By Ryan Burton
WBC super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez (22-0) was supposed to make his first title defense on Saturday against Danny O'Connor. The fight was all set to take place in front of a packed house close in Fresno, Calif. close to his hometown.
His homecoming came to an abrupt end just before the weigh in when O'Connor had to be hospitalized for dehydration as he attempted to make weight. According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, O'Connor required 10 bags of saline solution to get his kidneys functioning again.
Ramirez said that the plan is to take a short break and then get right back in the gym.
"I can't think about it too much. I got to take a few days off then get back in the ring for I believe September 14th. It still isn't 100% clear but I think it is that date. I don't think I have to wait any longer. Things happen and I just want to wish my opponent a speedy recovery - Danny O'Connor is husband and a father. My job is just to go back in the gym and focus and my promoter Top Rank, it is their job to give me a new opponent," said Ramirez.
Shortly after the news broke WBO #1 rated super lightweight Alex Saucedo tweeted to Ramirez that he would be able to step in on short notice and replace O'Connor. The tweet raised eyebrows because a week earlier Saucedo was in a brutal fight against Lenny Zuppavigna. Saucedo won by 7th round knockout but took a lot of punishment in the brutal fight. He suffered a badly cut right eye and there is no way that he would have been able to get back in the ring 7 days later.
Ramirez felt that the comment made Saucedo look bad and that it was just a publicity stunt.
"He needs to take his 90 days of rest. See he is an idiot because he is giving his fans false hope because he said he is going to be my replacement. If he would have said that he would be ready to fight me when he gets better I would have said, 'that sounds good man.' For him to say let me be your replacement when he just got a beating - even though he won - he still got a beating and he still has to rest and he still has stitches over his eyes," Ramirez stated.
"You can't give false hope to your fans. Just get some rest and let me fight and then after that we can fight. Just don't give false hopes and if isn't you behind Twitter because somebody told me it wasn't even him and it was his team behind Twitter and Instagram. If it was your team trying to give you promotion and get you exposure then I get it."
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