Southpaw slugger Jesus Ramos Jr. will have the honor of being showcased as a pay-per-view attraction for his fourth consecutive fight when he squares off against Spaniard Sergio Garcia on July 29 as part of the card headlined by Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. 

Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) has been blitzing his way through bouts against a series of super welterweights. Earlier this year, the 22-year-old stopped Joey Spencer.

“This is a huge opportunity for me and I’m very blessed. I’m working extremely hard. I’m facing a tough opponent who always comes to fight. I know he’s gonna be there and ready to fight for the whole 12 rounds,” Ramos said during a recent discussion with reporters. 

“I think with a win over Sergio Garcia I’m top five, or at least top 10 in the division. I’ve been beating top guys and looking impressive against them. I want to earn my shot and these are the fights I have to take.” 

The 154-pound division is currently controlled by undisputed champion Jermell Charlo, but Charlo will be stepping up to 168 pounds in September to challenge Canelo Alvarez. 

What Charlo plans to do – or is forced to do with his belts by sanctioning bodies – remains to be seen. But Ramos would be on the shortlist for the next group of upstarts vying for the crack at the titles. 

Ramos is ranked No. 3 by the WBC and IBF, No. 7 by the WBO, and No. 10 by the WBA. 

Other top 154-pounder include Tim Tszyu, Charles Conwell, Erickson Lubin, Liam Smith, Sebastian Fundora, and Brian Mendoza, among others. Ramos’ 2021 win against Mendoza has aged well after Mendoza shockingly stopped then-unbeated Fundora earlier this year with a come-from-behind KO. 

The 30-year-old Garcia (34-2, 14 KOs) suffered his first career loss to Fundora in 2021. 

“The goal is a knockout [against Garcia], but I’m a more mature fighter now,” said Ramos. “I don’t put that pressure on myself. I just go out there and perform and do what I do best. I work hard every day and I have to demonstrate that. If the opportunity comes, I know how to finish. 

“This is gonna be an exciting fight. He’s a fighter who comes forward and he’s gonna be there all night. That’s the kind of fight I like. I can brawl if I have to. 

“I’m motivated by any doubt that I receive. If they don’t consider me the top of the division yet, then it’s because I haven’t earned it. I’m going to keep working hard. A lot of people thought my last fight [against Spencer] was a 50/50 matchup, and I went out there and showed that it wasn’t the case.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.