![]() He remembers pulling bell peppers as a 15-year-old during the summer months in Central Valley, California, where it could reach up to 110 degrees on some days. One story remains entrenched in his memory. Jose Ramirez, who is currently undefeated, could be the first boxer of Mexican descent to be an undisputed champion in the sport. "I see how hard they work, I see the work ethic and you know, they really shaped me," the 28-year-old Mexican American said in an interview with CBS News. Ahead of his big fight on May 22 in Las Vegas, he's dedicating the bout to them. The link is also a personal one: His father was a farm worker and Ramirez worked as one as a teen. The former Olympian feels a special connection with agricultural workers, who have been thrust into the national spotlight for keeping America fed during the coronavirus pandemic - despite many not having legal status in the U.S. He also knows he's not entering the ring against Scottish boxer Josh Taylor alone. Barring any kind of strategic mishap, this one should be both fun and go the distance as Ramirez reclaims his name among the elite fighters at junior welterweight.Boxer Jose Ramirez could become the first fighter of Mexican descent to win all four major world title belts later this month. Look for Ramirez to attack the body but do so in a much more calculated manner than he did against Taylor. He's also not nearly as busy as Ramirez, which ultimately should be the difference. What they do indicate, however, is that Pedraza hasn't proven to be the same type of puncher at 140 pounds that he was in the lower weight divisions. ![]() Pedraza's equally daring style should make this one no different, especially given their natural contrast in styles with Pedraza being the natural counter puncher who, like Ramirez, isn't afraid to operate at close distance.Įven though Ramirez is a bit fresher of the two fighters, the wide odds fail to tell the story of just how game Pedraza still is. Given his technical yet aggressive style of straight-ahead boxing, it's hard to imagine a Ramirez fight that isn't exciting. The task of retracing his steps back into title contention gets no easier with someone as skilled and crafty as the southpaw Pedraza, a native of Puerto Rico who is aptly nicknamed "Sniper," standing in front of him. I hope to show the best of my abilities on Friday." I learned to accept it, and I want to earn the shot at the titles with my actions. That fight I lost because I wasn't at my best, mentally and physically. I don't believe he beat me because he's the better fighter. "The biggest thing that I learned from myself when I faced Josh Taylor is that the only person that can defeat me is my own self," Ramirez said. Josh Taylor dropped Jose Ramirez for the second time in the fight □ #RamirezTaylor /eZ9ZRwOcxb- ESPN Ringside May 23, 2021Įnter Ramirez, who not only regularly packs crowds of over 12,000 each time he fights in Fresno but still has the division's best resume after Taylor, including consecutive victories over Amir Imam, Antonio Orozco, Jose Zepeda, Maurice Hooker and Viktor Postol. I don't want to be fighting fights that are going to be tune-up fights." "You have to fight the best to be ready for those fights. "My goal is to stay at the highest level of competition, my goal is to become a world champion again," Pedraza said at Wednesday's final press conference. Instead, the 29-year-old Ramirez is headed back to the deep end of the pool on Friday when he returns home to Fresno to headline a 12-round test against former two-division champion Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs) at Save Mart Arena ( 8 p.m. ![]() And luckily for boxing fans, the proud native of California's Central Valley isn't in need of a soft touch to test himself first. ![]() Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs), who was dropped twice in a close decision defeat last May, believes he has figured out the necessary adjustments to make in order to fuel up for another run at a junior welterweight world title. In the 10 months since suffering his first defeat against Josh Taylor in their undisputed championship duel at 140 pounds, former unified titleholder Jose Ramirez has undergone a plethora of self-discovery.
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