Title Implications Just Made Jose Ramirez v Jose Pedraza More Interesting
In boxing, things change at such a rapid pace it is hard to keep up sometimes. The recent news of undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor moving up opens a huge door of opportunity for former unified champion Jose Ramirez (26-1, 17 KO’s) and “Sniper” Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KO’s).
On March 4, Ramirez and Pedraza will do battle in the ring for the vacant WBO International title. However, they could be fighting for a lot more as the possibility of a championship hangs in the balance. The WBO could now change this to an interim title fight at the last minute. Besides the traditional Mexican versus Puerto Rican rivalry, more spice has been added to the gumbo.
Taylor has not officially released the titles. Yet, he has indicated on social media that his days are numbered and the welterweight division is what’s next. This is excellent news for Ramirez and Pedraza; their fight has gotten bumped up to high priority as a must-watch for boxing fans.
PATH TO THE TITLE
The Puerto Rican Pedraza is a two-division champion. He challenged Vasyl Lomachenko for the unified lightweight titles back in 2018. Sniper, competing in a third division, is ranked #5 by the WBO, putting him within an eyeshot of the title.
Ramirez wants to get back the titles he lost to Taylor in 2021. The former champion has two good paths to the championship, with a high #2 ranking by the WBC and #6 by the WBO.
The winner could find themselves either being elevated to full champion status or fighting for the championship in the next fight. Fans should expect the two former champions to come out fighting as if a belt is on the line.
All the eyes of the boxing community will be tuned in and ready to catch all the action on ESPN+ from the Save Mart Center in California, on March 4.
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By: Garrisson Bland
