Jose Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza | DAZN - November 16, 2024

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Chris Billam-Smith vs. Gilberto Ramirez, Jose Ramirez-Arnold Barboza and William Zepeda-Tevin Farmer official for Nov. 16 in Riyadh

The cruiserweight unification bout featuring Chris Billam-Smith vs. Gilberto Ramirez is officially set for Nov. 16 in Riyadh, part of a show that will also feature a clash between junior welterweights Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza, and a bout between lightweight contender William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer.

The show, spoken of in recent weeks, was confirmed in a press release posted by Turki Alalshikh, whose Riyadh Season has been financing various boxing events.

According to the press release, the show “will be broadcast for free globally,” with more details to be announced later.

Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) holds the WBO world title. The 34-year-old from Bournemouth, England, defeated Lawrence Okolie in May 2023 for the WBO belt. He has since made two defenses, stopping Mateusz Masternak in December and then avenging his lone loss – via split decision to Richard Riakporhe in 2019 – with a unanimous decision over Riakporhe this past June.

Billam-Smith has complimented Ramirez in recent interviews.

Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) started his career as a middleweight and then won a world title at super middleweight, topping Arthur Abraham in 2016. He later moved up to light heavyweight, fighting there from April 2019 until November 2022, when he challenged Dmitry Bivol for a world title and lost a wide decision. Ramirez moved up to cruiserweight a year ago, outpointing Joe Smith Jr. last October and then unseating Arsen Goulamirian this April for the WBA belt.

While the main event is co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and BOXXER, the four undercard fights that have been announced, including a strawweight title bout, largely feature boxers from Golden Boy’s roster.

Those fights are Jose Ramirez vs. Barboza, Zepeda vs. Farmer, Oscar Collazo vs. Edwin Hernandez and Oscar Duarte vs. Kenneth Sims.

Barboza (30-0, 11 KOs) is a junior welterweight contender whose recent outings brought a unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza, an eighth-round TKO of Xolisani Ndongeni and a split decision over Sean McComb.

Jose Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) was a unified titleholder who fell short while challenging Josh Taylor for the undisputed championship, losing a close unanimous decision in 2021. Since then he has won a decision over Pedraza, scored an 11th-round knockout over Richard Commey and taken a unanimous decision over Rances Barthelemy.

Barboza vs. Ramirez is an elimination bout that will establish the winner as the mandatory challenger for the WBO title currently held by Teofimo Lopez.

Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) is a lightweight contender on the verge of a title shot. Among his recent knockout victims were Mercito Gesta, Maxi Hughes and Giovanni Cabrera.

Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) held a junior lightweight world title from 2018-2020, when he was unseated by Joseph Diaz Jr. Farmer moved up to lightweight and notched three straight wins, then lost to unbeaten Raymond Muratalla in July.

Collazo (10-0, 7 KOs) stopped Melvin Jerusalem in May 2023 for the WBO world title at 105 pounds and has since made three successful defenses, notching technical knockouts over Garen Diagan and Reyneris Gutierrez, then outpointing Gerado Zapata in June.

His challenger, Hernandez, is 13-2-1 (4 KOs). Hernandez was knocked out in three rounds by David Jimenez in 2021 in a flyweight fight and later lost a majority decision to German Valenzuela Barreras in 2022 at junior flyweight. He has gone 3-0-1 since, knocking out unbeaten Michael Carmona in four rounds in July.

Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) is a junior welterweight who suffered an eighth-round knockout against Ryan Garcia last December but came back in April with a TKO of the aforementioned JoJo Diaz.

Sims (21-2-1, 8 KOs) has now won eight in a row since a 2018 decision loss to Samuel Teah. Among those Sims has defeated along the way: the previously unbeaten Elvis Rodriguez and 2016 Olympian Batyr Akhmedov.

[margaret thatcher]

ah so that's the fight they gifted arnie the win for last time out

good match up tbf, seem very similar to one another. ramirez with more output and oomph, but arnie a bit sharper with the jab

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This will be on the November Latino Riyadh card

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Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr. finally to fight in clash over five years in the making

After years of crossing each other’s paths and climbing through the ranks together, junior welterweights Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr. will finally square off in the squared circle.

Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs), a former unified 140-pound titlist, and Barboza (30-0, 11 KOs) had both been signed to Top Rank and manager Rick Mirigian in recent years.

But a fight never came to fruition between the 32-year-old Californian combatants.

On Wednesday at The Mayan, both fighters, who are now promoted by Oscar De La Hoya, finally came to a head, respectfully, to announce their bout on November 16 as the co-main event of the Golden Boy Promotions “Latino Night” event in Saudi Arabia.

“This is a fight I've been wanting since 2019 but for whatever reason it never happened,” said Barboza. “I was treated like a stepchild, watching Ramirez get main event fights, big fights and promoted right while I was scratching and clawing and banging on the door.

“I tried every forum and even signed with the same thief manager. I'm not with him anymore, and the fight happens. Thanks to Oscar De La Hoya. He's a man of his word. When I signed with Golden Boy, he said I was going to get this fight, and he was a man of his word.

“I respect Jose Ramirez as a fighter and person. I know he's not scared of anybody. But this is personal. I'm coming with everything. I'm training in Big Bear, California harder than ever. I'm going to give it my all and come out on top November 16.”

After moving on from Mirigian, Barboza signed an advisory deal with respected boxing broker Steve Bash to better guide his career.

In April, Barboza sneaked by with a split decision win against tricky southpaw Sean McComb to keep his undefeated record intact. It was the second fight of Barboza’s Golden Boy deal. During his promotional debut in January, when Barboza stopped Xolisani Ndongeni in eight rounds, Ramirez was again front and center and in the spotlight, as it was announced at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas and on air on DAZN that Ramirez had signed a promotional deal with Golden Boy.

“Arnold Barboza said he was chasing me but I was trying to unify titles and become undisputed,” said Ramirez. “I got busy. But now he stands in the way for me to reclaim my titles. It's time to get it on. I'm grateful for the opportunity. It's going to be a great show. It will be the kind of fight to get everyone in Saudi Arabia excited about boxing.”

Ramirez first became a 140-pound WBC titleholder in 2018 against Amir Imam, and defended the belt against Antonio Orozco and Jose Zepeda before stopping then-WBO titleholder Maurice Hooker in 2019 in six rounds to unify titles in the division. After a majority decision win against Viktor Postol in 2020, Ramirez was dropped twice and lost the chance to become an undisputed junior welterweight champion against Josh Taylor in 2021.

“My biggest enemy in the sport of boxing has been my inactivity,” said Ramirez, who will be fighting twice in the same calendar year for the first time since 2019.

“I respect Barboza as a fighter and this is one of the fights that excited me and motivates me. It pushes me to train hard.

“It's a great fight and it's time for me to make a statement. I've been under the big lights and have the experience. I'm ready.”

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Fight Week!!

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Arnold Barboza-Jose Ramirez no longer title eliminator

The junior welterweight fight between former titleholder Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jnr, will no longer be a WBO eliminator as previously anticipated. Nor will it be fought over 12 rounds.

Instead, Wednesday’s media day confirmed Saturday’s bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be contested as a 10-round fight.

"Ramirez/Barboza was never ordered or sanction as a eliminator,” Gustavo Olivieri, the president of the WBO, told BS. “They simply went forward with a voluntary 10-round fight.”

At media day, the decision appeared to come down to Barboza Jnr, who had grown weary of paying WBO's sanctioning fees without a title shot in return. Despite a career that saw Barboza ranked as high as No. 1 by the WBO, which is where he currently sits, the undefeated Californian is still waiting for his first world title fight.

“I haven’t had issues with [the WBO] personally,” Barboza said during Golden Boy Promotions’ “Latino Night” media workout livestream. “But in the past, like, four or five fights, I paid sanctioning fees and haven’t gotten a title shot. I fought Alex Saucedo, I fought who I had to fight, and I haven’t gotten a title shot.

“I hope that I can get a title shot from any organization,” Barboza said. “But it got to the point where, I mean that is actually money coming out my pocket for my kids.”

Barboza, who holds a record of 30-0 (11 KOs), has built a strong resume mostly on undercards with wins over Alex Saucedo, Mike Reed, Jose Pedraza, and the previously unbeaten Danielito Zorrilla, yet the major title shots have remained elusive. Signed with Top Rank and now Golden Boy Promotions, he’s voiced frustration over missed opportunities. “I fought guys that should’ve gotten me a title shot. Other fighters faced lesser opposition and still got theirs,” Barboza said.

Olivieri feels differently. "As to [Barboza's] assertion of not mandating his shot, we don't operate that way," he told BS. "When the proper time comes and having considered...the relevant provisions to designate a mandatory...we will proceed accordingly and notify all parties."

Ramirez, also 32, is a former unified champion in the junior welterweight division. Since losing to Josh Taylor in a bid to become the undisputed champion, the Avenal, California, native Ramirez has won three straight fights. Ramirez, who trains under trainer Robert Garcia, stands at 29-1 (18 KOs) and is ready to further solidify his comeback. He just has two less rounds he has to fight.

Golden Boy Promotions has yet to release an official comment.

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Fight Night!!

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97-93, 96-94 and 96-94.

Ramirez loses.

Where does he go from here

[JxhDel.]

96 - 94 Barboza, more incisive than an off-key Ramirez. Hoping he will finally get a title shot.

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Good win for Barboza