In a match that could well have world title implications, Jose Carlos Ramirez makes his return after defeat last time out to face Jose Pedraza over twelve rounds at Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California.
The event will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK, and ESPN+ in the USA.
The winner could well be in line to fight for the WBC super lightweight title, with current champion Josh Taylor likely to vacate. Jose Zepeda is the current number one with the organisation, so the vacant belt could well be up for grabs soon enough. Both men have faced Zepeda before, with Ramirez taking a majority decision win in February 2019, and Pedraza being handily outscored over ten in September of the same year.
Ramirez (26-1, KO17) also has history with Taylor, with his last fight against the Scot, and the Californian came up short when trying to add Taylor’s WBA (Super) and IBF titles to his WBC and WBO belts in May last year. Ramirez was floored twice in the contest, and that proved costly, as he lost by two points on all three cards.
To get back into title contention, Ramirez must get past the vastly experienced Pedraza (29-3, KO14). The 32-year-old Puerto Rican has been a world champion at super featherweight and lightweight, but lost his belts to excellent opposition in Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko. After defeat to Zepeda, Pedraza has won three on the spin, with points wins over Mikkel LesPierre and Javier Molina followed by an eight round retirement win over the previously unbeaten Julian Rodriguez in June 2021.
Prediction: Ramirez will have learned a lot in defeat to Taylor, and Pedraza is an ideal comeback opponent. The visitor is a tough nut to crack though, and Ramirez is likely to need the distance to see him off in what should be a wide enough win on the scorecards.
A featherweight ten rounder provides chief support, and perennial contenders Joet Gonzalez (24-2, KO14) and Jeo Santisima (21-3, KO18). Gonzalez has failed twice to win the WBO featherweight title, losing widely on the cards to Shakur Stevenson in October 2019, and in his last fight he was outscored by Emanuel Navarrete in October last year. Santisima also has history with Navarrete, having been stopped by the Mexican in eleven rounds in February 2020. The Filipino has won twice in his homeland since, the last a first round stoppage of Alan Alberca in July last year.
Prediction: Gonzalez is the fresher of the pair, and can take a clear win over the ten round distance.
Gabriel Flores Jr (20-1, KO7) returns from defeat in his last fight, a wide ten round points loss to Luis Alberto Lopez, and he comes back up at lightweight against Mexico’s Abraham Montoya (20-2-1, KO14).
Prediction: Montoya is durable, so Flores may need the full distance to get the win.
Hector Tanajara (19-1, KO5) suffered his first defeat last time out, a sixth round retirement loss to William Zepeda Segura, and the Texan returns in a lightweight eight rounder against Miguel Contreras (11-1, KO6), a Californian coming off a second round knockout loss to Starling Castillo.
Prediction: Tanajara can win on the cards.
