ORTIZ, CARLOS-SUGAR RAMOS PENNANT (1966)

Ortiz was floored early in the second round by a lead right. He was up quickly and took the mandatory eight-count from Referee Billy Conn. Later in the round, Ramos suffered a cut over his left eye. In the fifth round—which The Ring magazine would name Round of the Year—Conn stopped the fight due to the cut and awarded Ortiz a TKO victory. The pro-Ramos crowd of 35,000—angry over the stoppage—threw bottles, coins and stones into the ring.

Conn said the ringside physician, Dr. Gilberto Bolanos Cacho, told him to stop the fight. Cacho said he told Conn to let the fight continue, but he admitted that there might have been a misunderstanding due to his bad English and Conn's bad Spanish. Conn said Cacho was "terrified" by the angry crowd. "He didn't have the guts to back up his opinion," Conn said. He also said the fact that Ramos had to have 28 stitches "vindicated my decision."

WBC delegate Ramon Velasquez overruled Conn's decision. He accused Conn of favoring Ortiz. Velasquez said Conn took 13 seconds to complete the mandatory eight-count in the second round and allowed Ortiz to use dirty tactics.

20 minutes after Ortiz had returned to his dressing room, Velasquez ordered him to return to the ring and continue the fight. When he refused, Velasquez declared Ramos the winner and new champion.

Two days after the fight, Luis Spota, president of the WBC, declared the title vacant and ordered a rematch. He said Velasquez's decision to declare Ramos the new champion "was an emergency solution on his personal authority to calm the crowd."

The WBA continued to recognize Ortiz as World Lightweight Champion. Bob Evans, president of the WBA, backed Conn. "It was his decision that Ramos was cut to the point where it was necessary to stop the fight," Evans said. "I accept his decision."

Two weeks after the fight, Ramos had surgery on his left eye, which had become infected.

Offered here is an exceedingly rare, original, souvenir pennant for this fight.

FULL DESCRIPTION: This is an original, cloth, souvenir pennant which has graphic depictions of the fighters. Bold color and print. Bold, clear images. String is present at top for hanging. No tack holes. Mild creasing. No tears. A few small stains. 18 1/2" long. Exceedingly rare, the only we have seen.