Fresno boxer Jose Ramirez aims to become first Mexican-American undisputed world champ
WBC title? Check.
WBO title? Check.
WBA and IBF titles? Those remain as targets for Jose Ramirez, who is trying to become the first Mexican-American undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face Josh Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight unification title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
The main portion of the fight card will be shown on ESPN beginning at 5 p.m., with the Ramirez-Taylor featured bout likely beginning sometime around 6:15-6:30 p.m.
To say Ramirez is taking this fight and his opponent seriously is an understatement, even by the standards of a boxer who has been habitually hyper-focused throughout his boxing career.
Ramirez rose to amateur stardom and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team while fighting out of his hometown of Avenal, and since moving to Fresno has been unblemished as a pro while first becoming a contender and eventually the WBC and WBO champ.
But when it comes to this fight? There seems to be a different Ramirez at work as he ramped up the past two months in training camp.
“Physically and mentally, I’m well prepared,” Ramirez said. “According to (trainer) Robert (Garcia), this is the best he’s ever seen me. My sparring partners said this is the best they’ve ever seen me.”
It will be his fifth fight with Garcia in his corner.
Garcia — who took over from Hall of Famer Freddie Roach in 2018 — led Ramirez to a unanimous decision win, two majority decision victories and the WBO title when he defeated Maurice Hooker by technical knockout in June 2019 in Arlington, Texas.
Punching up in training camp
Ramirez had three sparring partners during camp. One was undefeated welterweight Giovanni Santillan (26-0), a southpaw like Taylor.
Santillan, said Garcia, was impressed by Ramirez’s strength and remarked how “interesting” it was that a 140-pounder could hold his own against a heavier opponent. (Santillan weighed in at 148 pounds for his most recent fight.)
“We needed to be as strong as possible and in great shape,” Garcia said. “We can’t afford to think we might get tired. That never happens with Jose. Jose is very dedicated. He never gets tired, but we need him to feel the strength with bigger and heavier guys; that way, when he goes into the ring and he’s going to see Josh Taylor it’s going to feel a lot smaller.
“Sparring with nothing but big guys. He’ll feel the difference (Saturday).”
Ramirez appreciated the challenge in training camp. He wanted it no other way ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
“I trained really hard for this fight,” he said. “The best that I ever trained. I’ve always trained like there is a little bit of doubt, or to push myself more and more. But this time, there is no doubt in my mind that I’m more than ready for this fight.”
Trainers are supposed to hype their fighters, but Garcia has shown a willingness to be objective when it comes to Ramirez. Consider that when Garcia offers, “This is the best he’s ever looked.”
“He made a big change the first couple fights we had together,” Garcia said, “and he didn’t have his best performance against somebody like (Jose) Zepeda and didn’t have the best performance against (Viktor) Postol, but I think that is the best thing that could happen.
“It wasn’t easy. From his pro debut to working with Freddie, it wasn’t easy for him and it wasn’t easy for me, either, but we never gave up and kept working and a few years in, I think he’s at the right moment to become undisputed champion.”
Betting line favors Taylor over Ramirez
For the first time in Ramirez’s professional career, he will enter a fight as an underdog.
According to Las Vegas oddsmaker Bovada, Taylor is listed as the minus-235 favorite, with Ramirez at plus-185.
“You have to let things take care of itself in the ring,” Ramirez said. “You can’t really read boxing (ahead of a fight), especially on this level.
“We’re both undefeated and we’re the best fighters in this division. You can’t find better opposition than me in this weight class. Every performance is different. I trained really hard for this fight. The best that I ever trained.”
Campaign builds support for Ramirez
Ramirez’s agent/promoter Rick Mirigian started a push a couple of months ago, emphasizing the message of “We Believe in You Jose. May 22. History Awaits.”
The words were shared on social media and spread farther across the central San Joaquin Valley on billboards.
Among those in Ramirez’s extended rooting circle are world boxing champion Canelo Alvarez and comedian/actor George Lopez.
“He sees all that,” Mirigian said. “I wanted him to see how many people believe in him.”
Family on hand in bid to hold four belts
Ramirez recognizes that Taylor can achieve his own historical milestone by becoming the first Scottish boxer to hold four titles.
But he has long anticipated this moment and everything appears to be falling into place. In addition to his strong camp, he will have an added boost Saturday when his family will be in attendance for the first time since 2019.
“He’s going to have his family, kids, his newborn,” Garcia said. “He sees his family on the weekends. There are times he brings his family to training camp and spends a week with him. All that is going to make a big difference.
“Jose is one of those family guys that needs his mom and dad ringside. He needs his wife and kids to stay in the locker room with him before the fight and for the Postol fight, we were in the (pandemic) bubble.”
Ramirez said he will have the names of son Matteo and newborn Katalina on the sides of his trunks.
And he will be thinking of his hometown, farm workers throughout the Valley and all of his fans when he is in the ring at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, the site of the former Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
“I want to bring a lot of glory to them and make a lot of people proud,” he said. “People have supported me and genuinely have made it possible for me to make it this far. I want to make them proud by my performance on Saturday.”
Weigh-in, confrontation
The fight is officially a go after Ramirez and Taylor each checked in Friday afternoon at 139.6 pounds, just under the 140-pound weight limit for the unified title bout.
But it was at the end of the weigh-in when things got interesting.
On the stage, the fighters faced off and began to trade words, an exchange initiated by Taylor.
Background noise made it difficult to hear what was said, but they ran into each other again in the hotel lobby. Taylor appear to push Ramirez and a melee ensued, with their respective corners and fans mixing in as well.
Taylor was led to an elevator by his team. Ramirez looked on and projected a sense of calm.
Ramirez mostly passed on offering a recap, instead telling a reporter that “at the end of the day, it’s just me and him in the ring tomorrow.”
Ramirez-Taylor: Fight time, how to watch, undercard
The main event: Jose Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor
At stake: Unification of the four major junior welterweight world title belts
Time/date: 5:30 p.m. PT main undercard, 8 p.m. (approximate) for Ramirez-Taylor
TV: ESPN; also available to stream on the ESPN app
Where: The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Record, age, hometown: Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs), 28, Avenal, California. Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs), 30, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Undercard: Fights include — Louie Coria vs. Jose Enrique Vivas, 8 rounds, featherweights; Robeisy Ramirez vs. Juan Tapia, 8 rounds, featherweights; Andres Cortes vs. Eduardo Garza, 8 rounds, junior lightweights; Raymond Muratalla vs. Jose Luis Gallegos, 8 rounds, lightweights; Javier Martinez vs. Calvin Metcalf, 6 rounds, middleweights
Source: ESPN.com
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 10:54 AM.
