Tag Archives: Jose Ramirez

Posted on 03/16/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Jose Ramirez hung his head despondently following his close unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Josh Taylor at the midway point of 2021.

Despite his determination, Ramirez was unable to withstand his slick counterpart on the night and ultimately went on to hit the deck on two separate occasions. As a result, a stunned Ramirez stood back in disbelief as Taylor stripped him of his WBC and WBO 140 pound world titles to reign supreme as the division’s undisputed champion.

For the duration of the year, Ramirez sulked in misery. Nonetheless, with the help of head trainer Robert Garcia, Ramirez pulled himself up by the bootstraps. To kick off his 2022 campaign, Ramirez re-entered the winners circle following a win over former multiple division titlist, Jose Pedraza.

With Ramirez regaining that winning feeling, Garcia reflects succinctly on Ramirez’s loss to Taylor while simultaneously praising his fighter’s ability to bounce back.

“Jose is very prideful. He felt embarrassed,” said Garcia during an interview with ESNEWS. “But he came back good.”

The next step for Ramirez on his climb back up the 140-pound ladder could be a world title opportunity. Although all roads to championship gold lead to Taylor, the current undisputed titlist recently revealed that he will abandon his super lightweight throne and make the trek seven pounds north where he’ll compete as a full-fledged welterweight.

Outside of a world title opportunity, Garcia is intrigued by a possible clash with former unified 135-pound champion, Teofimo Lopez. The bombastic Lopez officially ended his time at 135 pounds following his surprising split decision defeat at the hands of George Kambosos Jr. at the tail end of 2021.

In an effort to optimize his results, both Lopez and his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., have turned their attention toward the super lightweight division. With team Lopez hoping to aggregate world titles in their new home, a showdown against Ramirez could be forthcoming.

If at any point, Ramirez is given the opportunity to face Lopez, Garcia admits that he would welcome that challenge with open arms.

“I like that fight.”

Posted on 03/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Even with the sting of his first career defeat taking place over nine months ago, Jose Ramirez still remembers it like it was yesterday. Not only did the 29-year-old taste the canvas on more than one occasion against Josh Taylor during their May of 2021 super lightweight unification, he was also forced to sit back and accept that he fought a man who was simply better than him.

With Ramirez still incensed by how things ultimately played out, the former 140 pound unified champion took out his frustrations on Jose Pedraza.

In front of a mostly pro-Ramirez crowd at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California, Ramirez melted the former multiple division champion with his relentless pressure.

Once the opening bell rang, Ramirez stormed to the center of the ring and stuck his jab directly into the chest of his man. Pedraza was immediately pushed halfway across the ring but seemed unfazed by Ramirez’s opening shot.

Ramirez bobbed and weaved while stalking forward in the early goings. Once he was in range, it was bombs away. Seemingly caught off guard, Pedraza mostly shelled up and allowed the blows of his man to bounce off his gloves harmlessly.

With Ramirez coming forward for much of the round, he continued his assault in the second. Pedraza pranced around the ring while attempting to play matador to Ramirez’s bull.

Defensively, Pedraza was sharp but he simply couldn’t get his offense going throughout the first two rounds. In the third, Ramirez found Pedraza a difficult target to pin down, so instead, he focused his attack on the midsection. The former unified champion landed plenty of shots downstairs while continuing to move forward.

As the halfway point of their contest came rolling by, Ramirez slowed down just enough for Pedraza to find his rhythm. He blasted Ramirez while laying against the ropes and controlled the distance for much of the middle portions of their fight.

Despite stringing together several rounds, Ramirez turned it on during the second half of their contest. Much like the earlier rounds, Ramirez and his relentless pressure got the better of Pedraza. A hard right hand in the ninth round shook Pedraza to his very core. Moments later, his right eye began swelling.

In the tenth, Pedraza fought much more defensively. Although he refused to engage, Ramirez kept his pressure going. He pushed Pedraza back time and time again while landing thudding shots.

With Pedraza seemingly down on the judge’s scorecards heading into the 12th and final round, he came out guns blazing in the final three minutes. He blasted Ramirez against the ropes which forced him to take a step back. Still, even with Pedraza starting strong, Ramirez closed the show. He landed several unanswered shots in the final minute of their contest. Also, in the waning seconds, Ramirez tagged Pedraza with hard blows until the final seconds ticked off the clock.

In the end, Ramirez and his hometown crowd were left smiling profusely as he was handed a fairly close unanimous decision. All three judges scoring the bout viewed their contest the same, handing in identical scorecards of 116-112 in favor of Ramirez.

Posted on 05/23/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Throughout most of his young career, Jose Ramirez has shown a tremendous amount of discipline and focus. That, in turn, has allowed him to hoist two world titles at 140 pounds. Yet, when it mattered most, Ramirez was disappointed that he momentarily lost his attention to detail.

At the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada last night, Ramirez took on Josh Taylor with all of the super lightweight marbles on the line. After outworking his man during the first half of the fight, everything began falling apart for the 28-year-old as he was floored in both the seventh and eighth rounds. Both knockdowns proved to be important as Taylor eked out a close unanimous decision victory with all three judges scoring the bout 114-112.

While he may have looked hurt in the seventh, Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) explained after the fight that he was just fine. He simply chalks up the first defeat of his career to a teachable moment.

“I think I just got a little careless when it comes to the clenching,” said Ramirez to a group of reporters after the fight. “That was my mistake. I was aware. It was right after the clench and it was a short uppercut that he sneaked in there. I wanted to show that I wasn’t hurt. I wanted to try and win that round but it’s so hard to win a round after you get knocked down.”

Ramirez, 28, did in fact attempt to win back the seventh round. Although he appeared to stumble around once action resumed, he seemingly cleared his head and rocked Taylor on several occasions. Despite that, and his second-half surge, the two knockdowns were merely too much to overcome.

With the win, Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) became the unquestioned top dog of the division as he holds all four major world titles. Now, the UK native has a long list of options for his next fight. As for Ramirez, on the other hand, he isn’t quite ready to answer what he wants to do next when questioned. With the first defeat of his career still so fresh, the California resident solely wants to go home, rest up and work on his craft.

Even with both Ramirez and Taylor nearly trading blows before entering the ring, neither man has said a kind word to the other. Now, however, with their contest officially behind them, Ramirez holds no ill will towards his man. In fact, he believes the overall experience will benefit him down the road.

“These are some of the experiences I gotta go through to be more mature and to become a better fighter. I learned a lot from that fight. I tip my cap to Josh Taylor and his whole team and wish him nothing but the best.”

Posted on 05/22/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Both Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez never hid their disdain for one another. During the lead up of their undisputed super lightweight showdown, they jawed back and forth at one another and hurled verbal threats. Even with their contest just a few hours, the two were separated during the hotel lobby.

Now, with the chance to throw on the gloves and settle things in the ring, both men went at it the moment the opening bell rang.

In front of a mostly jam-packed crowd at the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ramirez got off to a fairly strong start. The normally slick Taylor attempted to stay on the outside and play matador to his opponent but consistently found himself on the wrong end of several combinations.

Seemingly pocketing the first round, Taylor would eventually settle in. The Scotland native boxed and played a more cautious game. The speed difference between the pair was obvious as Taylor hit his man on numerous occasions and glided out of the way of the incoming assault of his opponent.

In no mood to allow their showdown to turn into strictly a boxing match, Ramirez began bullying Taylor. He constantly pushed him back physically and let his hands fly. The natural strength of Ramirez appeared to be a problem for Taylor as he consistently looked in the direction of referee Kenny Bayless. With the hometown crowd completely behind him, Ramirez appeared to be pulling away.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Taylor changed the entire complexion of their contest. As Ramirez entered round six with all of the momentum behind him, he charged right in. Taylor though, knew exactly what to do, he pulled back, covered up slightly and let off a sharp right hand that saw Ramirez hit the deck. While he may have picked up a 10-8 round, Ramirez appeared to be just fine. That is, until the following round.

In what was turning into a fairly even eighth, both men began fighting on the inside. As they clinched up and attempted to break away, Taylor scored a left uppercut that saw Ramirez hit the deck again. Unlike the first knockdown where Ramirez bounced right back to his feet, the California native was visibly hurt. He spent most of the round clinching and holding as he attempted to make it to the final bell.

Not completely there mentally, Taylor took full advantage. He pushed the pace and forced Ramirez to fight much faster. While he began banking rounds, Ramirez attempted to shake off the cobwebs, something he did successfully during the tenth round.

Knowing that he was trailing on the scorecards, trainer Robert Garcia attempted to motivate his fighter by explaining the significance of picking up the win. Ramirez would respond as he landed several big shots during the final few rounds which visibly hurt Taylor.

As the final few seconds ticked off the clock, Taylor threw his hands in the air and let out a scream, believing he did enough to pick up the win, he was right.

In somewhat surprising fashion, all three judges scored the bout the exact same, 114-112 in favor of Taylor. With none of his friends and family members allowed to make the trek halfway across the world with him due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Taylor patiently waited as his trainer, and cornermen wrapped all four 140 pound belts around his waist. In the process, Taylor continued to scream and shout over becoming an undisputed world champion.

Posted on 05/22/2021

By: Hans Themistode

As of late, Teofimo Lopez spends a lot of his time hitting the speed bag, working with sparring partners and talking with his father/head trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr. The 23-year-old is set to return to the ring on June 19th, against George Kambosos Jr. to defend his undisputed lightweight crown.

Yet, despite how serious Lopez is taking him, he’s broken away from the mundane routine of camp life to enjoy a historical fight.

Later on tonight at the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, WBC/WBO super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez takes on IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine titlist Josh Taylor. As Lopez gets comfortable in his seat from ringside, he admits that his journey to Vegas isn’t all fun and games. Instead, it’s more of a business trip.

“Yes,” said Lopez during an interview with ESNews when asked if he wants to face the winner of tonight’s undisputed showdown. “That’s what it’s all about, chasing the glory and making more history. Becoming a two-time, undisputed world champion back to back.”

The list of undisputed belt holders is a short one. With that said, Lopez can enter a class of his own if he successfully moves up in weight to become an undisputed champion once again.

In October of 2020, Lopez pulled off arguably the upset of the year as he out-boxed and outmuscled former unified lightweight titlist, Vasiliy Lomachenko. Going into their bout, most observers viewed Lopez as talented but far too young to truly test the Ukrainian. Regardless of the doubts, Lopez told everyone who would listen that he had what it took to get the job done.

Now, with Ramirez playing the underdog role tonight, Lopez isn’t counting him out either. While he may have refrained from making an official pick, he did point out that Ramirez is more than capable of pulling off an upset win of his own.

“Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez have all the tools to become undisputed tonight. You have a boxer and someone who has a lot of heart and grit. I don’t think people should overlook Jose Ramirez. A lot of folks are voting for Josh Taylor because of his movement and the southpaw stance but I guess we’ll all see tonight.”

Posted on 05/22/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Robert Garcia is someone who has an excessive amount of confidence in his fighters. With that said, he also doesn’t like to sugarcoat anything.

In just a few short hours, he’ll be manning the corner of unified super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez as he takes on fellow unified titlist Josh Taylor at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In preparation for their showdown, Garcia not only pushed his young star in training camp, but he also took the time to flip on the television screen and watch some of Taylor’s recent performances to jot down a few notes. While coming up with what he believes is a bulletproof game plan, Garcia couldn’t help but notice one thing when watching the tape.

“Taylor is a great fighter,” said Garcia during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He’s a great boxer, great skills, tremendous talent, he has good speed, good combinations. It’s a real fight, Taylor has skills.”

Scotland’s Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) has grown accustomed to hearing his name attached to such praise and adulation. In addition to the 30-year-old holding the IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine titles, he also took home the World Boxing Super Series in 2019. In his most recent performance, he took care of business against fringe contender Apinun Khongsong in a matter of seconds.

For what it’s worth, oddsmakers are completely in agreement with Garcia as they have tabbed Taylor as the slight favorite heading in.

Still, despite the long-time trainer giving Taylor his props, in no way, shape or form does he believe Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) will leave the ring tonight empty-handed. With several memorable performances of his own, including a sixth-round stoppage victory over Maurice Hooker in 2019, the belief Garcia has in his unified star is through the roof.

“We know he can fight,” explained Garcia. “But I feel like at the end, the one with the bigger heart, the one with the positive mentally is going to be Jose. In the end, that’s going to bring him in the win. I feel confident that we are going to win by knockout.”

Posted on 05/22/2021

By: Hector Franco

Tomorrow night in Las Vegas, the two best fighters in the junior welterweight division will attempt to do something special.

Unified WBC and WBO champion Jose Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face off against IBF and WBA champion Josh Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) to determine the undisputed champion in the division.

Less than four years ago, Crawford became the first undisputed junior welterweight champion in the four-belt era when he knocked out Namibia’s Julius Indongo in the third round with a body shot in July 2017.

Unfortunately, even the term undisputed in the sport of boxing can be disputed.

This week, current WBA super featherweight and lightweight champion Gervonta Davis held a press conference to formally announce his move up to junior welterweight to take on Mario Barrios. That fight will be for a version of the WBA junior welterweight title.

The WBA’s insistent on having interim, regular and super champions in each division has caused the world title scene in boxing to become exponentially convoluted.

In 1983 when the International Boxing Federation (IBF) was first established, the man known as arguably the greatest junior welterweight in history, Aaron Pryor, became the inaugural IBF champion for the division in the summer of 1984.

A few years later, the WBO was established in 1988; however, that title took years to be taken more seriously. Fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera gave the WBO title prestige and eventually joined the WBC, WBA, and IBF as one of the four major titles in the sport.

Whether a belt counts or doesn’t, is often held in the context of the era.

Jamaica’s O’Neil Bell is an often forgotten undisputed champion. In 2006, he stopped Jean-Marc Mormeck in 10 rounds to win the WBA, IBF, and WBA cruiserweight titles. He was the division’s first undisputed champion since Evander Holyfield ran the division in the 1980s.

Five years earlier, Kostya Tszyu took out Zab Judah in the second round to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion. On both occasions, the WBO title wasn’t needed to determine undisputed status.

The fighters themselves can’t do much about the number of titles in the sport. All they can do is step in the ring and perform.

Luckily over the last few years, boxing has seen more fights that had all four major titles on the line in men’s and women’s boxing with Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields, and the upcoming junior middleweight clash between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano.

The sports most significant current superstar Saul Alvarez may fight for the undisputed super middleweight championship should he meet Caleb Plant this upcoming fall.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the world title scene in this era, the winner between Ramirez and Taylor will have set a legacy for themselves at junior welterweight. They will join fighters like Antonio Cervantes, Julio Cesar Chavez, Aaron Pryor, and Kostya Tszyu as the best the division has produced in its history.

The bout also has nationalistic implications as Ramirez would become Mexico’s first undisputed champion with a victory, and Taylor would become the first from Scotland.

The current betting odds as of this writing have Taylor as a -264 favorite and Ramirez as a +200 underdog.

Both men have a similar resume with Ramirez being the better-known amateur winning the gold medal at the 2010, 2011, and 2012 United States amateur championships.

As a professional, Ramirez holds wins over Maurice Hooker, Viktor Postol, Jose Zepeda, Antonio Orozco, and Amir Imam. Against Taylor, his experience won’t allow him to be intimidated.

“I’ve never been a fan of opinions of who is the best fighter out there,” Ramirez stated at the final press conference. “Sometimes people don’t understand that, especially at this level, each fight is going to be tough. I always train like I’m the underdog.

“I always train like each fight is the biggest fight of my career. I can’t afford to lose. That’s always been my mentality. I always find a way to win.”

For Taylor, his resume backs up any bravado that he exudes. He was also a successful amateur with over 150 fights winning the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth games.

Most notably, as a professional, Taylor won the World Boxing Super Series tournament in 2019, defeating the likes of Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk, and Regis Prograis in the finals.

Taylor’s ability to switch between orthodox and southpaw, utilizing his footwork while maintaining a high work rate, makes him one of the toughest matchups in the sport.

“This fight means the world to me,” said Taylor at the final press conference. “Puts my name in the history books as one of the best Scottish fighters in history. I have trained so hard for this fight. I dedicated my whole life to the sport.

“I’m so confident. This is a pure boxing fight. I’m confident I’m getting the KO on Saturday.”

The world title landscape in boxing is confusing, but this Saturday night, none of that matters. Two men who have proven to be the best in their division, undefeated and in their prime, will face off for legacy.

Boxing at its best is the greatest show on earth. Ramirez-Taylor has the potential to be boxing at the highest level, and none of the world title organizations can change that.

Posted on 05/21/2021

By: Steven Galeano

On Saturday night, from Las Vegas, Nevada, boxing fans will be treated to a sure-fire action fight when undefeated super lightweight champions Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor lock horns. In the end, the boxing world will also find out who becomes undisputed world champion, and true number one of the 140lb division. The action unfolds from the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and will be live on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET.

WBC/WBO champion Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) of Avenal, CA and WBA/IBF/RING Magazine champion Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) of Edinburgh, Scotland are so evenly matched, that a coin toss on fight week determined who would weigh-in and walk out first and second, respectively. Taylor won that coin toss, and to no one’s surprise, elected to weigh-in and walk out second. It is nothing more than a small morale booster, as both champions collide in the epitome of a true 50/50 bout between two elites.

This is nothing like in 2017, the first time a 4-belt undisputed champion was crowned at 140lbs, when Terrence Crawford easily destroyed Julius Indongo, and predictably so. Indongo even went to Crawford’s hometown for the fight, cashing out his two titles in the process.

Taylor has been widely regarded as the number one fighter at the weight, with Ramirez at two. Taylor’s unification win in Oct’ 2019 over Regis Prograis, where he also won the World Boxing Super Series, has generally been regarded as the bigger win over Ramirez’s unification win in July 2019 over Maurice Hooker. That is no issue, as both champions have since called for this undisputed match-up to prove who is undoubtedly the best.

Who wins? First off, the fans. These two undefeated champions were true to their word and are fighting at the primes of their careers, and title reigns.

My prediction? Taylor over Ramirez, close decision, either split or majority.

I believe not much separates both champions. They are both unified, undefeated and will not give up an inch when the going gets tough. This fight will become a war of attrition, and I believe Taylor will have enough tricks to outlast Ramirez. Ramirez does not receive enough respect for his boxing ability and this fight will display his entire arsenal, it just won’t be enough.

Posted on 04/20/2021

By: Hans Themistode

At the age of 28, unified super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez already has plenty of big fights under his belt. In roughly one month, he’ll add another when he takes on fellow unified titlist Josh Taylor in an undisputed contest.

Like all of his fights, Ramirez is placing all of his focus on the man standing in front of him. With that said, Ramirez is watching undisputed lightweight titlist, Teofimo Lopez, through his peripheral vision.

The audacious 23-year-old has said on numerous occasions that he fully intends on moving up in weight to take on the winner between Ramirez and Taylor. He also expects Taylor to walk away from their contest with all four world titles wrapped around his waist.

While Ramirez doesn’t have an issue with his prediction, he believes he knows why Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is siding with Taylor.

“I heard him say that he believes Taylor is going to win,” said Ramirez during an interview with FightHype.com. “But there’s a difference between what he believes and who he wants. He might have a reason why he’s saying that. He might feel that Taylor is an easier fight for him than I am.”

From the moment Lopez upset the odds and dethroned Vasiliy Lomachenko to claim every world title in the 135-pound division late last year, the Brooklyn native announced to the world that he would immediately look to become a two-time undisputed world champion. In spite of that, Lopez is also under the impression that whether Ramirez wins or loses, that he’ll ultimately move up to the welterweight division.

Admittedly, a move to 147 pounds has been on the mind of Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs). However, if Lopez continues to put words in his mouth, then the unified belt holder will elect to stick around a bit longer.

“The more he says that I’m going to move up to 147 and speak on my behalf, the more I’m going to stay at 140. I might stay at 140 just to face him. I’m not afraid of Teofimo Lopez at all man. I’ve been in this weight class almost my whole career but that Teofimo fight is starting to sound more interesting. It’s starting to really excite me.”

Posted on 08/30/2020

At the age of 36, Viktor Postol was hoping to drape gold over his shoulders once again. And for the first four rounds tonight at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, he almost did. 

Postol and unified champion Jose Ramirez met in the main event which was canceled on two other occasions. The time on the sidelines seemed to help the older Postol from the offset as he thoroughly out boxed his man. 

Like older fighters however, Postol found the pace of his younger man to be too much to keep up with. As Ramirez ate jab after jab, he slowly chipped away with body shots and constant pressure. Things finally paid off during the fifth round as Ramirez found a ton of success. 

The once wide canvas of the ring began to shrank as Ramirez began cornering him. From there, he would let off combinations before Postol would eventually find an exit. 

The one time belt holder attempted one final push during the championship rounds, but Ramirez had an answer for everything that was thrown his way. 

It wasn’t as easy as many pegged it to be, but in the end, Ramirez walked away with the unanimous decision victory. 

Posted on 08/29/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Both Jose Ramirez and Viktor Postol waited, waited, waited and waited some more. 

But with various delays due to the world pandemic, a contest between the two felt improbable. Despite that, they’ll finally have their long awaited matchup go down later tonight at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

For Ramirez, a bout with Postol follows the perpetual list of top fighters he has faced over the years. The momentum that he built from wins over the likes of Amir Imam, Jose Zepeda and most recently, Maurice Hooker, has him knocking on the door of most pound for pound lists. 

Unlike most fighters who took the COVID-19 induced hiatus to gain a few pounds, Ramirez was hard at work sharpening his tools.

“I stayed at the gym,” said Ramirez on a recent Top Rank press release. “I remained composed and patient. I’m a man of faith. I believe everything happens for a reason, and now that I’m here, I can’t wait to showcase my talent. I’m ready to go and continue my journey to become undisputed champion. I know Viktor Postol stands in the way of that, and he is a very experienced fighter. I have been training very, very hard for this fight.”

Ramirez, 28 and Postol, 36, appear to be on the opposite end of the career rollercoaster at the moment. The current unified champion is steadily building his name in boxing circles as he prepares for big time clashes against fellow champions in Josh Taylor and Terence Crawford. 

Postol on the other hand, appears to be on a fast track to nowhere. Since his title win against Lucas Matthysse in 2015, Postol has come up woefully short in the two biggest matchups of his career against Crawford and Taylor. 

But with his name possibly unassociated with the top of the division following a loss later tonight, Postol has pushed his 36 year old legs to the limit during his training camp. 

“Jose is a good fighter,” said Postol. “He is a good champion, but I know I have a good chance to win this fight. I have the motivation because this fight is for two belts. I’ll be ready.”

The action kicks off at 9 PM eastern time on ESPN.

Posted on 08/07/2020

By: Hans Themistode

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. 

In the case of unified Jr welterweight champion Jose Ramirez and his mandatory challenger Viktor Postol, that is exactly what they have done. 

With COVID-19 causing delays and cancelations throughout the boxing landscape, no two boxers have suffered more. In February of this year, Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) was set to take on Postol in China. That of course, was the beginning of the global pandemic and their contest, subsequently, was one of the first major events forced to hit the sidelines. After waiting three months, all systems seemed to be a go for the two men to settle their differences on May 9th, in Fresno California. 

However, the virus would throw yet another monkey wrench into the equation which forced another postponement. Now, with Ramirez’s promotional company in Top Rank developing safety protocols, both Ramirez and Postol are now scheduled to meet on August 29th, from the safety of the “Bubble” at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The constant red and green lights for their upcoming contest seems to have no effects on Ramirez. He isn’t acrimonious towards the situation and just wants to get fight night going. 

“I’m excited to finally be back,” said Ramirez during a recent interview. “It’s always an honor stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and defending my belts. “God knows that my goal is to become the undisputed champion. This gets me one step closer to my goal.”

At the age of 36, title opportunities aren’t knocking at the door of the former champion. The Ukrainian born contender has gone four years since his last championship match. Although it was the biggest contest of his career, it’s a night that Postol would rather not remember. 

On July 23rd, Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) found himself sharing the ring with pound for pound star Terence Crawford in a unification contest. Many believed that their matchup would be competitive, yet Crawford squashed that notion with a one sided performance. Since then, Postol has gotten his hand raised in victory in three of his past four matches. His lone defeat would come at the hands of another unified champion in Josh Taylor.

The ups and downs that have been associated with his career, coupled with the uncertainty of whether or not his contest against Ramirez would actually take place, has left Postol hungrier then ever.

“I’m just looking forward to fighting. I’m coming to win those world titles. I have been training since this fight was first announced, so I’m focused and ready to go.”