Josh Taylor New Ruler At Super Lightweight- Decisions Ramirez

We have a new undisputed ruler at Super Lightweight as Scotland’s Josh Taylor defeated Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision to capture the IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC, and Ring Magazine titles Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The final scorecards for the contest were close with all three 114-112 in favor of Taylor in a fight that was razor thin, but appeared to be the right decision. I had it scoring in real-time 115-111 in favor of Taylor.

The bout aired on ESPN in the United States and the United Kingdom via Fite.Tv Saturday night at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas in front of roughly over 1,000 fans and fighters. Those in attendance saw Ramirez/Taylor battle to be crowned the new king at 140 pounds.

The intrigue leading up to it was: which style was going to impose their will more? Early on, the now 26-1 Ramirez looked to do just that by focusing his attack on the body. The third round of this one picked up for Ramirez as he could land combinations that had Taylor in trouble near the ropes. Taylor answered back with a straight left, but Ramirez was able to answer with shots inside.

Ramirez in the fourth round seemed to be cruising, but it ended up being a round that the now 18-0 Taylor stole in the closing moments with a furry as both kept exchanging inside and attacking the body, trying to slow each other down.

Sixth-round started with a knockdown of Ramirez by Taylor with a solid left, and it felt like it changed the fight’s pace. Then, Ramirez was floored in the seventh round, again by a Taylor uppercut, and only the bell seemed to save Ramirez at this point. Referee Kenny Bayless could’ve prevented it, as he yelled break between the two, then the shot shortly landed.

This @JoshTaylorBoxer uppercut in Round 7 was felt in the whole venue … ?#RamirezTaylor | LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/wJVRzML7eF

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 23, 2021

That seemed to be the mantra as well, as this wasn’t Bayless’s best night in the ring as he seemed to be a step behind deciding on when or when not to break up the action. As the fight moved on, Ramirez rebounded in the eighth, ninth, and tenth rounds as it seemed that Taylor wasn’t as active or dressing the action.

Championship rounds showed Ramirez still pressing the issue as Taylor seemed less active in the ring, but the broadcast had him wide on the scorecards as they entered the final round.

No … off night.

— Lou DiBella (@loudibella) May 23, 2021

“I thought it was a great performance,” Taylor told ESPN after the bout. “At times I thought I gave him a little more success…by holding my feet and letting him get his punches off. I thought the scorecards were a little bit tight. It was well wider than that.”

“I was boxing him and using his aggression against him. I was picking him off, using my jab, and using my feignts. And when he’d come in, I made him pay for it a couple of times by decking him.”

The judges cards will be scrutinized by more than just Taylor in victory. All three American championship veterans had Taylor way ahead heading into the ninth round,

#RamirezTaylor scorecards courtesy of @KornerMan44 pic.twitter.com/QqRbjU3sK3

— Carlos Toro (@CarlosToroMedia) May 23, 2021

However, they all gave Ramirez either three of the last four rounds or even judge Tim Cheatam gave him all four of the rounds to make it 114-112 on his card.

Interestingly, judge Dave Moretti gave Taylor the 10th round….or he would have had the fight 113-113. And judge Steve Weisfeld gave Taylor the 12th round or he also, would have had it 113-113.

With Taylor the winner of this contest, the next man up could be WBO mandatory challenger Jack Catterall, who took the step aside fee to make this fight happen. That fight will happen back home in the U.K. After that, the names are endless, but one I’d like to see mentioned more often than not is Regis Prograis. Taylor defeated the American by 12 round decision in October 2019 to win the WBA World Title.

He now owns all four belts at 140 lb. joining the likes of Teofimo Lopez, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford who have been the most recent to do so.