Jose Ramirez: I know I Can Be The Best 140 In The World

In another timeline, WBC/WBO super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez would have fought and beaten Viktor Postol back on February 1 and would now be eyeing up a unification bout with Josh Taylor.

However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has seen Ramirez’s clash with Postol postponed twice. After the pair’s February bout was canceled, their fight was rescheduled for May 9, but the current global health situation means that event will not be going ahead.

By the time Ramirez returns to the ring, it will have been over a year since he last fought. The one silver lining in this situation is that when Ramirez does step foot inside the squared circle again, fans can expect to see the California-native in a series of must-see encounters, both at 140 and if all goes to plan 147 pounds.

“I owe it to myself to fight for all the belts just because if I were to go up to the next weight class, people will still doubt who the best 140-pounder is, just because there is another guy with two belts (WBA/IBF world champion Josh Taylor}. There are some other fighters that I didn’t get to face at 140. I really want to prove a lot of people wrong. I want to do it for myself. I know I can be the best 140 in the world. I know I can see myself with all four belts,” Ramirez said in an interview with Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher.

“It’s just a matter of time, and once I do that, I think that’s going to put my name more out there worldwide. It’s going to definitely make a stronger impact when I do move to 147, knowing that the undisputed champion at 140 is moving up to 147. I think that’s going to make more noise.”

Ramirez went on to say he would like to share the ring with WBO welterweight champion and one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world Terence Crawford.

“I think I’ll show him something new. I think I’ll bring something out of him,” Ramirez said when discussing a possible matchup with the undefeated Crawford.

“By the time I do make that decision to move to 147 and put that extra muscle on me, on my body, I’ll be a much stronger Jose Ramirez. I can see myself developing into a better welterweight than super lightweight. I do have the height. I do have the body frame.”

A matchup between Ramirez and Crawford is no doubt an exciting proposition, but equally as exciting will be seeing Ramirez, provided he first gets past Posto, attempt to unify the belts against Taylor.

The year may not be going as he initially thought it would, but it may not be too much longer before Ramirez’s dance card starts filling up fast.