By Christopher Roche, Brickcityboxing.com: He has fought in the club shows, and he battled on the “Contender”. He stepped up, and he has stepped out, but Friday night is his big shot. Jerson Ravelo represented the 2000 Olympic Team for the Dominican Republic, but now he represents Newark, NJ, aka the Brick City. Like warriors before him, such as Marvin Hagler and William “Bo” James, Ravelo’s craft is steeped in pride..
I first saw Ravelo fight back at Scheuntzen Park in North Bergen, NJ, home of “Cinderella Man” James J. Braddock, and Ravelo blew out Ricardo Kellman in the first round. The crowd was old school raucous that night, and Ravelo looked to be on the fast track.
In his next bout, he stepped up to Allan Green on ESPN, but he was stopped in the eighth and final round. Ravelo has hand problems, and the problem reared its ugly head that night. However, the Olympian, who refused to turn journeyman, soundly defeated unbeaten Paul Buchanan over in England on the “Contender” series. Ravelo suffered another broken hand, but he beat the Brit with only a good left wing.
I met Ravelo back in December at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, and when I shook his hand, I noticed a precarious lump on his right paw, but I also noticed a gregarious young man who has all of the goods to make serious noise in his division. Ravelo is tall, long and talented. His right hand is repaired, and he is willing to work against top brass.
Ravelo will show the world whether he is truly ready to step up when he faces 2004 Olympian Andre Ward on Friday night on Showtime. This is a crossroads fight, as the young Ward looks to beat his first quality opponent.
Ward has been under the prestigious Goosen-Tutor banner for some time now, but he has not beaten anyone near the quality of Ravelo. Perhaps the former USA Olympian has been a disappointment, or maybe he is a slow learner. Ravelo will test him down in the Cayman Islands.
Ravelo, 30, will surely bring his “A” game to this bout, and the tough Brick City fighter knows what it is like to enter the ring under adversity. Against the 24 year-old Ward, he is facing an untested hotshot, but Ravelo can box and bang with the best of them. I am expecting a good, tough fight, and I urge the fans not to miss it.
Ravelo enters the ring at 6’2”, with a huge jab and tremendous pedigree. Ward enters at 6’1”, and he is unbeaten in 15 professional bouts. Ward and Ravelo both seem to respect each other, but if I was pressed for a prediction, I think Ravelo might be in line for an upset on National Television. Word out of Ravelo’s camp is that he looks good in sparring, and he just might be in line for his nineteenth professional win. Only time will tell what these two talented fighters can achieve, and fortunately, for boxing fans, the future is now.