Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez must make mandatory defenses of their titles before their promoter, Bob Arum, can put together the 140-pound championship unification bout both boxers want.
Taylor isn’t just confident that he would win that fight for full supremacy in the junior welterweight division. The Scottish southpaw is certain he would knock out the unbeaten Ramirez.
“I think Ramirez is tailor-made for my style as well,” Taylor told BT Sport during a recent interview. “He comes to fight and tries to put pressure on you, and I love that as well. I think I can knock Ramirez out and take all the belts. I’m really confident in doing that, to be honest.”
The 27-year-old Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs), of Avenal, California, is expected to make a mandated defense of his WBC super lightweight title versus Ukraine’s Viktor Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) late this summer at a site to be determined. The Ramirez-Postol fight already has been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 29-year-old Taylor, meanwhile, has begun training again for a fight with Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong. Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) and Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs), the IBF’s number one challenger for Taylor’s junior welterweight title, were supposed to meet May 2 at SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, but their fight also was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taylor, who owns the WBA super lightweight crown as well, believes he has established himself as the best boxer within the 140-pound division. He added the WBA belt to his IBF championship when he edged Regis Prograis (24-1, 20 KOs) by majority decision in his last fight, a 12-rounder October 26 at O2 Arena in London.
“I think I’m number one [in the division] at the moment,” Taylor said. “I’ve always believed that I’m world class. I’ve always believed that I’m the best. I’m willing to prove it, and people are starting to believe that as well [from] my recent performances. So, yeah, I’ve always believed I’m the number one in the division for a year or two now. So, it’s just proving it now and getting that Ramirez fight.”
Ramirez also holds the WBO junior welterweight championship. He added that title to his WBC crown last July 27, when he stopped previously unbeaten Maurice Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) in the sixth round at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.