[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3323]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  CONGRATULATING WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION JOHNNY 
                         ``THE QUIET MAN'' RUIZ

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 8, 2001

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate, Johnny ``The 
Quiet Man'' Ruiz, a young man from my district, for winning the World 
Boxing Association Heavyweight title this past weekend in Las Vegas. I 
do not stand here today to boast about the athletic prowess of a world 
class champion but rather to commend Johnny for the grace and dignity 
with which he has carried himself throughout his climb to the upper 
echelons of the boxing world.
  As the first Latino heavyweight world champion, Johnny is truly a 
hometown hero to the people of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Johnny was a 
hero long before his upset victory over four-time champion Evander 
Holyfield on Saturday evening. Last August, after losing a very close 
and controversial decision to Holyfield, Johnny came home from Las 
Vegas to find hundreds of his supporters waiting on his doorstep to 
cheer his arrival. They knew they already had a champion among them.
  Like many young husbands and fathers throughout the country; Johnny 
spends his free time coaching Little League baseball, Pop Warner 
Football and is actively involved in the parent's group at his 
children's school. That is the man that is the new heavy weight 
champion. That is Johnny Ruiz. Like many of his neighbors, Johnny Ruiz 
is a hardworking family man, who proudly represents a city of hard 
working people. Johnny just happens to go to work at the Somerville 
Boxing Club under the watchful eye of his trainer Norman Stone.
  Years from now we will surely be hearing many stories about the 
boxing triumphs of this heavyweight champion from Chelsea. People will 
talk about how they used to watch him run by their house or storefront 
while he was training. We will hear about rematches and world rankings. 
However, there is one story that stands out in my mind. On the evening 
of the first Holyfield-Ruiz fight, the then-WBA champion Holyfield was 
hosting a postfight victory party at the Paris Hotel. Accompanied by 
his boyhood friends, Ruiz, an exhausted and defeated challenger walked 
through the many reporters, cameras and Holyfield fans to extend a 
congratulatory hand to his most recent opponent. This gesture caught 
Holyfield by surprise more than Johnny's overhand right last Saturday 
night. The champion told Johnny ``that was the most class an opponent 
has ever shown after a fight''. That story truly embodies Johnny Ruiz.
  It is reassuring to know that behind all the hype and trash talking 
in professional sports there are still athletes out there who are true 
gentlemen. There are still men like Johnny ``The Quiet Man'' Ruiz: a 
neighborhood kid who had a little bit more talent and worked a little 
bit harder to get his shot. More importantly, he never forgot his 
roots--he never forgot the neighborhood and city he was fighting from. 
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate ``the neeewww WBA heavyweight champ of the 
worllllld Johnny Ruiz!!!''

                          ____________________