| |
|
|
Jose Ramirez To Defend Junior Welterweight World Titles
Against Viktor Postol Aug. 29
Ramirez-Postol, Take 3! The long-awaited showdown between
WBC/WBO junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez and
former world champion and WBC mandatory challenger Viktor
“The Iceman” Postol will take place at the MGM Grand
Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 29.
Ramirez and Postol were set to fight February 2 in China and
May 9 in Fresno, Calif., but due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
both were subsequently canceled. This time, they will enter
the "Bubble.
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, unbeaten
contender Arnold Barboza Jr., from South El Monte, Calif.,
will fight Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in his
toughest test to date. Ramirez-Postol and Barboza-Luis will
stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m ET, with undercard
action to stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET.
“Jose has stayed in the gym with his great trainer, Robert
Garcia, throughout the pandemic,” said Top Rank chairman Bob
Arum. “I have no doubt we will see the best version of Jose
Ramirez, a wonderful young man and one of the world’s best
fighters. He will need to be on his game because Postol is a
worthy contender who has proven himself at the world-class
level.”
Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) enters the fight coming off a
career-high 13-month layoff. Last July, he knocked out
Maurice Hooker to unify the WBC and WBO titles and stake his
claim as the world’s best 140-pounder. Since winning the
vacant WBC title against Amir Imam in March 2018, Ramirez
defeated the previously undefeated Antonio Orozco, top
contender Jose Zepeda and Hooker. The Orozco and Zepeda
title defenses took place in front of more than 10,000 fans
at Fresno’s Save Mart Center, a short drive from his
hometown of Avenal.
During the early stages of the pandemic, Ramirez teamed up
with Central Valley community leaders to assist the region’s
agricultural workers. With Ramirez leading the way, they
donated essential supplies and more than 1,000 wellness
boxes, which included N95 masks, paper towels, toilet paper,
rice, masa, beans and hand sanitizer. Ramirez now turns his
focus to Postol (31-2, 12 KOs), a former WBC world champion
whose only two losses have come against current IBF/WBA
junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and pound-for-pound
king Terence Crawford. Postol has won two bouts since the
Taylor defeat, most recently topping Mohamed Mimoune via
decision last April in Las Vegas.
"I’m excited to finally be back. It’s always an honor
stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and
defending my belts,” Ramirez said. “God knows that my goal
is to become the undisputed champion, and this gets me one
step closer to my goal."
Postol said, “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.”
Barboza Jr. (23-0, 10 KOs) makes his 2020 debut following a
2019 campaign that saw him climb the world rankings with
three statement-making wins. He knocked out former world
champion Mike Alvarado on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony
Crolla undercard at Staples Center, stopped veteran Ricky
Sismundo in four rounds at Banc of California Stadium, and
scored a body shot knockout over William Silva last November
in Las Vegas. Barboza is currently ranked eighth by the WBC
and 10th by the WBO at 140 pounds.
“Tony Luis is as tough as they come. He won't lay down for
me. He sees this as a big opportunity, and I can’t let him
take it,” Barboza said. “To be honest, the whole no fans
thing, I’m more curious than anything. I’ve fought in front
of limited fans deep on undercards before. Once you’re in
the ring, there’s no difference. I am happy to be part of
this ‘Bubble’ experience because it will go down in
history.”
Luis (29-3, 10 KOs), from Cornwall, Canada, is a volume
puncher with a knack for upsetting undefeated fighters.
Since 2014, he has taken the ‘0’ from three then-unbeaten
prospects, including a nationally televised decision over
Karl Dargan in January 2015. Luis has won 10 consecutive
fights since an April 2015 decision loss to Derry Matthews
for an interim lightweight world title in Matthews’ hometown
of Liverpool, England.
Luis said, "I want to thank Top Rank and my promoter, Liveco
Boxing, for this amazing opportunity. I'm proud of myself
for not giving up throughout all the uncertainty over the
past several months. I knew this pandemic would be a test of
character, and I forced myself to stay dedicated, knowing
that if an opportunity arose, I'd be ready to strike. I have
not lost in over five years, I'm in the best shape in my
life, and I feel that Arnold Barboza Jr. is the perfect
opponent to showcase my skills and take my career to the
next level. Everyone dreams of fighting in Las Vegas. On
August 29, my dream will come true, and I plan to make the
most of this opportunity. For a small-town kid, we proved a
lot of people wrong. Let's get it on."
|
|
|
