HOME COMFORTS
With his vociferous fans cheering him on, Ramirez pips Zepeda on points, writes Jack Hirsch
THERE is no place like home, as Jose
Ramirez can attest. Ramirez, from nearby Avenal, is treated like a rock star every time he boxes in front of an estimated 14,000 people at the Save Mart Arena (Top Rank). In defeating fellow Californian Jose Zepeda by majority decision to retain his WBC superlightweight title, Ramirez needed their support more than ever. The crowd noise pushed Ramirez to rally in the second half of the contest and doubtless had a slight influence on the judges’ scorecards, which were 114-114 (Rey Danseco), 115113 (Glenn Trowbridge) and 116-112 (Chris Tellez).
It’s not that Ramirez did not deserve to retain. A draw probably would have been the fairest result, but you knew when the final bell rang that the hometown fighter would be given the advantage in one or two swing rounds that could have gone either way. Or as Andre Ward, doing the telecast for ESPN, said of Zepeda’s effort: “When you come into a champion’s hometown you have to do a little more to leave no doubt.”
Zepeda’s only previous loss was when he injured his shoulder and was stopped by Terry Flanagan in two rounds back in 2015. “It was the worst day of my life,” he said. The manner of that loss led most to dismiss his chances, but Zepeda did have a small advantage of his own – having Freddie Roach train him. Until last year, Roach had been Ramirez’s primary trainer and was fully aware of all his strengths and weaknesses. He devised a brilliant fight plan that Zepeda carried out to perfection early on. La Puente southpaw Zepeda kept Ramirez in the middle of the ring, made him miss and kept a jab in his face. His defensive tactics were giving Ramirez fits. However, Ramirez kept plugging away, despite getting cut for the first time in his career, which was over the right eye.
It was a fast-paced chess match, Ramirez having success when he went to the body. Zepeda was tired, but had a strong 11th round, controlling the distance. However, any serious thought that he would get a decision in Ramirez’s hometown was put to rest when Ramirez closed out the fight in grand fashion, hurting Zepeda along the ropes with a barrage of blows. It allowed him to celebrate at the bell and for the crowd to erupt into a frenzy, eliminating any doubts they may have harboured. Ramirez, who did not rule out a move up to welterweight in the near future, was gracious afterward. ‘It was a close fight,” he admitted. “The championship rounds was where I became victorious.”
After a dominant start against Tokyo’s Hiroki Okada, the fight was slipping away from Raymundo Beltran. The former WBO lightweight champ was having his first fight since moving up to super-lightweight, but despite having an easier time making weight, was fading fast. The early pace might have been a factor. In the second, Beltran dropped Okada with a left hook, but when he went in for the finish he was buckled badly by a right and in danger of getting stopped. Beltran regrouped and put together some good rounds, but Okada started to come on in the seventh, peppering the Phoenix, Arizona-based Mexican with jabs.
By the ninth of the scheduled 10, Beltran was fading badly, but suddenly lashed out with a left-right combination which floored the Japanese boxer. Okada struggled up at ‘nine’, but a rejuvenated Beltran, 37, was all over him. Okada went down again and his corner informed referee Jack Reiss that they wanted it stopped at 2-09.
Phoenix’s Carlos Castro handed out a nifty boxing lesson to Kanazawa, Japan-based Genesis Servania, from the Philippines. Castro moved side to side and diffused Servania’s attacks, while scoring with jabs and tagging him with an assortment of punches whenever he tried to get inside. Castro’s brilliant display was rewarded by judges Susan Gitlin (98-92), Ralph Mcknight (99-91) and Michael Tate (100-90). Edward Collantes officiated.
There was a shock when oncepromising prospect Joel Diaz Jnr, of Palmdale, California, was decked twice and halted at 1-50 of the third (set for eight) by 36-year-old Argentine Cristian Coria.
THE VERDICT The pro-ramirez crowd help pull their man through.