Jose Ramirez’s gamble paid off on Friday.
Ramirez chose to face slick, experienced technician Jose Pedraza instead of a forward opponent in his first game since he lost the 140-pound title to Josh Taylor last May.
There were moments when it looked like Ramirez made the wrong decision but he finished powerfully to win a clear and unanimous decision in Fresno, California, not far from his hometown of Avena. .
In the process, Ramirez puts himself in a difficult position to claim an empty title assuming Taylor gives up his title and gains weight.
Jose Ramirez (left) over Jose Pedraza on Friday night in Fresno, California. Mikey Williams / Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) beat Pedraza (29-4, 14 KOs) on the opening bell and succeeded, his shots on target and powerful hits to the head and body with a slam dunk. certain stability.
However, he was unable to fully control the fight because of Pedraza’s formidable boxing and athletic abilities. The Puerto Rican tennis player is sometimes effective on counterattacks and is always on tiptoe, which makes it very difficult for Ramirez to cut the box.
Pedraza looked especially strong in the mid rounds, when he found a groove. He delivers precise, well-timed punches that seem to turn the tide in a match.
Then, starting in round 9, Ramirez picked up the pace and imposed his will on Pedraza, who jumped more than he fought in the last few rounds.
Therefore, the official score – 116-112 on all three cards – makes sense. Boxing Junkie scored 115-113 for Ramirez, seven rounds won five.
Ramirez was asked what has changed this time around.
“I just need to try a little harder,” he said. “I told him I had an extra device. Once he saw I had more gear, he came back to respect me and I went back to controlling the fight again.”
Ramirez could soon win one of the big four.
Taylor, coming up with a decisive win over a surprisingly tough Jack Catterall on February 26, has said he plans to move up to the welterweight division. That would open all four major 140-pound titles.
And Ramirez is certainly a top contender to make it into one of the title fights, especially after his performance on Friday.
“I would go up against anyone at 140,” he said. “…There are a lot of great fighters coming to 140. Right now there are a lot of great fighters at 140. So I want to face them all.”
He was forced to name but he wouldn’t bite, just said, “It doesn’t matter who it is.”
Well, Ramirez seems to have regained any confidence he might have lost when he fell to Taylor.
