Jose Ramirez was one of the hottest fighters in the world in 2021.
He knocked out Maurice Hooker to become a unified 140-pound champion in 2019 and followed with a decision over Viktor Postol in 2020, which set up a showdown with Josh Taylor for all four major belts the following year.
A victory would’ve made him one of the biggest stars in the sport. Alas, he went down twice and lost a close decision, which cost him his belts and a lot of respect.
He rebounded by outpointing Jose Pedraza in March of last year but he’s still rebuilding his reputation going into his fight with Richard Commey (30-4-1, 27 KOs) on Saturday in Fresno, California (ESPN, ESPN+).
He said we’re going to see him at his best against the former 135-pound titleholder from Ghana.
“I’ve experienced being at the top with people praising me and me being ranked at No. 1,” he said. “Then I became unified world champion when I beat Maurice Hooker. Then, all of a sudden, after one loss, people started to walk away from that.
“But I’m just blessed that I have a beautiful family, a beautiful team, and a wonderful promotional company. That’s all I need. So, I found myself, and I realized who I am.
“I feel like I’m ready to show that lion that we all saw before I started getting distracted with some of the stuff that comes with being at the top. Now it’s time for me to work.”
Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) failed to mention a key element of his support system: His fans.
He grew up in Avenal, not far from Fresno in California’s Central Valley. That means that Save Mart Arena will be packed with supporters screaming encouragement, which can give a hometown fighter a boost.
This will be the 2012 U.S. Olympian’s seventh fight at the venue.
“It’s always an honor for me to fight here in Fresno in front of the people who saw me grow up as a fighter,” he said. “I hope to go out there on Saturday to showcase my talent in front of the people who love me the most.”
We’ll see how much he’s loved by the critics after the fight.
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