Title fight twist: Jose Ramirez will see former trainer Freddie Roach in opposite corner
Pardon WBC super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez if he heads to the wrong corner during his title defense Sunday at the Save Mart Center.
It’s just that there’s a familiar face over there.
Freddie Roach, the Hall of Fame trainer who helped guide Ramirez to the top during a 3 1/2-year partnership, is now the trainer for Jose Zepeda.
Avenal native Ramirez (23-0, 16 KOs) meets Zepeda (30-1, 25 KOs) in the main event Sunday. The undercard is set for 1 p.m., with the main card beginning at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
Is Ramirez concerned that Roach knows his boxing traits?
“A trainer can only sharpen someone and can’t change their overall styles,” Ramirez said. “it’s only going to make Jose Zepeda more competitive and sharper. It’s better for the fans. Fans should be excited about that.”
Roach was in the corner when Ramirez defeated Amir Imam in New York last March for the world title.
After that fight, Ramirez joined Robert Garcia’s camp, winning his first title defense in September by unanimous decision. This is the second bout for the Zepeda-Roach team. Zepeda has won his past seven fights since a no-contest in Tijuana in 2015 prior to losing to Terry Flanagan because of a dislocated shoulder.
The 29-year-old Zepeda calls it a “positive thing” that Roach knows Ramirez’s capabilities: “We trained for that. It’s going to be a war.”
What did Roach tell Zepeda about Ramirez?
“He said, ‘He’s an aggressive fighter.’ He has the ‘will to win’ and a ‘strong fighter,’ but ‘he can be outboxed.’“
Ramirez, 26, had five months to prepare for Sunday’s fight.
“My job is already done,” he said. “My preparation, my camp, all the hard work and I’m mentally and physically prepared. The rest is up to God to see what happens on Sunday. God willing, I’ll be victorious again.”
