Ramon Cardenas Tipped to Trouble Naoya Inoue: ‘He Will Hurt Him’

At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 4, Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) will defend his undisputed super bantamweight crown against American challenger Ramon Cardenas. The entire card will be promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotion, Teiken Promotions, and Sampson Boxing. In preparation for May 4, following a recent training session, Ramon Cardenas and his head trainer, Joel Diaz have spoken about the “Monster” challenge in front of them on May 4, with Diaz tipping his fighter to trouble Inoue.

Ramon Cardenas’s Rise to Undisputed Title Shot

Ramon Cardenas and Joel Diaz Discuss Inoue Challenge

Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) has not had a straightforward journey – working as a rideshare and meal delivery driver while building his reputation as an emerging prospect. The 29-year-old has hustled his way to this undisputed shot and is now a legitimate contender under the guidance of his head trainer Joel Diaz.

“Dinamita” comes into this fight as the winner of 14 straight fights, all be it against opposition not on the level of Naoya Inoue. Following a recent training session in Indio, California, Cardenas spoke about his build-up to the fight: “I got a call a week after my last fight, and my manager {Michael Miller} asked me, ‘Hey, do you want to fight Inoue?’ Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so I had to jump at it.”

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“I’ve been mentally preparing to fight Inoue for a long time. I knew I’d eventually get a big fight if I kept winning. And here we are, a shot at the undisputed champion of the world.”

“This is Inoue’s first fight in America in four years, so I know he’s motivated to show out. I’m prepared for the very best version of Naoya Inoue,” said Cardenas.

Talking about the magnitude of the fight, he said: “I know this is the type of fight and moment that can eat people up, but the ring doesn’t change. You can put it in the middle of the ocean. You can put it in the middle of the desert. The ring is the ring. It has four corners. I see it like that and understand the magnitude of this fight. I asked for his moment, and now I have to take advantage of it.”

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Reflecting on his journey to this Inoue fight, he said: “I started doing Lyft, DoorDash, and Uber to make ends meet. To fight for a world title is one thing, but to fight for the undisputed championship is the ultimate prize. For me to be in this position shows my work ethic and self-belief because I knew I was going to get here.”

Ramon Cardenas vs Naoya Inoue: Joel Diaz Says ‘We’re Going to Shock the World’

“This kid has devastating power in both hands. He is one of the fighters in boxing who can hurt you in the first or last round because he hits so hard. He moves really well, has good defense, and will rise to the moment,” said Joel Diaz praising his fighter.

 “If Ramon catches Inoue with either the right or the left, he will hurt him. We know that Inoue can be hurt,” added Diaz.

 “Early in his career, he fought for free. All he wanted was a soda and some tacos after the fight. He started from nothing. He’s here, he loves the sport, and we’re going to shock the world.”