Jose Ramirez realizes his dream, wins world boxing title

Jose Ramirez realized the dream that began as a youngster in Avenal, winning the WBC world super lightweight boxing championship Saturday in New York City.

The undefeated Ramirez controlled the 12-round fight start to finish, especially in the final round when he was waiting for Imam at the bell and staggered his opponent at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The judges scored the entertaining fight unanimously for Ramirez: 115-113, 117-111, 120-108. The 25-year-old Ramirez improved his pro record to 22-0 with 16 knockouts. Imam fell to 21-2.

“I can’t even explain how I’m feeling,” Ramirez said. “I’m a kid from Avenal. I went to a gym that opened up in 1999 and walked there from my Monterey Street address with a pair of gloves that weren’t a brand name. Now I’m a world champion and it all paid off.”

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said the plan is to have Ramirez defend his world title at Chukchansi Park this summer.

That would be OK with Ramirez, who said he was thinking about his fans, farmers and the many people who supported him from day one.

“Throughout every round I was thinking of those people that counted on me,” he said. “That pushed me.”

Ramirez is the first central San Joaquin Valley native to win a WBC world title.

Other former world champions to reside in Fresno, but not born in the area: former National Boxing Association world welterweight champion Young Corbett III of Potenza, Italy; three-time world champion Jenifer Alcorn of San Luis Obispo and former IBF featherweight world champion Hector Lizarraga of Mexico.

Saturday in New York, Ramirez outpunched Imam throughout. ESPN statistics showed that Ramirez landed 228 power punches to 108 by Imam.

“Two judges need to be investigated and one judge was being honest,” Ramirez’s trainer Freddie Roach said. “He won every single round. A hometown fight for Jose next would great, but New York was great to us tonight. By the end of the fight, everyone was on our side.”

Ramirez’s agent/promoter Rick Mirigian said “big risks have big rewards.”

“I’m just proud of who he has become in and out of the ring,” he said. “Tonight I will smile and start working again tomorrow.”

ESPN color commentator Timothy Bradley, a former five-time world champion now retired, said he was impressed with the aggressive style Ramirez showed.

Ramirez said the first few rounds were close because of Imam’s jabs “and he did his job in there and made it difficult for me to go inside.

“There were moments that I thought I let myself get touched, but that’s part of learning and becoming a fighter and a world champion.”

Arum called the fight “sort of one-sided” but exciting to watch.

Ramirez landed some left hooks in the early rounds and continued to land punches, especially a right to Imam’s head in the sixth.

Ramirez said he took control of the fight in the eighth round and beyond.

“I’m pleased with my performance,” Ramirez said. “At the end of the day, I’m happy I’m a world champion. I’m happy my family is here with me and I’m happy my little boy was able to say ‘Papi’ when he was in the ring. I was really happy to get my second wind and fight those 12 rounds.”

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 7:22 PM with the headline "Jose Ramirez realizes his dream, wins world boxing title."