In a move that has surprised the boxing world, Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has ?let go of Ricardo Jimenez in October last year.?
Respected journalist Thomas Hauser had referred to the extremely pleasant Jimenez as ?Top Rank?s interface between the English and Spanish-speaking people of the boxing world.?
Arum himself, quoted by Hauser, once proclaimed, ?The media loves him. The fighters love him. I love him. He?s Mexican, but the Puerto Ricans love him. He?s a great, great guy.?
In the light of this, the removal of Jimenez appears inexplicable but in his usual soft-spoken manner Jimenez told the New Standard/boxingmirror.com ?I guess they are making changes at Top Rank.?
Jimenez said he was told ?I wasn?t needed anymore.?
Jimenez together with chief publicist Lee Samuels and Angie Jackson were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards during the WBC Legends of Boxing Museum Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles last year.
Jimenez disclosed he is currently ?working with a couple of fighters? including unbeaten featherweight Oscar Valdez and super middleweight NABF and WBO NABO champion Gilberto Ramirez who is likely to see action on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley undercard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 9.
24 year old southpaw Ramirez who has a record of 33-0 with 24 knockouts is ranked No. 2 by the WBC and WBA, No. 3 by the IBF and No.1 by the WBO.
He won the vacant NABF and WBO-NABO super middleweight title with a 5th round TKO of Giovanni Lorenzo on April 11, 2014.
The 26 year old Valdez is unbeaten with a record of 18-0 with 16 knockouts and won the NABF junior super featherweight title with a 7th round TKO over Alberto Garza on November 15, 2014.
He is ranked No. 5 featherweight by the WBC, No. 8 by the IBF and No.1 by the WBO.
Photo: Ricardo Jimenez (L) with Angie Jackson and Lee Samuels received the WBC Lifetime Achievement Award.
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