TIJUANA The boxing fights Ray Solís refereed blend together in his mind: Hundreds of them in the last 50 years, 71 for world titles.
But his small eyes open like he had just seen the genie escape the bottle when he finds the memory he's searching for.
"Most of all I remember one fight, it was March 19th of 1972, in the Cuatro Caminos Bullring in Mexico City: Rubén 'Púas' Olivares against Rafael Herrera for the WBC and WBA bantamweight titles.
" 'Púas' was Mexico's idol and it was dramatic when he lost in the eighth round; it was his second defeat as a professional," he said. "I was the referee for that fight."
The World Boxing Council (WBC) named Raymundo "Ray" Solís Gómez, 88 one of the three best referees and judges it's had in the organization's 32-year-history.
Last Thursday, Tijuana's Municipal Institute for Art and Culture (IMAC) honored him at the Museo de Historia de Tijuana, as part of exhibit "Historic Sports Milestones."
His friends and Tijuana's boxing community call him "the referee of five continents" because he worked in Japan, Australia, Thailand, South Korea, England, Spain, Monaco, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States.
"Without a doubt he was the first reliable referee the WBC had. Here, in Tijuana, he has quite a legacy," said Guillermo Mayén, a local promoter.
He recalled that he saw the farewell appearance by Solís as a referee in a match in the year 2000 in which Felipe Urquiza, another great idol, who also was bowing out of the business, was fighting "Bull Terrier" Soberanes.
"Ray Solís is synonymous with boxing, not only in Tijuana but in the entire world," added Benjamín Rendón, a boxing commissioner and international judge. "He's the best referee that Mexico has ever had; he's got so much class, and is very knowledgeable about all aspects of boxing because he began as a boxer."
For the last 17 years Solís has tended to a friend's restaurant on calle Primera in downtown Tijuana. Health problems forced him eight years ago to temporarily suspend his work as an international judge for the WBC, following the death of his wife.
He smiles when he talks about boxing. Few know that he could have been a national hero, save for an accident he suffered when he was in the military.
According to Solís, he was going to be one of the members of Squadron 201, Mexico's combat air unit that fought in World War II after the Mexican oil tanker Potrero del Llano was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in the Gulf of Mexico in 1942.
Squadron 201 was preparing for war in Puebla when Solís had a flying accident while trying to avoid some fences. He injured his left leg, fractured a kneecap and cracked a rib.
"After the accident I remained in the army for a time, until 1949, when my brother Salvador, who was a professional boxer, invited me to come to Tijuana," he said. "I have lived here ever since."
Even before then, he said his first memories are associated with boxing. As a child he used to listen to boxing matches on the radio narrated by Julio Sotelo in his hometown of La Barca, in Jalisco state.
Before that fateful accident, he had always planned to be a professional boxer. In the army, he had been a featherweight champion and it seemed natural to move into boxing for pay. But he had to change his plans.
He began his career as a referee in boxing during the 1950s, first in amateur boxing, then on to the professional level. He reached the height of that career in the 1970s and 1980s, the golden age of Mexican boxing.
"I got to see perhaps the best Mexican fighters of all time," he said. "I was most impressed with"El Púas' Olivares and, of course, Julio César Chávez."
Sometimes, Solís dreams that he is still refereeing, seeing what no spectator ever sees: the sweat and rage of boxing legends such as Ultiminio Ramos, "Sugar Ray" Robinson, "Mantequilla" Nápoles, "Kid" Irapuato, José Medel, Salvador Sánchez, Julio César Chávez, Rubén "El Púas" Olivares, Miguel Canto, Rafael Herrera, Efrén "Alacrán" Torres and Vicente Saldívar.
"They were memorable fights, true clashes, and despite how hand these fights were, no boxer ever went to the emergency room or collapse because I did not intervene in time."
Omar.millan@sandiegored.com
