PETE RANZANY
Sacramento's Pete Ranzany enjoyed a short, but excellent amateur boxing career fighting for the U.S. Army boxing team. He went as far as the semi-finals of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, defeating Carlos Palomino in the quarter-finals, but then losing to Sugar Ray Seales in the semi-final match. He fought at the top level in the amateurs, and that wouldn't change as a pro. His professional campaign opened on Oct. 2, 1973 and he gave a hint as to the excitement to come as he went down in round 1, only to get off of the deck and come roaring back to stop Marc Thomas in round 3 by knockout. He stopped his next 4 opponents, and then won a decision over Jimmy "Mean Machine" Jackson by decision. That 5 round decision win over Jackson was a good one, and called for a rematch. It was Oct. 22, 1974 that Ranzany tasted defeat for the first time - losing an 8-round unanimous decision in the rematch with Jackson. That loss didn't sit well with Ranzany, an...