Ringside Report Looks Back At Former World Title Challenger Pete Ranzany

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By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

It’s been a while since I have had a name and target from “Bad” Brad to go and research and there are times when I miss it. The opportunity to delve online into fights about which I knew nothing before and the chance to get to know people whose careers were unknown to me are just one of the many great things about writing for Ringside Report.

So, this week, when I got the name out of the hat, the fighting pride of Sacramento, Pete Ranzany, 59-8-2, 38 KO’s, it was with delight I went to have a look! Sacramento was not a city known for sports in the 1970’s, apart from one: boxing. Its cathedral was the Memorial Auditorium and Ranzany, for most of his career, was anointed as the High Priest. There were many who worshipped.

Ranzany was born, bred and buttered in the city and a product of the local High School. As a teenager he caught the bug and following in the footsteps and ring walks of heroes like Nino Benvenuti, Pete was to willingly follow. By the age of 16, he won the Golden Gloves in San Francisco, by 1970 he had joined the army and saw him progress in amateur boxing – after allegedly only 19 fights to the Olympic Trials!

He made it all the way to the final and lost what was a very close decision to Sugar Ray Seales: Seales was to go on and win the Olympic Gold in Munich in 1972. On the way to the final, Ranzany beat a future world champion in Carlos Palomino.

His rise in the professional ranks once he turned professional in 1973 when he beat Marc Thomas, by knockout in the 3rdm, after having been floored, at that Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, was impressive enough to see him, by the late part of that decade become the number one challenger in the welterweight division.

On the way to that ranking he managed to win the NABF welterweight title in March 1977 on points against Julio Gomez, retain it in October the same year when he drew in a technical draw after two rounds, with Randy Shields, then in early 1978 he rematched Shields, stopping him in the 11th round to retain the belt – all these fights could only have been in one hall, in one town…
On September the 9th 1978 he climbed into the ring to face Pipino Cuevas in Sacramento for the WBA crown. Having scaled the heights to get the chance, it was not to last as he was knocked out by the world title holder, Cuevas in the second round. With a crowd in the outdoors of over 17,000 it was not an impressive world title debut.

He returned home and on the 12th December 1978, he beat Jimmy Heair on points for the NABF title. He was back… OK, so Heair had fought 88 times, losing 16, by the time he shared a ring with Ranzany, but you can only beat what is put in front of you – right?

One year on, this time at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas he faced Sugar Ray Leonard on the 12th of August 1979, with that NABF welterweight title on the line. On this occasion he managed to the fourth round before Leonard managed to knock him out.

He was not done with world level fighters.

His third big fight, against Wilfred Benitez, came on the 12th of December 1980 where he lost, once more on points. It was not a homecoming he would have wished for as it was the only one of the three top fights at that Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento.

His legacy may not have been as a man who won world titles nor as someone who had marquee wins but he fought some of the best and he fought them, but he was a massive ambassador for the sport and his home. He loved to fight, and he loved his home crowd.

Though ultimately, he was unsuccessful at the highest level, Ranzany managed to use his abilities – he had a wicked body shot that was tremendously effective, to the liver, to great effect. Amongst his arsenal was also a great left hook and the accusation that he was protected during his career is kind of made plane when his elevation to the top fighters always ended in a loss, though he shared rings with them, he never ducked them.

It included a win in 1982 in the promotional debut for Sylvester Stallone – whatever happened to him – in Caesar’s Palace when he won a split decision 10 rounder against Sean O’Grady. His final fight, a points loss came in Roma. Perhaps fitting, given that his idol was Italian when he started, he finished facing a man unbeaten in 50 fights, Nino La Rocca and at least stayed the distance.

I believe that, since retiring he has been a Correctional Peace Officer and with one son, a very happy marriage to Rose – since 1972, there was only ever one place he was going to call his family home… Sacramento.

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