By Sean Jones: Former WBC/WBO mild welterweight champion Jose Ramirez and Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza have agreed to a combat earlier subsequent yr on February fifth on ESPN on the Save Mart Middle in Fresno, California.
In a High Rank Boxing promoted card, Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) can have the hometown benefit in battling the previous two-division world champion Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs). Mike Coppinger is reporting the information of the Ramirez vs. Pedraza combat being agreed on for February fifth.
This would be the 29-year-old Ramirez’s first combat since shedding his WBA & WBO 140-lb titles to Josh Taylor by an in depth 12 spherical unanimous resolution earlier this yr in an undisputed conflict on Might twenty second in Las Vegas.
That was a combat that Ramirez may have gained had he not been dropped within the sixth and seventh rounds. Because it was, Taylor barely edged him by the scores 114-112, 114-112, and 114-112.
Ramirez would possible have a very good shot at beating Taylor in a rematch, however there’s no risk for a second combat proper now. Taylor will most likely transfer as much as 147 in a few fights, and the one means Ramirez will get a rematch is that if he follows him.
Pedraza, 32, hasn’t seemed that nice since transferring as much as the 140-lb division in 2019. Though he’s gained his final three fights, he was soundly crushed by Jose Zepeda by a ten spherical in September 2019.
Dropping the way in which Pedraza did, it isn’t simple to see him having higher luck in opposition to Josh Taylor, Regis Prograis, or Jose Ramirez. However at this level, it is likely to be too tough for Pedraza to return to the 135 or 130-lb divisions the place he had loads of success.
Pedraza is a troublesome cookie for Ramirez to be combating in his rebuilding combat on February fifth. If Ramirez isn’t mentally 100% following his loss, ‘The Sniper’ Pedraza may beat him and make issues worse.
Ramirez has received to make it possible for he doesn’t make the identical errors he did in his loss to Taylor, as Pedraza can be seeking to make the most of the failings he confirmed in that combat. Taylor took benefit of Ramirez not having his guard up when the referee would break them.
Hitting on the break is against the law, however Taylor went after Ramirez when the referee would break them, and he may nail him with pictures.
Pedraza was destroyed 4 years in the past by Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis by a seventh spherical knockout in January 2017. On the time, Pedraza was the IBF tremendous featherweight champion, and he seemed invincible, however Tank had an excessive amount of pace and energy for him.
In December 2018, Pedraza misplaced to Vasily Lomachenko by a one-sided 12 spherical unanimous resolution. Though it was one-sided, Pedraza was aggressive within the combat and marked Lomachenko up.
In Pedraza’s earlier combat, he had defeated Ramundo Beltra by a 12 spherical unanimous resolution to seize the WBO light-weight title, which he held for 4 months earlier than shedding it to Lomachenko.
Since shedding to Jose Zepeda in 2019, Pedraza has gained his final three fights in opposition to Julian Rodriguez, Javier Molina, and Mikkel LesPierre.
If #4 WBO Pedraza can beat Ramirez, he would be capable of combat for the title. When Pedraza will get a crack on the belt, Josh Taylor will possible have vacated all his belts and moved as much as 147. That’s a very good factor for Pedraza as a result of he doesn’t match up effectively in opposition to a fighter the scale of Taylor.
Ramirez would really like a rematch with Taylor earlier than he strikes as much as 147, so it’s very important that he beat Pedraza. Taylor has loads of nice choices at 140 and 147, and it’s tough to think about him selecting to run it again in opposition to Ramirez relatively than getting into one other course. Josh has these nice fights accessible for him:
- Teofimo Lopez
- Terence Crawford
- Gervonta Davis
- Regis Prograis
- Devin Haney
- Errol Spence Jr
