It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the
strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort
without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the
deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends
himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold
and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
Sorbonne University
Paris, France
April 23, 1910
THE RETIRED BOXERS FOUNDATION
HISTORY
"The Undisputed Champions
for DIGNITY!"
There
are hundreds of retired professional boxers in nearly every big city in the
world. “Whatever happened to….?” is a question everyone asks when
fans talk about their favorite fighters and their favorite bouts.
The Retired Boxers Foundation wants to talk to you about the ones whose names we
might remember, but whose lives have been forgotten. We want to talk to
you about the great fighters who leave their glorious days in the ring, to a
humiliating retirement on the streets. Too many are suffering from
alcoholism, substance abuse, pugilistic dementia (the medical term for “punch
drunk”) and even homelessness. Professional Boxing is the only
professional sport which does not have a pension plan for its retirees.
The RBF believes that everyone who has earned a living should be able to retire
with dignity.
The Foundation
The Retired
Boxers Foundation was started by former four time New York Golden Gloves
Champion, USA Boxing Team 1978-80, 1984 USBA Middleweight Champion & 1986
California Middleweight Champion, Alex Ramos. Alex fought for 22
years and was very successful until he started to lose. He moved from the
spotlight to the streetlight, battling cupid, booze and drugs. His biggest
fight was with himself. In late 1995, he headlined the fight of his
life—the fight to regain his sobriety and self-respect. Alex was one of
the lucky ones and he believes that God intervened for a very good reason.
You see, Alex had company on the street. There are lots of retired
boxers who have made and lost fortunes and many who know no other profession
than boxing. Their careers remain in the history books and in the
boxing archives, but their lives are a mess. Alex started the Retired
Boxing Foundation to help others find the support they need for regaining
self-respect and dignity. He has dedicated his life to the success
of the RBF and has the same determination that he once had to win his bouts.
This time, it’s for his brothers in the boxing profession.
The Mission of the RBF
The mission
of the RBF is to assist retired professional boxers, especially those suffering
from alcoholism, substance abuse, homelessness and the effects of pugilistic
dementia (the medical term for “punch drunk”), as they make the transition
from their glorious days in the ring to a dignified retirement.
Our goal is to identify and build resources that are available and accessible to
retired professional boxers in need, and their families, including:
Rehabilitation, Housing, Financial Assistance, and Job Training
Services.
We Fought for the World
We
fought our way up the mountain
And many never made it to the top.
Some of us reached the peak
And we didn’t want to stop.
In our attempt to keep going higher
Some fell away from the slopes,
Instead of anchors to hold our hopes.
We fought for the world
But sometimes it’s hard to tell
What was done for the world
And what we did for ourselves.
We make no excuses or apologies.
We just want to keep our dignity.
We fought for the world, now will you fight with us?
Like all pursuits filled with danger
Some people say “Why do it at all?”
For us it was just a way
For a moment to stand tall
And whatever the reason we made the choice
We chose to stay in the fight.
We want to find some sense in the consequence
Whether right or wrong, try to make it right.
There’s honor and glory in climbing a mountain
We’d rather read about that story than about some one coming down.
We all surrender our youth, there’s no magical fountain.
Even champions face the truth and one day surrender their crowns.
© Don Stavlo. Printed with permission from Don Stavlo, June 1998
The
Retired Boxers Foundation was started by Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos in 1998.
