John Ramirez Looking to Strike Gold Against Kazuto Ioka in 2024
Junior bantamweight world-ranked contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (13-0, 9 KOs) believes 2024 is the year he elevates to boxing’s big stage. On the cusp of a world title shot, he is itching to fight the reigning WBA junior bantamweight champion Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs).
BRING ON THE CHAMPION
On December 31, 2023, Ioka successfully defended the WBA belt with a dominant knockout over Josber Ortega in Tokyo, Japan. After witnessing the fight, Ramirez went to social media and posted the following message to Ioka:
For avid followers of boxing’s lower-weight divisions, Scrappy has gained a reputation for being quite the trash-talker. Despite being a braggart, he’s backed up his verbal boast with performances in the ring. It was evident in his most recent outing, a fourth-round destruction of former world title challenger Ronal Batista in October 2023.
The 27-year-old from Los Angeles, California has a flashy, entertaining style. But Ramirez is also an excellent inside fighter, with a solid left jab and punching power in both hands. He will need all those attributes to defeat the WBA champion, one of boxing’s most seasoned, complete, and accomplished fighters.
Ioka wants a unification showdown with WBC champion Juan Francisco Estrada. But Ramirez is currently ranked number one at 115 by the WBA. According to sanctioning body obligations, Ramirez is first in line to be the next title defense for Ioka. Ramirez hopes that turns out to be the case. He wants his shot at Ioka; the sooner, the better.
