An exciting fighter who is experienced against top opposition and always makes good fights...he has a couple of very good wins to his credit, and is 12-0-1 in his last thirteen fights...he is coming off one of his best wins in his last fight, but after fighting five times in 1999 and five times in 2000, Ray has been inactive now for eight months - matchmaker Ted Panagiotis said that Ray has been training and ready to fight, but just couldn't get a TV date until now?he was in camp for two weeks with Six Heads Lewis before Lewis' April fight against Larry Marks...

2000 - WON NABF JW TITLE - ONE OF HIS BEST WINS - in his last fight on 12-22-00 in Ledyard, CT, he won a 12 round majority decision against former IBF world champion Vince Phillips (41-5-1): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight; Ray kept a busier pace in many rounds and built an early lead, but Phillips landed the harder punches and rallied in the middle rounds; both fighters stepped up the pace in the last two rounds; scored 117-113, 117-111, 114-114; after the fight, Ray said, "I was calling this the 'War of the Dinosaurs.' They said we were old guys, but nobody would fight either one of us, so we had to fight each other. I actually fought the wrong fight. I wanted to make him fight me, but I ended up backing him up. I guess I'm just a stubborn fool. I always say I want to box somebody and then end up fighting their fight.'"...

On 9-16-00 in Worcester, MA, he TKO'd Steve Larrimore (25-25): Ray scored one knockdown in the 4th round and two more in the 7th, and the fight was stopped without a count at 1:30...

On 6-30-00 in Cranston, RI, he TKO'd former two-time Mexican lightweight champion Isaac Cruz (16-9): Ray effectively attacked the body in the early rounds, scored two knockdowns in the 6th, and the referee stopped the fight at 1:31; Cruz had to lose five pounds at the weigh-in; after the fight, Ray said, "I knew if I worked the body in the later rounds I could catch him with a head shot. I just threw double left hooks. After the first knockdown, I knew he'd be looking for the right hand. I landed a single left hook and caught him flush."...

On 4-21-00 in Cranston he knocked out Miguel Rojas (3-13-2): Ray knocked down Rojas in the 1st and 2nd rounds, and he was counted out midway through the 2nd; the fight was made on short notice when originally scheduled main-eventer Scott Pemberton was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a road-rage incident...

ANOTHER BEST WIN - on 2-25-00 in Cranston he won a 10 round unanimous decision against previously undefeated prospect Vivian Harris (16-0): it was a good fight, fast-paced and very close; Harris came on strong in the late rounds, but Ray rallied in the 10th, and many observers thought the decision could go either way; scored 97-93, 97-93, 98-92; "They came here thinking I was a steppingstone," Ray said after the fight. "Well, let them put me down. Let them think I'm the underdog. I'll just keep beating them. It'll just keep making me look better. I think I had the Tommy Hearns jab tonight. I was just too fast for him."; Harris' manager Lou Duva was enraged at the decision; he said, "I thought it could have gone either way. But not by five points. What fight were they watching? It's a nice place, but they've got lousy judges, especially when you have to fight the promoter's fighter."...

1999 - on 11-20-99 in Leominster, MA, he TKO'd journeyman Israel Figueroa in the 6th round? On 7-30-99 in Ledyard, CT, he won a 10 round decision against previously undefeated prospect Gihad Salman (16-0-1): it was a close fight, and many observers thought Salman deserved the win; scored 96-93, 96-93, 99-90...

On 5-19-99 in Cranston, RI, he won an 8 round unanimous decision against former New York amateur star Sean Daughtry (15-2)...

On 1-8-99 in Ledyard he fought to a 10 round majority draw against Fitzroy Vanderpool (16-3-3): Ray scored two knockdowns, but one was questionable; scored 98-90 Oliveira, 95-94 Vanderpool, 95-95...

1998 - on 11-25-98 in Cranston he won an 8 round decision against Mark Richardson (7-9-2)...

On 11-6-98 in Ledyard he won an 8 round decision against former prospect Dezi Ford (24-19-2)...

On 10-15-98 in Cranston he TKO'd Jose Mendez (3-9-1) in the 6th round...

He had been inactive for 11 months with a broken leg sustained in a football game the previous January...

1997 - VACANT MINOR REGIONAL W TITLE CHALLENGE - on 11-7-97 in Las Vegas, NV, he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against Vernon Forrest (22-0): Ray moved up to welterweight and gave a good effort, but Forrest dominated the fight and scored a knockdown in the 11th round; scored 118-109, 119-108, 119-108...

LOST NABF JW TITLE - on 8-5-97 in Ledyard he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against Reggie Green (25-2): it was a good action fight from start to finish and very close, but Green was a little busier and sharper throughout; scored 115-113, 115-113, 116-112; the crowd gave them a standing ovation...

ANOTHER BEST WIN - WON NABF JW TITLE - on 4-15-97 in W. Orange, NJ, he won a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Charles Murray (39-3): Ray got off to a sensational start; he hurt former IBF champion Murray with the first punch of the fight and hurt him again midway through the 1st round; Ray dominated with constant pressure and a busier pace, and Murray had very few rallies; scored 117-111, 117-112, 115-112...

1994 - ANOTHER BEST WIN - on 10-5-94 in Atlantic City he won a a 10 round unanimous decision against Charles Murray (32-2): it was a big upset; Murray was the harder puncher and won the first three rounds, but Ray outworked him and gradually took the momentum; scored 97-93, 97-93, 96-94; he did not take advantage of the big win, however - he fought an 8-rounder three months later, got into trouble and was incarcerated, and then disappeared for over a year...

IBF JW TITLE CHALLENGE - on 4-21-94 in Ledyard he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Jake "The Snake" Rodriguez (24-2-2): Rodriguez scored a knockdown in the 5th round and won by scores of 116-111, 115-112, 119-108...

1993 - MINOR JW TITLE CHALLENGE - on 12-16-93 in Ledyard he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Zack Padilla (18-1-1): Ray gave a determined, hardworking effort, but Padilla worked even harder; scored 118-110, 117-112,116-113; CompuBox tallied a phenomenal 3,000 punches in the bout...

ANOTHER BEST WIN - on 7-15-93 in Ledyard he scored an upset TKO against two-time world title challenger Tracy Spann (27-2-1) in the 6th round...

1992 - on 11-3-92 in Ledyard he lost a 10 round decision against Russian prospect Sergei Artemiev (17-1-1)...

On 9-25-92 in Warwick he TKO'd former world title challenger Tyrone Downes (35-7): Ray was ahead on points when he scored a knockdown and stopped Downes in the 10th round...

On 4-23-92 in Ledyard he lost a 10 round decision against New Jersey prospect Rick Meyers (16-2): the fight was very close, and many observers thought it could go either way...

He had his first loss on 3-23-92 in Atlantic City: he knocked down Terry Southerland (9-2-1) but lost an 8 round majonty decision...

He debuted at the age of 21 on 7-27-90, and won his first 13 fights...

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: various sources - he started boxing at the age of 11 and fought as an amateur for around 10 years...he reportedly had over 300 amateur bouts...he was a five-time New England Golden Gloves champion in five different weight classes...he is the second youngest of 19 children in his family and one of 12 brothers; all are athletic - his brother Reinaldo was also a pro boxer and a sparring partner for Marvelous Marvin Hagler...Ray said that for much of his career, he never gave boxing his full attention and that he partied harder than he trained...he has been in prison several times: Ray estimates he made $10,000-$20,000 a week when he sold drugs for a year in 1989; he was convicted and put on probation, but two violations produced jail sentences of six and three months...he was in jail three more times for physically abusing his girlfriend...he was once shot in the right knee in a New Year's Eve fight with three men...he said he has finally accepted responsibility for his actions: "I always had a chip on my shoulder. I had so much anger built up in me. It was my own fault. People would say, 'Ray doesn't cry. Ray's strong. Ray doesn't worry about nothing.' It was really building up in me. I really wanted to let loose. Instead of letting it out the real way, crying, I let it out with anger."...he credits his brother Joey, who died of AIDS in 1999, for the change in his attitude: "My brother got himself in trouble way more than I ever thought of. He turned himself around, got married, bought his own house. He did 10 years. He was on heroin, and he turned himself so much around. His last year, he wanted to spend it with me and help me. I take credit for everything wrong that I've ever done. I'm just happy with myself now. I have peace of mind. The chip is off my shoulder."...a single parent with five children..."Sucra" is Portuguese for sugar...