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Jose Ramirez vs. Jose Pedraza
Final Press Conference
Jose Ramirez and Jose Pedraza understand the stakes. The
junior welterweights know that the winner of Friday night's
12-round main event at Fresno's Save Mart Center will likely
receive a world title shot next. Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) is a
former unified world champion seeking to return to the
division's apex. The journey back begins in the venue where
he routinely packs crowds of more than 12,000 fans. Ramirez
hails from the farming community of Avenal, about an hour's
drive from Fresno.
Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, is a
two-weight world champion with hopes of conquering a third
weight class. He has won three straight bouts since losing a
decision in his junior welterweight debut to Jose Zepeda.
The entire Ramirez-Pedraza card will stream and exclusively
on ESPN+ starting at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT.
Ramirez vs. Pedraza headlines a stacked card that includes
featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez (24-2, 14 KOs) against
Jeo Santisima (21-3, 18 KOs) in a 10-rounder, the six-round
heavyweight professional debut of U.S. Olympic silver
medalist Richard Torrez Jr. versus Allen Melson (6-3, 3
KOs), Gabriel Flores Jr. (20-1, 7 KOs) coming back in a
10-round junior lightweight matchup against Abraham Montoya
(20-2-1, 14 KOs), and rising junior lightweight Karlos
Balderas (11-1, 10 KOs) in a six-rounder versus Aelio
Mesquita (20-6-1, 18 KOs)
This is what the fighters had to say at Wednesday's press
conference.
Jose Ramirez
"My goal is to stay at the highest level of competition. My
goal is to become a world champion again. You have to fight
the best to be ready for those fights. I don't want any easy
fights. I don't want to be fighting fights that are going to
be tuneup fights."
"That’s the only thing I've been thinking about throughout
the whole training camp, pushing myself to learn from my
mistakes and to become a world champion again. I feel
hungry. I feel like the Jose Ramirez that got his
opportunity in 2018 and became world champion for the first
time. I just want it back. I want to go out there and
perform my best and to showcase my talent in front of all
the fans. It means a lot. I'm looking forward to it.”
“I think every fighter can relate to this. After a great
loss, we get to see who stays and who left, and it shows
that after taking that first loss you actually get a better
team together because those that left were probably not
helping you at all. So those that stay with you are the ones
showing loyalty and believing in you.”
"I was able to train with no pressure. I was able to train
and be myself. 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. I feel like that's a fight that I
lost. I don't believe he beat me because he's the better
fighter. That fight I lost because I wasn't at my best,
mentally and physically. I learned to accept it, and I want
to earn the shot at the titles with my actions. I hope to
show the best of my abilities on Friday."
“For me to just kind of open up the door for these fighters
is quite an honor, and I’m grateful yet humble to be here
and continue fighting at this level.”
Jose Pedraza
“I definitely recovered a hundred percent {from COVID}. If
that wasn’t the case you wouldn’t be seeing me facing Jose
Ramirez in this great fight.”
“It would mean a lot becoming champion for a third time. It
would put my name along with the legends of Puerto Rico, and
it would mean lot for the island, too.”
On fighting in enemy territory
“I'm used to it by now. These are things that happen in
boxing. I only believe in the hard work and the training
that I did and in my ability.”
Joet Gonzalez
“There's definitely another title shot {in my future}. I
work hard, and I see myself as one of the {top
featherweights}. I fought Navarrete. I fought Stevenson. Top
fighters. They're not just no regular champions.
"I put on a great performance in my last fight, came up a
little short. I'm ready to get back in there against the
best."
Jeo Santisima
"This is a great opportunity for me to fight on a Top Rank
card against a fighter like Joet Gonzalez."
"It was a big opportunity to fight Navarrete {for the WBO
junior featherweight title in February 2020} the last time
and big respect to Navarrete for that fight.”
Richard Torrez Jr.
“I can't wait for my town and my community. They've been so
behind me from the Olympics and going forward. I really
can't wait to show them what I got.”
“I feel like not only kicking down all the doors necessary
for me to be here today.... Jose Ramirez, you showed me not
only how to be a boxer, but to be a role model.
"That’s who I want to be like, too. You're a legend in these
parts and I just want to say thank you for that, for kicking
down these doors.”
“I’m ready. I want to show the world that I’m ready. I want
to show the world what Richard Torrez has to offer.”
Gabriel Flores Jr.
“I'm excited for Friday night to just be me. Go in there and
be myself, as funny as it may sound. I’m excited to be me
but to be a hundred percent in there and to do the game
plan, do what I'm best at.”
“I can go through anything. My back against the wall, I
still fight. At the end of the day, that’s who I am, a
fighter.”
Karlos Balderas
“When I took that loss in 2019, a lot of people pushed me to
the side or brushed me under the rug because they knew the
type of the talent I had, the type of fighter I am. They
knew that the king was coming.”
“2022 is my year to go up. It's my year to become a title
contender.”
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