Arnold Barboza Jr. Impressive in Win Over Jose Ramirez in Riyadh

On November 16 at The Venue Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard for Chris Billam-Smith against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, we saw Arnold Barboza (31-0, 11 KOs) defeat Jose Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) by unanimous decision in their super lightweight bout. The entire card was streamed on DAZN and promoted by Golden Boy.

Arnold Barboza Jr. Defeats Jose Ramirez in Riyadh

Barboza Jr. vs. Ramirez Recap

The opening round was cagey, with Barboza Jr. landing the more eye-catching punches, especially at the end of the round. The second round saw Ramirez on the front foot, picking his shots well, especially to the body. Barboza Jr. looks comfortable when he works off his jab.

The more telling work is coming from Ramirez – but the higher output is coming from his opponent. During the fourth round, it felt as though Barboza Jr. controlled the distance well with his jab and moved, but the Avenal native did let his hands go towards the end of the round. A big right hand from Ramirez was the best work from him in the fifth, but Barboza Jr. worked well in that round, picking his moments impressively.

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Round six was an impressive round for the 32-year-old Long Beach native as he mixed his attacks well, and had eye-catching success with the left hook to the body of Ramirez, which has been working throughout the contest for him. A nice combination at the end of the round reinforced what a strong round that was for Barboza Jr.

Over the next couple of rounds, Ramirez began to close the distance more effectively, allowing him to let his hands go more but Barboza Jr. still had his moments, despite the pressure from the Long Beach native.

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In the final round, Ramirez tried to pressure Barboza Jr. but the 32-year-old Long Beach native controlled the distance and tempo, putting his shots together. Before we hear the cards, it’s difficult to look past a Barboza Jr. win. The judge’s scorecards ultimately read 97-93, 96-94 x2 all in favour of Arnold Barboza Jr. A deserved victory.

Post Fight Quotes

Following the fight, Barboza Jr. spoke on the win and said: “This is a long time coming.”

He continued: “I’ve been waiting for opportunities like this. This was my championship fight, man. All the time we spent together, with the same promoter, it never happened. This is a fight that I’ve been wanting.”

“I would love a title shot. I’m 31-0 now and I think I’m the only guy in the top five who hasn’t got a shot. Any belt, it doesn’t matter,” said Barboza Jr.