Jose Ramirez is rolling again.
The former 140-pound unified title holder knocked Richard Commey twice in 11lame pants circle and stop him in the same stanza Saturday in Fresno, California, his second straight win since losing the belt to Josh Taylor in 2021.
Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) beat Jose Pedraza with a winning goal last March.
The win brings him closer to a world title, possibly against WBC belt holder Regis Prograis. Ramirez entered the match in 5th place.
“I want any world champion,” Ramirez said. “If Regis Prograis really wants to fight, we can sit down and negotiate. Sit down and fight.”
Ramirez attacked Commey (30-5-1, 27 KOs) ferociously from the opening bell, hurling multiple punches to the head and torso round after round. That sets up a brutal ending.
At 11 minutes, Ramirez knocked Commey with his right hand but didn’t seem to seriously injure him. Then, after the Ghanaian got to his feet, he delivered a nasty left hook to him that brought him to his knees.
And that’s where he stayed when referee Jack Reiss counted to 10. He didn’t want Ramirez anymore.
The official stop time is 2:31.
Ramirez said he felt a bit rusty after a year of being fired but was pleased with his performance.
“It was tough after being fired, but mentally, I had to go back to being my old self and start strong,” he said. “There was a point in my career when I felt too comfortable. But this time, I started with an active rhythm with my punches throughout the round.
“And I returned to my old self. I hurt him in the first inning. But he is a tough guy. Big thanks to Commey and his team. He is a good fighter. He took some good photos. And he also picked it up in the middle of a battle.
“I hear his team push him, but I want to make a statement and show that I’m the stronger person there.”
That’s him.
