Tag: Jose Ramriez

Josh Taylor vs. Apinun Khongsong set for Sept. 26 in London

Josh Taylor will defend his junior welterweight belts against No. 1 contender Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 at the BT Sport Studio in London.

Josh Taylor will be back in the ring in about a month, it has been formally announced.

The junior welterweight titleholder will defend his belts against No. 1 contender Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 at the BT Sport Studio in London. The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a majority decision over Regis Prograis that unified two titles last October in London.

Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) is a 24-year-old who has fought only once outside his native Thailand, when he stopped one-time world title challenger Akihiro Kondo in February of last year in Tokyo.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring after a long layoff,” Taylor said. “The coronavirus had put everything on hold for a few months, so it’s been nice to be in the gym again and back to some normality.

“I didn’t want a warm-up fight, so getting straight back in there against my mandatory challenger is great, as it’s kept me fully focused. I want big fights in my career, so this is an important fight with my belts on the line.”

“Training has been going well and I’m feeling fit and strong. I’ve watched a fair bit of my opponent and I’ve seen his strengths and weaknesses, and I’m very confident going into this fight. I can’t wait.”

Taylor will be fighting for the first time since signing with co-promoter Top Rank, which also promotes Jose Ramirez. Ramirez, who holds the other two major 140-pound titles, defends against Viktor Postol on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=8391,7899,7337]

Josh Taylor vs. Apinun Khongsong set for Sept. 26 in London

Josh Taylor will defend his junior welterweight belts against No. 1 contender Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 at the BT Sport Studio in London.

Josh Taylor will be back in the ring in about a month, it has been formally announced.

The junior welterweight titleholder will defend his belts against No. 1 contender Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 at the BT Sport Studio in London. The fight will be streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a majority decision over Regis Prograis that unified two titles last October in London.

Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) is a 24-year-old who has fought only once outside his native Thailand, when he stopped one-time world title challenger Akihiro Kondo in February of last year in Tokyo.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring after a long layoff,” Taylor said. “The coronavirus had put everything on hold for a few months, so it’s been nice to be in the gym again and back to some normality.

“I didn’t want a warm-up fight, so getting straight back in there against my mandatory challenger is great, as it’s kept me fully focused. I want big fights in my career, so this is an important fight with my belts on the line.”

“Training has been going well and I’m feeling fit and strong. I’ve watched a fair bit of my opponent and I’ve seen his strengths and weaknesses, and I’m very confident going into this fight. I can’t wait.”

Taylor will be fighting for the first time since signing with co-promoter Top Rank, which also promotes Jose Ramirez. Ramirez, who holds the other two major 140-pound titles, defends against Viktor Postol on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=8391,7899,7337]

Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol formally set for Aug. 29

Jose Ramirez will defend his junior welterweight titles against Viktor Postol on Aug. 29 in the bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol. Finally.

Ramirez will defend his junior welterweight titles against Postol on Aug. 29 in the bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it was formally announced Thursday. The card will be streamed on ESPN+.

The fight was set for February 2 in China and then again on May 9 in Fresno, Ramirez’s hometown, but it gave way to COVID-19 each time.

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) won the title by easily outpointing Amir Imam in March 2018 and has successfully defend three times, becoming one of the hotter young boxers. He’s coming off a sensational sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Maurice Hooker in July of last year.

Ramirez holds two 140-pound titles. Josh Taylor has the other two. That’s a fight waiting to happen.

“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 (31-2, 12 KOs) stopped Lucas Matthysse in 2015 to win a junior welterweight title but lost it by a wide decision to Terence Crawford in his next fight.

The U.S.-based Ukrainian is 3-1 since, losing to Taylor in June 2018.

“I’m just looking forward to fighting,” Postol said. “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.”

In the co-feature, unbeaten junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza (23-0, 10 KOs) of South El Monte, Calif., will face Canadian veteran Tony Luis (29-3, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Barboza is coming off three knockouts in three fights in 2019. Luis hasn’t lost a fight since he was narrowly outpointed by Derry Mathews in 2015.

“Tony Luis is as tough as they come,” Barboza said. “He won’t lay down for me. He sees this as a big opportunity, and I can’t let him take it. 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.”

The live stream begins at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.  Ramirez and Postol are expected to enter the ring around 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

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Jose Ramirez donates supplies to help farm workers cope with COVID-19

Junior welterweight titleholder Jose Ramirez has donated supplies to help central Califonia farm workers cope with the coronavirus threat.

If Jose Ramirez wasn’t a hero to farm workers in central California, he is now.

The junior welterweight titleholder, from the town of Avenal, has used his own resources to distribute supplies intended to bolster the immune systems of those who work in the fields during the coronavirus pandemic, Ramirez wrote on Instagram.

Ramirez wrote: “My team along with the @bautistafoundation have taken the step to help our Farm Workers during these times. They continue to work as they feed the world. We have started with a 1,000 boxes that include household essentials, vitamins, and masks for them and their family.

“If you would like to participate and be a part of this movement, we can reach a goal of 5,000 boxes. We have a go fund me account that will be linked in my bio. Let’s help feed those who feed us! Thank you in advance.”

He added during a video interview with TMZ: “We’re starting off with about a thousand boxes that include vitamins, food products, disinfectant supplies, cleaning supplies. The main thing is to boost their immune system.

“Those boxes are going to farm workers, people who continue working in the fields. As you know, they feed the world. People here in central California, they do 58 percent of all the produce we eat nationally. … I worked in the fields right next to them. They’re my neighbors.”

Ramirez’s title defense against Viktor Postol has been postpone twice, the second time indefinitely, because of the coronavirus threat.