Ramey Parries Canzoneri Swing. On April 20, 1933, at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lightweight Champion Tony Canzoneri would meet Wesley Ramey in the ring, but only for a non-title contest. Ramey was instructed to come into the fight at 136lbs, 1 pound over the 135 lightweight limit, forcing this fight not to count as a championship fight where the Lightweight Title would be put on the line. The International News Service would write the following: ‘Wesley Ramey was the uncrowned king of the lightweights today, after the decisive whipping he administered last night to Tony Canzoneri, lightweight champion of the world. Canzoneri was hampered through the last six rounds by a cut which Ramey opened over his left eye, and a gash in his eyelid. Blood running into his eyes bothered the champion seriously. Ramey came out of the fight with nothing more serious than a bloody nose. Ramey took a good lead in the first, but ran into a severe left hook that dampened his ardor for a while. The champion’s eye was cut in the 5th. After that he began to fight savagely, and desperately, but he was unable to do any serious damage to Ramey. He succeeded in taking only the 8th round out of the last six. The decision of referee Elmer ‘Slim’ McClelland was received by the crowd of 5,500 spectators without a dissenting voice.’”   Source: BoxRec.com Tony Canzoneri vs. Wesley Ramey

But who was Wes Ramey? The majority of Grand Rapids, Michigan natives that knew and held Wes in high esteem have mostly passed away, but there are a few of us around who do remember, who’ve studied his life and story, who knew him, and from time to time, we intend to remind Michiganders of this great lightweight battler, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, who was also so beloved in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that city officials had once designated April 9th as, “Wes Ramey Day.” Cheers! Kevinn Beemer