Editor’s note: One big map. One dart. Ten enterprising journalists. The result is Bexar’s Eye, a weekly series aimed – literally – at uncovering previously untold stories about people, places, and practices in San Antonio and surrounding areas. We asked each of our journalists to throw a dart at a map of Bexar County and find a story wherever the dart lands. What you’ll read in this series are just some of the many stories San Antonio holds.
Drive too quickly down Moursund Boulevard, and you’ll miss the entrance to the boxing gym. Tucked behind the Ramos family home, it is only identifiable from the five silver letters attached to the iron fence enclosing the front lawn: R-A-M-O-S.
Yet through the front yard and past a second gate, a San Antonio Southside staple comes into view: a gray metal building that is home to the Ramos Boxing Team. Nearly 60 boxers occupy the gym on a recent Tuesday evening. Girls, boys, and adults come to the gym to learn the sport and spar with others in their age group.
Windows are open to the cool evening breeze as the sun sets. The grey building transforms to warm pink and yellow, and inside, boxers thump punching bags between the sounds of a buzzer. Warm-ups begin shortly before the gym officially opens at 6 p.m.
Arturo Ramos Jr., 66, has owned Ramos Boxing Team for about 27 years. He started boxing when he was 8 years old, seeking an outlet for the feelings of anger and frustration he often experienced. He has not stopped boxing since.
Watch as Arturo Ramos Jr. ruminates on his legacy on the South Side and his hope to continue improving his community through encouragement and support.
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