FIGHT WEEK
Roman Gonzalez should have his hands full with Julio Cesar Martinez on Saturday. On Friday, Jose Ramirez returns against Jose Pedraza.
Jose Ramirez (KOs) vs. Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs)
- When: Friday, March 4
- Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
- Where: Save Mart Arena, Fresno, California
- TV/Stream: ESPN+
- Division: Junior welterweight
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: No major titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Ramirez 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Joet Gonzalez vs. Jeo Santisima, featherweights; Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Abraham Montoya, junior lightweights
- Prediction: Ramirez UD
- Background: Ramirez lost his two 140-pound titles and the considerable momentum he had built when he lost a close, but unanimous decision against Josh Taylor in May of last year, his most-recent fight. All three judges scored it 114-112, meaning the fight would’ve been a draw had Ramirez not gone down twice. Ramirez said afterward that he learned a great deal in the setback and that it revived his hunger to succeed. The resident of California’s agriculture-rich San Joaquin Valley will be fighting in front of his hometown fans. He didn’t select a pushover as his comeback opponent. Pedraza, a slick former two-division titleholder, is going strong at 32. The Puerto Rican has won three consecutive fights since losing two of three (to Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jose Zepeda) in 2018 and 2019. He last fought in June of last year, when he dominated and then stopped previously unbeaten Julian Rodriguez in eight rounds. His only other loss was a seventh-round knockout against Gervonta Davis in 2017. This will be Pedraza’s 14th consecutive fight in the U.S.
Roman Gonzalez 50-3 (41 KOs) vs. Junior Cesar Martinez (18-1, 14 KOs)
- When: Saturday, March 5
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5: 30 p.m. PT
- Where: Pechanga Arena San Diego
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Junior bantamweight (115 pounds)
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: No major titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: None
- Odds: Gonzalez 1½-1 favorite
- Also on the card: Mauricio Lara vs. Emilio Sanchez, featherweights; Angel Fierro vs. Juan Carlos Burgos, lightweights
- Prediction: Gonzalez KO 9
- Background: Gonzalez was scheduled to face two-belt champion Juan Francisco Estrada in the rubber match of a trilogy but Estrada pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19. Martinez, a flyweight titleholder, immediately agreed to step in. Gonzalez, a former four-division titleholder, has written a remarkable comeback story. Many wrote off the Nicaraguan when he lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the second by knockout at 30, in 2017. However, he bounced back to win three consecutive fights – including a title-winning KO of Khalid Yafai – and some believe he was robbed when he lost a close decision to Estrada in a classic brawl a year ago. The future Hall of Famer seems to be near his best at 34. Martinez is the toughest late replacement you’ll ever see. The Mexican won his 112-pound title by stopping Cristofer Rosales in nine rounds in December 2019 and has successfully defended three times, not including a no-contest against McWilliams Arroyo this past November. Arroyo had to quit because of a deep cut. Martinez will be moving up in weight but should feel comfortable. The hard-charging boxer-puncher has weighed more than 112 in 12 of his 19 fights.