By Keith Idec

As much as Jose Ramirez respects Freddie Roach, the undefeated fighter felt he had to make a change.

The newly crowned WBC super lightweight champion sensed he wasn’t getting the personal attention he needed to improve while working with Roach. That’s why, even after winning a world title in his last fight, Ramirez left Roach and hired Roach’s rival, Robert Garcia, to train him.

Less than 24 hours ago, the 25-year-old Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs), of Avenal, California, was scheduled to make an optional defense of his WBC 140-pound title against 13th-ranked Danny O’Connor (30-3, 11 KOs), of Framingham, Massachusetts, at Fresno State University’s Save Mart Center.

The contest was canceled on Friday morning, after O'Connor was hospitalized for being severely dehydrated while trying to make weight.

Roach had trained Ramirez throughout the 2012 Olympian’s professional career. Garcia was scheduled to work Ramirez’s corner for the first time Saturday night in Fresno.

“I think what went on with that change was loyalty and the fact that we do so much outside of the ring as well,” Ramirez said during a press conference Thursday in Coaresgold, California.

“Robert is a guy who is from Oxnard, a very similar community to Central California. He understands the work ethic and what we represent, what we do. And he wants to be a part of it. He’s very motivated to train me. He’s very excited to train me. That makes it easier for me to be motivated and to be excited to stay in this sport.

“Freddie is a great man. He’s very respected. He always respected me as a fighter, but he had so many world champions, and I needed to feel more of that loyalty and excitement from him. And I think I found it now in Riverside with a lot of undefeated prospects, good prospects, and future world champions at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy.”

Roach, 58, has worked with numerous world champions during a training career that earned him a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012. Roach’s most famous fighter, Manny Pacquiao, also opted to work with another trainer for his July 14 fight against WBA world welterweight champ Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 43-year-old Garcia, a former IBF super featherweight champion, has emerged as one of the sport’s most respected trainers in recent years. He works with his younger brother, four-division champion Mikey Garcia, among others.

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