Jose Ramirez will return against Rances Barthelemy

FIGHT WEEK

Young welterweight contender Jose Ramirez will return after a 13-month layoff against veteran Rances Barthelemy on Saturday in Fresno, California.

JOSE RAMIREZ (28-1, 18 KOs)
WITH. RANCES BARTHELEMY (30-2-1, 15 KOs)

• Day: Saturday, April 27
• Time: 8pm ET / 5pm PT (main event will be shown later)
• Where: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
• Television/Streaming: DAZN
• Assignment: Youth welterweight (140 pounds)
• Under threat: No major titles
• Pound-for-pound boxing addict: Do not have
• The odds: Do not have
• Meaning (maximum five stars): ***
• Also on the card: Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Thomas Dulorme, junior middleweight; Oscar Duarte vs. Joseph Diaz Jr., welterweight; Marlen Esparza vs. Gabriela Alaniz, flyweight (for Esparza’s WBA, WBC and WBO titles); Raul Curiel fights Jorge Marron Jr., welterweight
• Background: Ramirez, 31, a former unified 140-pound champion, has fought just once in more than two years and hasn’t been in the ring in 13 months. The 2012 US Olympian has won consecutive fights since he lost the title to Josh Taylor by a close but unanimous decision in May 2021. He came back to eliminate Jose Pedraza the following March and then stopped Richard Commey in 11 rounds last March. He will fight in front of friendly crowds in Fresno, near his hometown of Avenal. He will also compete for the first time for new promoter Golden Boy. Barthelemy, 37, is a former two-division champion but has not worn a major belt in nearly eight years. The Cuban native of Las Vegas has also been relatively inactive, fighting only twice since November 2021. He suffered a significant loss when he was stopped by Gary Antuanne Russell in July 2022 but recovered rebound to defeat Omar Juarez by unanimous decision last May. year. Also on the list, 154-pound contender Vergil Ortiz (20-0, 20 KOs) continues his comeback from health issues. He ended his 17-month layoff when he stopped Fredrick Lawson in the first round this past January. Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KOs) is fighting to maintain his 34th ranking after a 21-month layoff. The one-time title challenger from Puerto Rico lost to top 147-pounders Jamal James, Eimantas Stanionis and Jaron Ennis in 2020 and 2021 before winning his most recent bout, knocking off the encouraged journeyman Abraham Peralta in round three in July 2022.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

• Marques Valle vs. Damian Sosa, junior middleweight, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV)

FRIDAY

• Yoenis Tellez vs. Joseph Jackson, junior middleweight, Orlando, Florida (DAZN)

SATURDAY

• Peter McGrail vs. Marc Leach, junior featherweight, Liverpool, England (DAZN)
• Andrew Tabiti vs. Junior Wright, heavyweight, Philadelphia (BLK Prime PPV)
• Maria Guadalupe Bautista vs. Sara Haghighat Joo, junior flyweight (for Bautista’s WBA title), Toronto (no TV in the US)