didn't have games, toys, or bikes to entertain myself but I still managed. I usually tried to stay out of trouble and I always wanted to box. I ended up starting when I was twelve years old. I had an uncle who always tried to round kids up in the neighborhood to box each other. He had a pair of gloves and that's basically when it started for me. I tried it once and the love for boxing grew from there."
Coming to America…
"I moved to New Jersey and I've lived here all my life ever since I came to this country. As a kid, coming from a very poor country at the time, you could imagine how I felt coming to America. I was able to experience things that I never saw before. Back in my country I remember people being on horses and in America I was able to take in a whole new culture with new cars and things like that."
Jerson Ravelo and Giovanni Lorenzo
Dominican Heritage…
"My heritage is important to me. I represented the Dominican Republic in the 2000 Olympics even though my goal was to fight for the United States. I started my career in the US, was ranked #1 here and represented the United States in the world championships. Basically my whole career was here in the United States and it would have been nice to represent the US but it was still and honor to represent my country. I always have a flag on my trunks and I come to the ring with Meringue' which is typical Dominican music. So I represent my country very well."
Taking Whatever Comes Your Way…
"I might not even finish if I start talking about all the things I have had to overcome. From injuries to people giving up on me and turning their backs on me, you name it and I've been through it. I've always said that all the things a fighter goes through in their career are things I experienced at the beginning of my career. From not being able to get fights to not finding someone to represent me, to not having enough money for equipment, from taking low pay for fights just to stay busy. Sometimes you can't negotiate because you're just in a position to take whatever comes your way."
Down to Earth…
"I think I'm a pretty down to earth person. I love helping people and I love working with kids. My son has a little league baseball team and I am one of the coaches, and I do it without expecting anything in return. If I could help anyone I would. If I see somebody on the street and they are hungry I would pay for them to eat even if I only had ten dollars in my pocket. I'm that type of person and people can count on me. I'm one of the most loyal people that you will meet."
Jerson Ravelo and Paulie Malignaggi
Self Belief…
"Self belief is very important. A lot of people have given up on me throughout my career and it got to a point where I almost gave up on myself. I felt like nobody had my back and I asked myself how I could get anywhere like that. I almost gave up but then I realized some things after going to camp with Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver. After working with these guys I realized that I was giving these guys great work to the point where I felt that if it was a real fight I probably would have won that fight. Then I just realized I still had a lot to offer to the sport."
Danny Jacobs and Jerson Ravelo
A Good Ride…
"Getting to the Olympics was one of my greatest career moments. Not every fighter can say they went the Olympic Games and that's something I can tell my kids years from now. Not many athletes in general can say that but I can and it's one of my career highlights. As far as turning pro, my first time fighting at Madison Square Garden was another highlight for me. I've fought on many famous fighters' undercards and appeared on television myself. I could go on and on. It's been a good ride for me but I have to capitalize on this fight so that I can be the one guy who people are talking about."
Making Yourself Happy…
"People will criticize you no matter what. People will always have their say, it's just a matter of how you deal with it. I don't really pay to much mind to what people say. I know that I am a good fighter, I know that I prepare hard for every fight and I know that I give it my all when I'm in the ring. If a fighter is a better fight than me, so be it, but I'm not going to worry about what other people have to say. You can't worry about making everyone happy, you have to make yourself happy before anyone else."
Realizing a Dream…
"I've met a lot of interesting people through boxing. From people in other spots such as Basketball, Hockey, and Football to Politicians, I've met and networked with all kinds of people. I've been trying to get a gym going for about six or seven years now and I'm just now getting ready to do it. I want to do it for the kids because it's something that has kept me off the streets. It was always a dream of mine that I was never able to do but because of certain people I've met through the sport, they have been able to help me do it."
Jerson Ravelo and Joe Calzaghe
Family First…
"To tell you the truth, my family is most important to me. That's part of the reason I have to do good in this sport. I like to take care of my family because they are the ones who never turned their backs on me. I feel like I owe it to them to do my best to show them I appreciate everything they did for me."
Trusting Those Around You…
"One thing that I've learned through boxing is to pay attention to those around you. When I first started out I was doing really well, winning my fights and making decent money. I had people who were always claiming to be my best friend and certain people were always attached to me. Once things started going in a different direction for me, that all changed. My back started bothering me, then I broke my hand, suffered my first loss, and next thing I know all these people around me just scattered. All those people who were my best of friends I couldn't find anymore once I needed some help. I even tried reaching out to some of them in times of need and they just denied me the opportunity. Learning about that was one of the main lessons I have kept with me and it all comes back to trusting the people you have around you and staying with positive people."
The Jerson Ravelo-Andre Ward showdown takes place Friday, June 20 on ShoBox: The New Generation. The Showtime televised telecast kicks off at 11 PM/ET.
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