FRESNO, Calif. (Dec. 21, 2018) – WBC super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, is returning home on a pair of missions.
First, he aims to make the second defense of his world title against Jose “Chon” Zepeda on Sunday, Feb. 10 at his favorite fistic venue, the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. He also hopes, along with the Central Valley community, to continue the fight against cancer.
Ramirez-Zepeda and Beltran-Okada will headline a special Top Rank on ESPN card beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Ramirez will auction off his fight-worn trunks, special gloves, shirt, and shoes, with all proceeds benefitting the Community Cancer Institute in Clovis, Calif. A portion of all ticket sales will also be donated to the Community Cancer Institute.
The entire undercard will stream live beginning at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+ – the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event, priced at $150, $90, $60, $35, and $25, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.
“Jose Ramirez is a great young champion and an even better person,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “We are proud to be involved with an event that will raise a tremendous amount of exposure for cancer research. Zepeda is a really tough fighter who will give Jose an excellent fight. The fans in the Central Valley have supported Jose since day one, and I expect another fantastic crowd at the Save Mart Center.”
“I feel blessed to defend my title a second time at home against a great opponent and also support an issue that affects everyone and their families,” Ramirez said. “Let’s all band together to ‘KO Cancer’ and remember that every moment counts.”
Said Rick Mirigian, Ramirez’s adviser: “I’m honored to help put together this event for a great cause. We encourage everyone for National Cancer Prevention Month in February to get your health checked out because every moment matters in this fight.”
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity since my first world title shot against Terry Flanagan,” Zepeda said. “I’m going to train very hard, better than ever before. I’m very thankful to my team and Jose Ramirez for giving me this chance. I’m not going to waste it, and that’s why I’m training so hard.”
Ramirez (23-0, 16 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian from Avenal, Calif., is a sporting hero in California’s Central Valley for his commitment to immigration causes, water rights for area farmers, and his involvement with the Community Cancer Institute. Inside the ring, he has established himself as a 140-pound wrecking ball. He won the WBC super lightweight world title on March 17 in New York City, grinding down Amir Imam to win a wide unanimous decision. In his first title defense, Sept. 14 at the Save Mart Center, he dropped the previously unbeaten Antonio Orozco twice in a Fight of the Year contender en route to a unanimous decision victory in front of 11,102 fans.
This marks Ramirez’s fifth headlining appearance at the Save Mart Center, where he has established himself as one of boxing’s biggest ticket-sellers. His four previous Save Mart Center appearances have drawn a total of 51,760 fans through the turnstiles, and another packed house is expected for title defense number two.
Zepeda (30-1, 25 KOs), a hard-hitting southpaw from La Puente, Calif., is on an eight-bout unbeaten streak dating back to July 11, 2015, the evening he fought Terry Flanagan for the WBO lightweight world title in Manchester, England. It was a competitive contest until Zepeda suffered a dislocated shoulder in the second round and was forced to retire on his stool following the round. He earned the shot at Ramirez with a run that included a first-round TKO against former world title challenger Ammeth Diaz and a sixth-round TKO versus Abner Lopez.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.
Use the hashtags #RamirezZepeda and #KOCancer to join the conversation on social media.
Media Contacts
TOP RANK
Evan Korn: 516-510-6014 / [email protected]
Gardy Lopez: 787-246-3668 / [email protected]
ESPN
Ardi Dwornik: 646-547-5612 / [email protected]
Santa Brito: 646-547-5602 / [email protected]
Weightclass: Super Lightweight
28wins
1losses
0draws
18kos
Weightclass: Super Lightweight
35wins
2losses
0draws
27kos
"I feel blessed to defend my title a second time at home against a great opponent and also support an issue that affects everyone and their families. Let's all band together to ‘KO Cancer’ and remember that every moment counts.”
On his second fight with Robert Garcia:
“Our chemistry is great. My confidence is growing with every fight. He is bringing the best out of me. I’m still a young champion, and I am only going to get better. This has been the best camp of my career. Robert is bringing the fighter out of me and working on the things I need to work on.”
On Jose Zepeda:
“I’m more concerned with what I bring to the table. Zepeda is a good fighter. He is 30-1 and a solid southpaw boxer. It’s my job to neutralize him and take control of the fight. I’m still a hungry fighter. I train to win. Hopefully, Zepeda helps me grow as a fighter.”
On potential fights, including Regis Prograis:
“It’s going to happen. It’s a matter of when it will happen. We both want to fight. When his tournament is over, we can make it a reality. I have my job to do, and I would love to unify with Maurice Hooker. But my focus now is Zepeda. I have to beat him to make those other fights a reality.”
On his second fight working with trainer Robert Garcia:
"I feel like I'm growing as a fighter. The older I get, the more mature I feel, the more experience I get. I feel like every fight I improve my skills and power. I'm very thankful to have a {trainer} like Robert Garcia. I train in a lot of gyms, but no gym has a family-oriented atmosphere like the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy."
"I feel like I have so many tools in my toolbox, and I'm ready for a guy like Jose Zepeda. He's a good fighter. He's a very smart fighter. He doesn't over-commit. He likes to keep his distance, and I'm ready for that. He's the type of experienced fighter that's only going to make me grow. I'm just honored to be a part of this big fight. There are no easy fights as a world champion. Everybody wants to fight you because they have more to win, obviously. For me, it's another title defense, but in my mind, I train like I'm an underdog. I train like it's my first world title."
Jose Ramirez“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity since my first world title shot against Terry Flanagan. I’m going to train very hard, better than ever before. I’m very thankful to my team and Jose Ramirez for giving me this chance. I’m not going to waste it, and that’s why I’m training so hard.”
On his second world title shot:
"My first title shot {against Terry Flanagan} was three years ago, and my shoulder gave in and I wasn't able to continue. I feel like I was ready for that fight. It didn't work out. After that, I kept working, and I fought probably three months after that. I kept fighting, and three years later, I get the opportunity against Ramirez. I would like to thank Jose Ramirez and his team, especially to fight in this event to KO cancer."
On training with Freddie Roach, Ramirez's former trainer:
"Freddie is probably the smartest coach out there. He trained Jose, and he told me what everybody knows. He's a tough fighter, and he has a will to win. We have to box him. He's a strong guy. Working with Freddie Roach has been great. Like I said, he's very smart. His advice is great, and we're ready for this fight."
"It's every boxer's dream {to win a world title.} I get a second opportunity. I'm working hard. Hopefully no accidents happen. That's all I pray for."
Jose ZepedaOn the Pedraza loss and his surgically repaired left hand:
“I don’t want to make excuses about the fight. I respect Pedraza. He fought a great fight. It was his night. I’ve used my hand in sparring against welterweights, and it felt great.”
On fighting Okada:
“Okada is a dangerous fighter who will come forward and make for an entertaining fight. If the knockout comes, it comes.”
On the status of his green card application:
“Hopefully, in the next few months, I’ll get my green card and then become a citizen after that. I love Mexico and visiting my family there, but my life is here now. This country has given me so much.”
On moving from lightweight to super lightweight:
"We're going to see how we feel. I'm just hoping to get an opportunity at 135 or 140."
On rebounding from the Jose Pedraza defeat:
"My last fight, I didn't expect to lose. I made some mistakes. That's in the past. I'm the type of person that can't give up. I'm going to get up and keep moving forward."
"I would like to thank Bob Arum, Rick Mirigian, and everyone from Top Rank and ESPN who made this great opportunity possible. It's an honor to be fighting for such a worthy cause. As far as being shown on ESPN to such an enormous audience, I am the former Japanese champion and the former WBO Asia Pacific champion. I am known as a boxer in Japan, but the American audience doesn't really know who I am. I had a great learning experience last time in my first fight in America. I love it here. I'm prepared to build on that, and I want to make a good impression and show my skills to the American audience."
"Everybody in Japan and in the boxing world knows who Ray Beltran is. It's an honor just to be able to get in the ring with him. I know he's very tough and very skilled. In order to win, I've trained harder than I ever have. This is the chance of my lifetime. I have sparred a lot of good fighters, including Takeshi Inoue, who went neck and neck with Jaime Munguia just recently. 'm going to put everything into it to win this fight on Sunday."
Hiroki Okada"I've been seeing this all over social media. This is going to be my {breakout} year. I feel great. I got a nutritionist now, a great one. I feel like it's helping me a lot. I'm really focused. We're getting great sparring with world champions, and we're making sure that we are ready all the way. The momentum is just going to keep growing and growing."
Gabriel Flores Jr.“Jose Ramirez is a great young champion and an even better person.”
“We are proud to be involved with an event that will raise a tremendous amount of exposure for cancer research. Zepeda is a really tough fighter who will give Jose an excellent fight. The fans in the Central Valley have supported Jose since day one, and I expect another fantastic crowd at the Save Mart Center.”
Bob Arum - Top Rank, Chairman"I'm honored to help put together this event for a great cause. We encourage everyone for National Cancer Prevention Month in February to get your health checked out because every moment matters in this fight.”
Rick Mirigan
