José Ruíz Matos
| José Ruíz | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | José Ruíz Matos |
| Nickname(s) | Cheíto |
| Weight(s) | Super flyweight |
| Nationality |
 Puerto Rico
|
| Born |
24 October 1966 Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico |
| Died | 28 February 1992 (aged 25) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 26 |
| Wins | 22 |
| Wins by KO | 9 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
José "Cheíto" Ruíz Matos (October 24, 1966 – February 28, 1992) was a Puerto Rican boxer. Born and raised in the municipality of Trujillo Alto, he was signed as a professional when he was 17 years old. Ruíz made his debut July 13, 1984, competing in the super flyweight division. He gathered a record of 9-2 during the first three years of his career, which featured a trilogy against eventual contender, Pedro Jose Feliciano. Seeking to improve his standing in the world rankings, Ruíz challenged and defeated former World Boxing Council and Colombian champion, Prudencio Cardona and Chilean titlist Bernardo Manuel Mendoza. On April 29, 1989, he received his first opportunity for a world championship, defeating Sugar "Baby" Rojas for the title of the newly created World Boxing Organization. Ruíz had four successful defenses, defeating Juan Carazo, Ángel Rosario, Wilfredo Vargas and Armando Velasco. On February 22, 1992, Ruíz lost the title to José Quirino by unanimous decision. Five months later, he participated in the last fight of his career, losing a close majority decision to the International Boxing Federation's champion, Robert Quiroga. On February 28, 1992, Ruíz was ambushed and shot while traveling through one of San Juan's barrios, receiving six bullet wounds that fatally injured him.
José Ruíz was born in the municipality of Trujillo Alto, to José Ramón Ruíz and Rosa Matos de Jesús. By the time that Ruíz reached 17 years of age, he was already married to Gloria Esther Conde. On July 5, 1984, the pugilist signed his first professional contract, being managed by Lilliamery Valentín Conde, who presented the official documentation before the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission. Ruíz's career was subsequently managed by Video Deportes, a company owned by businesswoman Ivonne Class. When he was 18 years old, Ruiz debuted as a professional, competing in the super flyweight division. Early in his career, the boxer trained exclusively with Pedro Cobé. In his first fight, which took place on July 13, 1984, he defeated Elias Cruz by decision in a four round fight. Less than two months after his debut, Ruíz participated in his first contest held in the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan. There he was booked against Marcos Roldan, winning by points. A month later, he fought in a card held at Aguadilla, a municipality located in the northwestern tip of the archipelago's main island. In this contest, Ruíz won his third consecutive fight, defeating Luis Monzote by points. On February 23, 1985, Ruíz recorded his first defeat, losing by decision to Pedro José Feliciano, who was debuting. Ruíz returned to action less than three months after, scoring a points victory over José Vega. The following month, he was active in an event held at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, where he defeated Victor Cruz. After more than five months of inactivity, Ruíz fought in his native Trujillo Alto, scoring the first knockout victory of his career over Marcos Claudio. This was followed by a rematch against Feliciano, whom he defeated by points in a ten-round contest. Ruíz the challenged then contender and former Continental Americas light flyweight champion, José "Cagüitas" de Jesús, losing a unanimous decision. On August 8, 1987, Ruíz fought Feliciano in a rubber match, winning by points. He closed the year performing in another major venue, Roberto Clemente Coliseum, where he defeated Angel Rosario by unanimous decision.
...
Wikipedia