Though he never came close to reaching the heights his two fighting brothers, Jerry and Mike did, Bobby Quarry had fighting in his blood and he gave it his best shot whilst campaigning as a heavyweight in the ’80s and ’90s.
Bobby, a gutsy brawler, always gave his all; even when he was hopelessly overmatched, as he was when he had his biggest fight, a fight with Tommy Morrison in 1992 (a nasty second-round KO loss for Quarry).
Bobby did give his fans one utterly spectacular win – see his savage battle with David Gilgour from 1991, the fight, and its ending, a huge hit on YouTube (check the fight out NOW). But in the end, Bobby was no Jerry Quarry, no Mike Quarry – exiting with an average-looking 10-12-2(7) record in the summer of ’92. But the youngest Quarry brother had paid his dues, given it all he could.
These days a regular visitor to FaceBook, Bobby is always happy to talk all things boxing. And this week, Bobby was kind enough to speak with me on the subject of his all-time favorite fights. During these lockdown conditions, with no live boxing to speak of, it was great hearing Quarry list the great fights that mean so much to him.
“My all-time favorite fights! I could be here all day,” Quarry said. “In terms of sheer entertainment, and that’s what I always tried to give the fans when I fought, I’d say these: George Foreman against Ron Lyle. Mando Ramos against Sugar Ramos. Riddick Bowe versus Evander Holyfield, actually two of their fights – fight-one and fight-three. And many, many Thomas Hearns fights. I mean, who among true fight fans isn’t a Hearns fan? Some fighters are fighters, others are legends. He’s a legend.”
A solid list from Quarry, don’t you agree? And a list that shows the boxing knowledge Bobby has. The Foreman-Lyle rumble from 1976 is a well-known fan-fave; the two heavyweights slugging it out and trading knockdowns over five incredible rounds. The two Bowe-Holyfield battles Quarry lists are also very familiar to fans. As are so many of Hearns’ great ones; his losing war with Marvin Hagler still making fans get a shiver down their spine when watching it, Quarry included.
But the Ramos Vs. Ramos fight Bobby has on his list, this one may not be too familiar with some fans, younger ones in particular. A non-title 135-pound fight, Mando Ramos Vs. Sugar Ramos took place in Los Angeles in August of 1970 and the two men gave fans a savage, bloody and damaging fight. Former champ Mando Ramos won the fight via close decision, the winner bleeding a bucket full along the way.
Mando Ramos, a fighter prone to cuts, bled profusely from the left eye, while his right eye was busted shut. Mando’s nose also spouted blood. Today, the fight would almost certainly have been stopped, yet on it raged, to the final bell, Mando taking the win via split decision over the ten rounds.
Bobby Quarry sure knows a great fight when he sees one. The late Don Chargin also listed the Ramos Vs. Ramos war as one of the best fights he ever saw.