Jose Ramirez wants to make statement against Richard Commey on Saturday

By Boxing News - 03/23/2023 - Comments

By Allan Fox: Former light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez hopes to make a “statement” in this important 12-round fight against former lightweight champion Richard Commey this Saturday night on March 25th in their headliner on a Top Rank-promoted show at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The card will be shown li live on ESPN & ESPN+ beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 pm. ET.

Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) made a questionable career move by turning down a title shot against WBC 140-lb champion Regis Prograis because the money wasn’t to his liking, only to take the lesser fight against Commey (30-4-1, 27 KOs) with no titles on the line, going up against a guy that is seemingly on a steep downside of his career.

It’s hard for fans not to see Ramirez’s rejection of a fight against Prograis as not a duck move on his part.

People don’t understand how Ramirez could turn down a fight against Prograis that would have put him back at the top of the division to take on the 36-year-old Commey, who has a 1-2-1 record in his last four fights.

In the chief support bout this Saturday night, female WBA minimumweight champion Seniesa Estrada (23-0, 9 KOs) fights WBC champion Tina Rupprecht (12-0-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled 10 round fight.

Ramirez wants to make a statement against Commey

“All of a sudden after one loss, people started to walk away from that,” said Ramirez. “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.”

“People think I take a lot of punishment, but besides the fight with [Josh] Taylor, I have never been hurt. I’ve never taken punishment,” said Ramirez to Fighthype.

“I’ve taken a punch here and there, but I’ve always been very agile so a lot of those punches are glancing over me. They’re not landing solid. When someone lands a punch, people’s excitement make it seem bigger than what it is.

“Since the pandemic, I haven’t been very active, and I think that’s what’s hurt me the most. After Hooker, people thought I was at the top of the world at 140. I think I need to show more activity so people can see where I’m at. I need to show people where I’m at rather than the speculation.

“In his fight with Pedraza, there was a lot of action. He threw a lot of punches,” said Ramirez about Commey. “Pedraza moves a lot. In his fight against Lomachenko at 135, we don’t know where Commey was mentally in making the 135-lb limit.

“I can’t go off those fights because there are days where we don’t have our best performances, and then there are days that we’re like machines,” said Ramirez about Commey.

“I’m just excited to get back in the ring and show what I can do myself and show people what I can bring to the table. The goal for me is to show that I’m on a different level.  I hope to make a statement with this fight.”

Jose wants world title shot next

“That’s my goal for the fight not to go the distance,” said Ramirez. “That is the target for me,” said Ramirez about wanting to fight the winner of the Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo Lopez fight. “Besides the fact that it’s an in-house [Top Rank] fight, it’ll feel good to get back in the ring with Taylor to get that revenge for sure.

“Who knows? Maybe Top Rank will work with PBC and get some of the other guys too. The goal is to stay active, and that’s what I want to do. My goal after this fight is to go after them all.

“Against [Subriel] Matias would be a great fight. If I was to beat Matias, because he comes forward and takes a lot of punishment when he stands there like this.

“If I was to beat Matis in a fashion where people would say, ‘Wow, I didn’t think he would do that.’ Even with that one belt [IBF], all of a sudden, it would make me the boogeyman again in the division. Those fights would motivate me,” said Ramirez.

“I’m always excited to get back in the ring. This is what I do. It’s going to be an interesting fight,” said Commey. “I really want to become a two-time world champion, so I’m coming strong this Saturday.”

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