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Undefeated Super Flyweight Champion John Ramirez vs.
Ronal Batista WBA Eliminator Fight On Oct. 7
Ten months after accepting a World Boxing Association (WBA)
offer to fight in a title eliminator, electrifying super
flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 9 KOs)
will finally get his opportunity October 7th in Las Vegas
against Panamanian boxer Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs).
The winner of the 12-round fight between No. 2-rated Ramirez
and No. 7 Batista will become the No. 1, mandatory
challenger for new WBA Super Flyweight World Champion Kazuto
Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs), of Japan, who dethroned defending
world champion Joshua Franco this past June by scores of
116-112 twice and 115-113.
Ramirez vs. Batista will be fighting in the co-featured
event on a Golden Boy-promoted card to be headlined by his
friend and mentor, former world super middleweight champion
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), who takes on former
world light heavyweight title holder Joe “The Common Man”
Smith, Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs).
All the action will be streamed live on DAZN from The
Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan.
Ramirez was initially matched against then No. 3 rated
Sirichai Thaiyen (64-4, 42 KOs), of Thailand, who has since
dropped to No. 8 in the WBA rankings.
The 26-year-old Ramirez, fighting out of the mean streets of
South-Central Los Angeles, has had his patience rewarded,
and the entertaining fighter of Belizean and Honduran
descent vows to take full advantage of this long overdue
opportunity.
“It feels like I’m getting closer to my destination (to be
world champion),” Ramirez said about the delay in his title
elimination fight. “I didn’t have to fight my last two
fights (he could have waited for the eliminator), but I
risked it all. I’m in a good position (WBA #2) and would
have lost my position if I had lost either of those fights.
We went with it and now I’m going to take advantage of this
opportunity.
“This will be my first time fighting in Las Vegas. I call it
my destiny, The last time I was there, I watched David
Benevidez fight (Caleb) Plant. It (Las Vegas’ boxing
atmosphere) was inspiring. I still have a chip on my
shoulder, because people don’t know who I am, and I’m not
getting respect.”
In his most recent fight this past May, the 26-year-old
Batista dropped down one weight class, unsuccessfully
challenging World Boxing Council (WBA) Flyweight Champion
Julio Cesar Martinez (19-2), who registered an 11th round
technical knockout victory. Batista’s most notable victory
to date is a ninth-round TKO of Antonio Guzman in 2018 for
the International Boxing Association (IBA) Super Flyweight
World title.
In addition to fighting in Las Vegas for his first time,
“Scrappy” will also be in his first scheduled 12-round bout,
in addition to fighting on the same card as “Zurdo” Ramirez.
“It’s a 12, we’re big boys,” Ramirez emphasized,” and I’m
back together with ‘Zurdo’ on the same card. It’s an honor
to share the ring with him again and I’m going to do the
best I can do. I’m more comfortable now. We have the same
competitive spirit and even though he’s in the main event,
in a positive way, it’ll make me try to do better than him
on October 7th.
“I’m not planning for this fight to go 12 rounds. My last
two fights were decisions, but I’m looking for a
knockout….I’m going to destroy this kid!”
“Scrappy” Ramirez is working with 3 Point Management (3 PM),
a growing company based in Los Angeles that has a growing
stable of gifted boxers including “Zurdo” Ramirez, light
heavyweights Kareem Hackett (11-0, 6 KOs) and Darius “DFG “
Fulghum (6-0, 6 KOs), super middleweight Cem “Champ” Kilic
(17-1, 11 KOs), and heavyweight Zach Spiller (3-0, 2 KOs).
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