Jose Ramirez vs. Richard Commey: The Time Is Now For Ramirez
Jose Ramirez stopped Richard Commey on Saturday night but will we see him fight Regis Prograis this year in a long overdue matchup?
Top Rank and ESPN hosted a card from the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, CA, where manager Rick Mirigian told everyone all week who would listen, that it would be filled with 15,000 fans. It certainly seemed like it on TV, and there was no shortage of Jose Ramirez supporters in the building last night. Ramirez earned an eleventh-round knockout in a fight he was heavily favored to win, but before the fight, some interesting things popped up.
Everyone knows that with these ESPN shows, journalist extraordinaire Mark Kriegel does these in-depth interviews that target subjects that can be personal at times or ones that trend on social media. With the soft music playing in the background and an even softer tone, Kriegel goes into his bag and asks those questions. Of course, it isn’t live, so being prerecorded, the questions are usually known ahead of time to avoid making the fighter look bad.
When the segment of Ramirez with Kriegel popped up, we were expecting that the softball question about WBC super lightweight Regis Progrias would be asked and that an acceptable response would be given. Well, that didn’t happen, and Ramirez’s response and body language were not reassuring for those defending Ramirez’s position. He didn’t seem too confident in his answers, and when pressed about it, he came off as a man that didn’t want the fight to begin with.
Pride or money?
Why @RAMIREZBOXING, in his own words, didn't fight @RPrograis? pic.twitter.com/F4nAGbMo8e— Mark Kriegel (@MarkKriegel) March 25, 2023
This could have been all used to build up anticipation for his fight, but instead, it may have backfired for the former super lightweight champion, and those watching weren’t the only ones who felt that way. Current WBC champion Regis Prograis quickly weighed in and said what many might have been thinking, especially in the non-forgiving world of Twitter. Regardless, Ramirez had a fight that he needed to concentrate on before even thinking about a potential Prograis fight.
How can you turn an offer down without actually getting the offer??? 😂🦆🦆 https://t.co/6hXtNx3fod
— Rougarou (@RPrograis) March 25, 2023
Throughout his fight with Richard Commey, Ramirez looked hungry and was pressuring the 36-year-old Ghana fighter, but he was also getting hit cleanly, which is concerning when considering a fight with Prograis. Ramirez may have felt the pressure of fighting in front of his home crowd and felt the need to throw caution to the wind to entertain and answer his own questions on whether he is ready for another title shot. Commey was fighting at a weight class higher than he had in the past, so Ramirez had all of the advantages, but as the naturally bigger fighter, he should have gotten him out of there a lot sooner.
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 25: Jose Ramirez (L) and Richard Commey (R) exchange punches during their junior welterweight fight at Save Mart Center on March 25, 2023 in Fresno, California. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
After the fight, Ramirez said, “It’s always hard after a layoff, but mentally I had to go back to being my old self and start strong. There came a point in my career where I got too comfortable. But this time, I started with that rhythm of being active with my punches throughout the round. And I went back to my old self.” Ramirez continued, “I hurt him in the first round. But he’s a tough guy. Big shoutout to Commey and his team. He’s a good warrior. He took some good shots. And he picked it up in the middle of the fight, too. I heard his team motivating him, but I wanted to make a statement and show that I’m the stronger guy in there. I want any world champion. If Regis Prograis is serious about fighting, we can sit down and negotiate. Let’s sit down and make the fight.”
My Three Cents
The fight everyone has wanted to see for years is Jose Ramirez vs. Regis Prograis. It was considered a super fight when they were both undefeated but now just a really good fight. Both men must come to the table and figure things out without the shenanigans of a purse split and whatever else has come between them from facing each other. 2023 is the time for this fight, and if it doesn’t happen this year, then forget about it and move on from it.
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