Jose Ramirez believes he still has more in the tank, but he is moving up to the welterweight division to find out.
Ramirez lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Devin Haney in a 144lb catchweight fight on May 2 at Times Square in New York City.
Ramirez, 29-3 (18 KOs) was criticized – along with Haney – after the bout, which lacked the thrills of a typical Ramirez outing. Ramirez, a 32-year-old from Avenal, California, who trains with Robert Garcia in Moreno Valley, California, believes he learned his lesson – which is to vacate junior welterweight, where he had competed his entire pro career.
“I think my biggest mistake was staying at 140lbs a little too long,” Ramirez told BoxingScene. “Cutting weight was just taking too much out of me.
“Even my last fight was such an underwhelming fight. I felt really strong for that training camp. I was hurting sparring partners who were undefeated.”
Ramirez admits that, leading into the fight, he got caught up in the politics that led to the bout. He was entering the bout as the so-called B-side. Despite Ramirez facing Haney and Ryan Garcia set to face Rolando “Rolly” Romero on the same bill, it was Haney and rival Garcia who were being discussed for a rematch during the build-up. Romero would go on to defeat Garcia.
Beyond the outside-the-ring circumstances, Ramirez admits that Haney’s tactics on fight night surprised him. Haney proved elusive in the ring, but he also wasn’t engaging much.
“I never expected him to fight like that,” Ramirez said. “Go watch the fight again. He has no control of his feet when he is doing lateral movement. It is hard as a fighter. You start thinking, ‘What if I throw something too crazy?’ and the commentators might say, ‘Jose is getting frustrated.’”
For his return, Ramirez has some opponents he is interested in lining up. He was quick to point to Garcia, as well as a name he has been linked to for years, Regis Prograis. Whomever he fights, Ramirez is expected to do it in a new division.
“I think 147lbs will be the proper weight class,” he said. “I am ready to fight anyone at 147lbs.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
