Ramirez-Taylor Is Finally Upon Us!

Undisputed Super Lightweight supremacy will be made on Saturday night as unified champions Jose Ramirez, and Josh Taylor will face off in one of the most anticipated fights in the world of boxing to date this year,

The fight should’ve got a bigger push from the ESPN platform that they are on. Still, it’s playoff season in two of the four major North American sports (NBA and NHL), and this is the same weekend as the PGA Championship in Golf, which ESPN is in the first year of a mega-deal they signed that would last thru the rest of the decade.

So, “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” has been a little wrapped to invest in this fight fully, but they have to their credit, put out the usual build-up, and lead in specials like their other cards.

The lack of promotion is now part of the promotion for Ramirez-Taylor. Sometimes it be like that.

— Dan Canobbio (@DanCanobbio) May 21, 2021

This week on the Big Fight Weekend podcast, we are joined from Las Vegas by TC Martin to provide insight into the atmosphere there and the fact that fans will be in attendance for he first time in Vegas for title fight in over a year, leading up to the undisputed contest.

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs, WBO/WBC belts) comes into this fight the slight underdog, but that hasn’t bothered him one bit as he takes on Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs, IBF/WBA belts).

“I’ve never been a fan of opinions of who is the best fighter out there. Sometimes people don’t understand that, especially at this level, each fight is going to be tough,” Ramirez said at the final press conference Thursday.”I always train like I’m the underdog. I always train like each fight is the biggest fight of my career. I can’t afford to lose. That’s always been my mentality. I always find a way to win.”

Taylor noted how confident he felt going to the matchup with Ramirez and noted that this one would be for the history books.

“This fight means the world to me. Puts my name in the history books as one of the {best} Scottish fighters in history,” Taylor said Thursday at the final presser.” That’s why I have trained so hard for this fight. I dedicated my whole life to the sport. I’m so confident. This is a pure boxing fight.” 

Bob Arum stated that there is a possibility of a fight for the winner with Terence Crawford.

Still, WBO mandatory Jack Catterall is on hand to eye the winner as he is the next mandatory challenger for the next fight, whoever stays at 140. Catterall took a step aside to make this undisputed fight happen and chimed in that he’s rooting for a domestic contest with Taylor.

“I could be wrong, and I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think Ramirez will give me an opportunity. I think he probably has other plans. I hope Josh wins and hope he is a man of his word. I don’t mind traveling, and Edinburgh for a scrap would be brilliant. I have already planned English drummers to walk me out.” Catterall said in a press release this week.

The new Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas will provide the backdrop and they’ll be a group of about 1,000 fans on hand that will provide what should be an intimate and vocal setting that will air on ESPN starting at 8 pm ET.