Jose Ramirez is one of the hottest boxers in the world in 2021.
He knocked out Maurice Hooker to become the 140-pound unification champion in 2019 and followed the decision to knock out Viktor Postol in 2020, the match that set up a bout with Josh Taylor to contest all four titles. big next year.
A win would make him one of the biggest stars in the sport. Alas, he fell twice and lost in a close game, costing him a belt and a lot of respect.
He recovered by passing Jose Pedraza last March but he is still rebuilding his reputation after his battle with Richard Commey (30-4-1, 27 KOs) on Saturday in Fresno, California (ESPN, ESPN+).
He says we’ll see him put in his best form against the former 135-pound owner from Ghana.
“I had experience at the top with people praising me and I was ranked number one,” he said. “Then I became a unified world champion by defeating Maurice Hooker. Then suddenly, after a loss, people started moving away from it.
“But I am lucky because I have a good family, a great team and a great advertising agency. That’s all I need. So I found myself, and I realized who I am.
“I felt like I was ready to show off the lion we all saw before I started getting distracted by some of the things that come with being on top. Now it’s time for me to work.”
Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) failed to mention a key element of his support system: His fans.
He grew up in Avena, not far from Fresno in California’s Central Valley. That means Save Mart Arena will be packed with cheering supporters, which can give a boost to a hometown boxer.
This will be the U.S. Olympic athlete’s seventh game of 2012 at the venue.
“It’s been an honor for me to fight in Fresno in front of people who have watched me grow as a boxer,” he said. “I hope to be out there on Saturday to show my talent in front of the people who love me the most.”
We’ll see how much he’s loved by the critics after the battle.
