The signing of former WBC/WBO light welterweight champion José Ramírez by Golden Boy Promotions boss Oscar De La Hoya gives him a chess piece he can use as a potential future opponent for Ryan García.
Ramirez would be a great option for Ryan to fight if he wants to gain quality experience before facing WBC light welterweight champion Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez. De La Hoya was hoping to pit Ryan against Haney, but decided to focus on fighting Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero.
If Ryan can get the WBA belt, Ramirez, 31, would be someone De La Hoya could offer him for his first title defense. De La Hoya is amassing an impressive stable at 140 with these standout fighters:
– Arnold Barboza Jr. – Ismael Barroso – Ryan García – José Ramírez
Ramírez longs to return to the top
Surprisingly, 2012 US Olympian Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) recently left Top Rank. He had reportedly been offered fights against WBO 140-pound champion Teofimo Lopez and WBC champion Regis Prograis, but he did not accept the fights.
Ramírez won his last two fights against Richard Commey and José Pedraza after being defeated by Josh Taylor by twelve-round unanimous decision in an undisputed 140-pound clash in 2021.
Taylor hasn’t looked the same since that fight, and some believe the punishment Ramirez inflicted on the Scottish fighter took the best out of him, leaving the shell that Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez worked on.
“An Olympic pedigree. An incredible resume that has two world titles. A huge and loyal fan base – José Ramírez has it all and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Golden Boy family,” said De La Hoya. “Our plan for Ramirez is simple: bring him back to the ring quickly, keep him active against the best of the best and show the world that he is still among the cream of the super lightweight division.”
Eyes on Ryan Garcia
With Ramirez joining Golden Boy, a natural fight is between him and Ryan Garcia at 140. Both fighters have a lot of fans and a fan-friendly fighting style, which would be an attractive matchup on DAZN PPV. .
Ryan would decide whether a fight against Ramirez takes place, but it’s great if he’s willing to do it. If Ryan is going to stay at 140, he’ll need to fight guys like Ramirez because there aren’t many popular fighters in the division.
