By Keith Idec

Jose Ramirez drew his biggest crowd to date Friday night in Fresno, California.

Though thankful for his large, loyal fan base in central California, Ramirez is more than willing to travel overseas if it means he’ll get a title shot in 2017. The developing 140-pound contender, who beat the Bronx’s Issouf Kinda (18-4, 7 KOs) by sixth-round technical knockout Friday night at Fresno State University’s Save Mart Center, feels he is ready for a title shot and wants to fight WBA world super lightweight champion Ricky Burns.

The 24-year-old Ramirez (19-0, 14 KOs), a 2012 American Olympian who has developed a huge regional following, isn’t intimidated by the thought of fighting the 33-year-old Burns in his native Scotland, where Burns often fights. With 19 professional fights on his record, the Avenal, California, native, who’s trained by Freddie Roach, is certain he is ready for his first title fight.

“He’s a definitely a fighter who feels comfortable fighting in his country,” Ramirez told BoxingScene.com about Burns. “And that’s something that I look forward to doing. I just wanna make sure I get that opportunity. Whatever I need to do to make it happen, we’ll make it happen.

“If we find a way to catch his attention, where the deal is right to fight him in a big co-main event, for a world title, maybe with a big fighter like Manny Pacquiao as the main event, with me being the co-main event on the card, fighting for a world title, that’s also possibility if the deal’s right for Ricky Burns. I’m open to those opportunities.”

Burns (41-5-1, 14 KOs) most recently defended his WBA 140-pound crown October 7 in Glasgow. The former super featherweight and lightweight champion beat Belarus’ Kiryl Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) by unanimous decision that day by the scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112.

Ramirez, who’s promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., would need to crack the top 15 in the WBA’s 140-pound rankings before he would become a potential opponent for a Burns title defense. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.