LOS ANGELES — Maybe John “Aggressive” Ramirez is progressing too quickly and the junior bantamweight contender needs more experience.
Ramirez, who started boxing eight years ago at the age of 20, competed for the WBA interim junior bantamweight title in April but was defeated by David Jimenez via unanimous decision. Ramirez more than held his own, however, winning several rounds with ease.
But Scrappy’s setback has now become the reason and motivation for his complete comeback, which begins Saturday with Ramirez, now 13-1 (9 KOs), at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. Facing 10-0 (8 KO) Ephraim Bui. The undercard of the Alexis Rocha vs. Raul Curiel welterweight bout on DAZN.
“I lost my last fight; inexperience,” Ramirez told BoxingScene. “I live, I learn, I keep moving forward. There is no getting discouraged. I feel good. I keep the same energy, still focused on the goal. The goal remains the same, which is to become world champion. I need to be there on December 14th Complete it first to get closer to the world championship.
“I’m always working on improving my craft and style. I’m in the gym at Brickhouse Boxing Club seven days a week. I have a great team. I’ve only been doing this for eight years. It’s all happening so fast .I got the results very quickly, but Rome wasn’t built in a year. I thought things would happen quickly because a lot of people had high hopes for me. The expectations. Is that a good thing? Absolutely. They see the talent I bring.”
Ramirez, who was trained by Julian Chua, defeated Ronald Batista in the Sandoval fight ) gave Julio Cesar Martinez a tough fight in the previous fight.
Members of the 115-pound division include future Hall of Fame fighters and current heavyweight superstars such as Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Fernando Martinez, Jinggang Kazuo, Tanaka Hiroshige and Srisakat Sol Ranvisai, etc.
Ramirez believes he can bounce back against the top contenders in the heavyweight division after defeating Bue.
“I can’t please everyone,” Ramirez said. “The bright lights and all that didn’t bother me against Sandoval. It was normal for me. I had to stick to the game plan and listen. You can’t be emotionally invested in a fight game. You have to Separate them. But I have no excuse. That’s what I live for. I want a rematch.
“As long as I keep winning and get back on track, I think [Rodriguez is] A possible battle. He’s a great fighter and it’s going to be an interesting fight. I’m here to see how great I am. I was chasing that thrill. In order to beat the best, you have to face the best. I think that’s going to happen in the future, and it’s going to be a sell-out.
“I’m not discouraged. If anything, I’m getting better [with the loss to Sandoval]. I have faith that this is God’s timing. I know what happened.
“I don’t know what the future holds. My focus is on now and making the most of this moment. But too many people only think about the future and forget about the present and don’t get things done.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports reporter, author and broadcast journalist whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, and the Los Angeles Times “, “Philadelphia Inquirer”, “Ring” magazine and other media. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manuk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached via X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtubesend email via manouk[dot]Akopian[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
