Ruiz Wins World Heavyweight Championship
On this day in 2001, boxer Johnny Ruiz of Chelsea defeated Evander Holyfield in 12 rounds to become the first-ever Latino WBA heavyweight champion. Trained at a club in Somerville, Ruiz combined discipline with determination to become the country's number one amateur light heavyweight. He turned pro in 1992 at the age of 20. By the time he challenged Holyfield, he had amassed a career record of 37 wins, four losses and 27 knockouts. Winning the WBA championship made him a hero at home in Chelsea and in his native Puerto Rico, where tens of thousands of people turned out at a parade in his honor. He retired from the sport in 2010 but remains active in training young boxers in the Boston area.
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