Published
2 years agoon
Jose Ramirez returns to the ring in his Central Valley home, looking to redeem the first professional loss of his career.
In his first bout since losing a decision to Josh Taylor for the unified 140-pound world title, Avenal-native Ramirez (26-1, 17 KO) faces a formidable opponent in Jose Pedraza (29-3, 14 KO) tonight at the Save Mart Center.
The next chapter in ?? vs ?? goes down TONIGHT.#RamirezPedraza | @ESPNPlus – 10:30pm ET pic.twitter.com/Dzg3CST7C1
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 4, 2022
The winner of the scheduled 12-rounder will claim the WBO international junior welterweight title.
Ramirez, the former holder of the WBC and WBO crowns, was knocked down for the first two times in his career against Taylor.
Related Story: Jose Ramirez Fight Delayed After Opponent Tests Positive for COVID
On the undercard, Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. of Tulare will make his professional debut, taking on Allen Melson (6-3, 3 KO) in a heavyweight fight.
Fresno is one of America’s great fight towns, and tonight, Central Valley hero Jose Ramirez takes on Jose Pedraza in a sensational 140-pound main event. We are also excited to see the heavyweight pro debut of Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr.
— Bob Arum (@BobArum) March 4, 2022
Torrez turns pro after his standout performance at the Tokyo Games last year. He will have his father, Richard Torrez Sr., in his corner.
Preliminaries start at 4:15 p.m. The entire nine-match card will be streamed on ESPN+. Torrez’s fight is estimated to start around 8:20 p.m. Ramirez is scheduled to hit the ring around 9 p.m.
Related Story: Frenzied Save Mart Crowd Helps Propel Ramirez to Comeback Win
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email