Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol - August 29, 2020

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ramirez to get $1.2m for fight with Postol

WBC/WBO world light welterweight champion Jose Carlos Ramirez of the United States will get $1.2 million for a fight with Ukrainian boxer Viktor Postol, according to Ukraine's sports news site Champion.com.ua.

The bout will take place in the Chinese city of Haikou on February 1, 2020. Ramirez's championship belts will be at stake. The victory over the Ukrainian, according to the American's team, should be the first step for Ramirez towards getting the title of undisputed world champion.

Postol is now preparing for the fight in Los Angeles under the direction of American trainer Freddie Roach.

The upcoming meeting is a unique chance for the 35-year-old Ukrainian to return to the big game.

[margaret thatcher]

Well he better start fast if he wants to make an impression in 1.2 mins

[Ruthless-RKO]

Masayuki Ito vs. Yongqiang Yang on Ramirez-Postol Bill in China

Former WBO super featherweight world champion Masayuki Ito (26-2-1, 14KOs) of Tokyo will fight on February 2 in the city of Haikou in China, where he will see action as a lightweight champion contender.

He will face the #15 world ranked lightweight contender under the WBO, China's Yongqiang Yang (13-0, 10KOs).

The fight will be part of the undercard to the mandatory clash between WBC, WBO super lightweight world champion José Carlos Ramírez and top challenger Víctor Postol.

The event called "Super Fight" will be promoted by Chinese promoter Li Sheng of Shanghai SECA in association with Bob Arum of Top Rank. ESPN+ will carry the fight in the United States.

For Ito, it will be his second return to the ring since he was dethroned as the WBO super featherweight world champion by Jamel Herring, by decision in May 2019 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, USA.

Ito conquered the title in July 2018 by beating Puerto Rico's Christopher "Pitufo" Díaz by decision in Kissimmee, Florida. In September 2019 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Ito returned to the ring and won by TKO in the sixth round over Indonesian champion Ruben Manakane.

Ito has found new motivation to move forward in his professional career, given that on November 7 his third son was born. The Japanese boxer been represented by Top Rank.

Ito emphasizes the important nature of the his upcoming contest with the following words - "Yonggiang Yang could be a dangerous opponent, but, I will have to put an end to this Chinese fighter and doing everything in my power in order to get the job done and return to Japan with an important victory."

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30-Day Weights: Jose Ramirez 153, Viktor Postol 146.2


Had to be no more than 154 pounds.

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Middleweight contender Esquiva Falcao will fight Ainiwaer Yilixiati in a 10-round bout that will serve as the co-feature of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Feb. 1 (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET), Top Rank announced on Thursday.

Falcao (25-0, 17 KOs), a 30-year-old southpaw and 2012 Olympic silver medalist, and Ainiwaer (17-1, 12 KOs), 26, of China, were originally supposed to meet further down the card. They were moved into the co-feature slot of the show, which will take place at the Mission Hills Haikou resort in Haikou, China, (where it will be Sunday morning, Feb. 2) when former junior lightweight titlist Masayuki Ito suffered a shoulder injury, forcing him out of the original co-feature against Yongqiang Yang.

Unified junior welterweight world titlist Jose Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) headlines the card in a mandatory defense against former world titleholder Viktor Postol (31-2, 12 KOs).

"We've promoted Falcao since the beginning of his career, and this is his opportunity to showcase his tremendous ability in front of a large audience on ESPN," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. Falcao was pleased to be in the spotlight.

"2020 is the year I challenge for a world title, but my journey continues in China against a very tough opponent," Falcao said. "This is a chance to show I can compete with all the middleweights, and at 30 years of age, I am in the prime of my career. My amateur career took me all over the world, and I can't wait to travel to Haikou to put on a show for the Chinese people, my fans back home in Brazil and everyone watching on ESPN."

Ainiwaer (17-1, 12 KOs) has won seven in a row, including a two victories since moving down to the middleweight division.

There will also be three preliminary bouts that will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET:

▪ Chinese junior lightweight Yang (13-0, 10 KOs) will remain on the card and face the Philippines' Jhon Gemino (21-12-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-rounder for a regional title.

▪ Chinese lightweight Jianhao Diao (2-0, 2 KOs) will take on Eduardo Mancito (18-10-2, 9 KOs), of the Philippines, in a six-rounder.

▪ Korean super middleweight Sung Jae Jo (11-0, 8 KOs) will square off with China's Zulipikaer Maimaitiali (12-2-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-rounder for a vacant regional belt.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This has been postponed unfortunately due to the Wuhan virus.

[Onetimeonly]

That's a shame. I think postal is in with a chance here.

[1okstcsb]

Maybe they could just put it on the Wilder VS Fury Card?

[Evander]

Postol is a decent boxer, he's acquired some wear and tear though and his reflexes aren't what they once were, but he still has fighting spirit.
Ramirez has enough skill and will to get by but he can get sloppy at times, in a neutral venue such as a golf club on an island off of the south China coast anything is possible here.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Dan Rafael has said it hasn’t been postponed YET. It may be though. Probably just gonna discuss it in the short term.

[Onetimeonly]

Dan Rafael has said it hasn’t been postponed YET. It may be though. Probably just gonna discuss it in the short term.

He said it was postponed a few hours ago.

[Evander]

[Ruthless-RKO]

From ESPN

Unified junior welterweight world titlist Jose Ramirez's mandatory defense against Viktor Postol, scheduled for Feb. 1 in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card at Mission Hills Haikou resort in Haikou, China, was postponed on Thursday night because of the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus in China.

"It's definitely off," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN. "What happened was we needed to talk to the owners of the hotel and to have them sign off on it. The courtesy when you're dealing with an entity, especially in a foreign country, is that when you are supposed to go there and you decide you're not going, to offer them an explanation and hope they will accept it. They did. They understand. They are getting cancellations left and right. So even if we went over there and did the fight we'd be playing to an empty house because nobody is traveling to China with this virus situation."

According to Arum, ESPN had let Top Rank know earlier that it had concerns about sending its crew to China during the outbreak "and the health authorities keep closing airports because of this virus. Nobody wants to put anybody's health in jeopardy."

Haikou is a city on the Chinese island province of Hainan.

"People have to fly there from the rest of China," Arum said, "and a lot of those flights are being canceled. It's a serious situation."

Postol and trainer Freddie Roach -- who used to train Ramirez -- had already arrived in China.

Ramirez was issued a 24-hour hold before traveling. He and his team were supposed to fly to China from Los Angeles on Thursday night and now will remain in Los Angeles.

"We were told [by Ramirez manager Rick Mirigian] not to go to the airport and they would let us know in 24 hours," Robert Garcia, Ramirez's trainer, told ESPN. "I really don't know what will happen. I think more likely than not it will be rescheduled in the United States in the next few weeks, but as of right now they told us just not to take our flight and they will let us know. Because of the virus it might be too risky. We were in the gym this morning and Jose is ready for the fight."

Arum said the fight likely will be rescheduled in the United States, but was unsure when.

"We'd have to get a location to have the fight and clear a date with ESPN," Arum said. "All of those things have to be done. It's a bummer but better safe than sorry if that's what happens."

Arum has promoted boxing events for more than 50 years, and this was a first for him.

"First time I remember canceling a fight for a reason like this," Arum said.

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Will now take place at the Save Mart Center in Fresno.

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Press Release

It took a little longer than expected, but WBC/WBO super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, is set to return. Ramirez will defend his titles against mandatory challenger and former world champion Viktor “The Iceman” Postol Saturday, May 9 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, a short drive from Ramirez’s hometown of Avenal. Ramirez and Postol were set to fight Feb. 1 in China, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ramirez-Postol and a 10-round super lightweight battle between former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza and surging 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina will be televised LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET, with the undercard bouts scheduled to stream in English and Spanish on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, tickets priced at $206, $131, $96, $66 and $31 go on sale Tuesday, March 10 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

“We are pleased that Ramirez and Postol will finally fight May 9 from the great city of Fresno,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Viktor is a worthy mandatory challenger who earned his title shot, and Jose will be fully prepared to make a statement. And for Jose, this could be his last fight in Fresno for a long time, so I expect the Central Valley faithful to fill up the Save Mart Center for a special evening.”

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) is one of two unified junior welterweight champions. He won the WBC world title in March 2018, prevailing via 12-round shootout against Amir Imam in New York City. He defended that belt twice before stepping up to fight Maurice Hooker in a highly anticipated title unification bout. In one of the best fights of 2019, Ramirez knocked out Hooker in six rounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Ramirez has headlined at Save Mart Center five times previously and has drawn a total of 65,794 fans through the arena’s turnstiles. Last time he fought at Save Mart Center — February 2019 against Jose Zepeda — he drew a career-high turnout of 14,034.

“It is always a blessing to fight at Save Mart Center in front of my loyal fans,” Ramirez said. “I prepared for Postol once, and I will be in top form May 9. My trainer, Robert Garcia, will have me ready for whatever he brings to the table. He is a former world champion who I cannot underestimate.”

Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) has spent the majority of his 12-year career as a super lightweight and nearly a decade at, or near, the top of the division. He stunned the boxing world in October 2015 when he dethroned Lucas Matthysse via 10th-round KO to win the WBC world title. In his next fight, he was blunted over 12 rounds by Terence Crawford in a unification bout. He is 3-1 since the Crawford defeat, dropping a 2018 decision to Josh Taylor, who is now the division’s other unified champion. He earned the WBC’s mandatory shot at Ramirez in April with a unanimous decision over Mohamed Mimoune.

“I am glad the new fight date is set. I'm already in gym, and camp is going really well,” Postol said. “I was ready to fight on Feb. 1 and now I'm focused on May 9. The fight is taking place in his hometown, but that does not bother me because I have the experience to fight on away soil. I am looking forward to become a champion again.”

Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, held the IBF junior lightweight world title from 2015-2017 and then upset Ray Beltran in August 2018 to capture the WBO lightweight world title. He came up short in a valiant effort against Vasiliy Lomachenko in a toe-to-toe unification bout in December 2018 before knocking out Antonio Lozada Jr. in nine rounds the following May. Pedraza then moved up to 140 pounds last September and was outboxed by southpaw spoiler Jose Zepeda. He’s taking another shot as a super lightweight, this time against Molina (22-2, 9 KOs), a native of Norwalk, Calif. Molina, winner of five in a row, is coming off a pair of signature victories.

Last November, he knocked out Japanese veteran Hiroki Okada in just 65 seconds in an ESPN-televised co-feature. He followed that up with gritty eight-round decision over Imam on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder II undercard.

"This May 9 fight against Javier Molina will be crucial for my career. This is a crossroads fight, and I will do everything in my power to return to the winning route against a world-class opponent," Pedraza said. "I know Molina very well. I saw him fight while we were at the 2008 Olympics in China. He is coming off a couple of big wins and is looking for a world title shot at 140. I'm also looking for a world title shot at super lightweight, and that makes this fight a significant and interesting one. I'm working extremely hard because I know that to get a world title opportunity, I can't have another loss on my record. I will get a big win against Javier Molina on May 9, and after that, the 'Sniper' will aim for a world title at 140."

“I’m happy to get right back in the ring with another tough opponent. With a win over Pedraza, I feel like it should definitely set me up for a title shot next,” Molina said. “I’m excited to be on ESPN once again and continue to get that exposure. I’m just ready to go. 2020 will be my year.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

The first significant boxing match postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 has been delayed again now that it has become a worldwide pandemic.

The fight between unified junior welterweight world titleholder Jose Ramirez and mandatory challenger and former world titlist Viktor Postol has been postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic for a second time, Top Rank announced Tuesday.

The Ramirez-Postol fight was originally scheduled to take place as the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Feb. 1 at Mission Hills Haikou resort in Haikou, China. It was postponed on Jan. 23.

The fight was then rescheduled to take place on May 9 and moved to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Ramirez is from Avenal, California, which is about an hour from Fresno.

Now the fight is postponed again until a date to be determined, although Top Rank said it will still take place at the Save Mart Center, where Ramirez is a big draw. Top Rank said tickets for May 9 will remain valid for the new date.

"I feel terribly for Jose and Viktor, who have entered two training camps only to see the fight postponed both times," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. "They are consummate professionals, and they will give the great Fresno fans a memorable fight whenever it occurs. We owe it to Jose and Viktor to make this fight happen as soon as it's safe to do so."

Although the rest of the card had not yet been finalized, also postponed was the co-feature between former junior lightweight and lightweight world titlist Jose "Sniper" Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs), 30, of Puerto Rico, and 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (22-2, 9 KOs), 30, of Norwalk, California. They were scheduled to square off in a 10-round junior welterweight fight.

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs), 27, has made four successful title defenses but has not fought since he knocked out Maurice Hooker in the sixth round of an action-packed fight to unify two 140-pound belts last July.

While disappointed about the fight being postponed again, Ramirez had a positive attitude.

"I'm focused and will stay training and ready," Ramirez said. "Our nation's safety must come first. We will all get through this."

Postol (31-2, 12 KOs), 36, of Ukraine, a former world titleholder, won a unanimous decision over Mohamed Mimoune last April in a title elimination fight to become one of Ramirez's mandatory challengers.

Postol and Freddie Roach, his Hall of Fame trainer, had already traveled to China before the fight was postponed for the first time. Ramirez and his trainer, Robert Garcia, were about to leave when they were told to stay in the United States.

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August MGM “Bubble” fights announced

Top Rank’s weekly Tuesday/Thursday summer boxing schedule is over. The company will now go to the more traditional Saturday night in August at “The Bubble” in Las Vegas.

ESPN has announced that on August 22, Joe Smith Jr. and Eleider Alvarez meet in a WBO light heavyweight title eliminator. Then on August 29, WBC/WBO super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez will face mandatory challenger Viktor Postol.

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Press Release | Ramirez vs. Postol, Barboza vs. Luis Made Official For August 29, ESPN+

Ramirez-Postol, Take 3! The long-awaited showdown between WBC/WBO junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez and former world champion and WBC mandatory challenger Viktor “The Iceman” Postol will take place at the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 29.

Ramirez and Postol were set to fight February 2 in China and May 9 in Fresno, Calif., but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both were subsequently canceled. This time, they will enter the "Bubble.

In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr., from South El Monte, Calif., will fight Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in his toughest test to date. Ramirez-Postol and Barboza-Luis will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m ET, with undercard action to stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Jose has stayed in the gym with his great trainer, Robert Garcia, throughout the pandemic,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I have no doubt we will see the best version of Jose Ramirez, a wonderful young man and one of the world’s best fighters. He will need to be on his game because Postol is a worthy contender who has proven himself at the world-class level.”

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) enters the fight coming off a career-high 13-month layoff. Last July, he knocked out Maurice Hooker to unify the WBC and WBO titles and stake his claim as the world’s best 140-pounder. Since winning the vacant WBC title against Amir Imam in March 2018, Ramirez defeated the previously undefeated Antonio Orozco, top contender Jose Zepeda and Hooker. The Orozco and Zepeda title defenses took place in front of more than 10,000 fans at Fresno’s Save Mart Center, a short drive from his hometown of Avenal.

During the early stages of the pandemic, Ramirez teamed up with Central Valley community leaders to assist the region’s agricultural workers. With Ramirez leading the way, they donated essential supplies and more than 1,000 wellness boxes, which included N95 masks, paper towels, toilet paper, rice, masa, beans and hand sanitizer. Ramirez now turns his focus to Postol (31-2, 12 KOs), a former WBC world champion whose only two losses have come against current IBF/WBA junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford. Postol has won two bouts since the Taylor defeat, most recently topping Mohamed Mimoune via decision last April in Las Vegas.

"I’m excited to finally be back. It’s always an honor stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and defending my belts,” Ramirez said. “God knows that my goal is to become the undisputed champion, and this gets me one step closer to my goal."

Postol said, “I'm just looking forward to fighting. I'm coming to win those world titles. I have been training since this fight was first announced, so I'm focused and ready to go.”

Barboza Jr. (23-0, 10 KOs) makes his 2020 debut following a 2019 campaign that saw him climb the world rankings with three statement-making wins. He knocked out former world champion Mike Alvarado on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla undercard at Staples Center, stopped veteran Ricky Sismundo in four rounds at Banc of California Stadium, and scored a body shot knockout over William Silva last November in Las Vegas. Barboza is currently ranked eighth by the WBC and 10th by the WBO at 140 pounds.

“Tony Luis is as tough as they come. He won't lay down for me. He sees this as a big opportunity, and I can’t let him take it,” Barboza said. “To be honest, the whole no fans thing, I’m more curious than anything. I’ve fought in front of limited fans deep on undercards before. Once you’re in the ring, there’s no difference. I am happy to be part of this ‘Bubble’ experience because it will go down in history.”

Luis (29-3, 10 KOs), from Cornwall, Canada, is a volume puncher with a knack for upsetting undefeated fighters. Since 2014, he has taken the ‘0’ from three then-unbeaten prospects, including a nationally televised decision over Karl Dargan in January 2015. Luis has won 10 consecutive fights since an April 2015 decision loss to Derry Matthews for an interim lightweight world title in Matthews’ hometown of Liverpool, England.

Luis said, "I want to thank Top Rank and my promoter, Liveco Boxing, for this amazing opportunity. I'm proud of myself for not giving up throughout all the uncertainty over the past several months. I knew this pandemic would be a test of character, and I forced myself to stay dedicated, knowing that if an opportunity arose, I'd be ready to strike. I have not lost in over five years, I'm in the best shape in my life, and I feel that Arnold Barboza Jr. is the perfect opponent to showcase my skills and take my career to the next level. Everyone dreams of fighting in Las Vegas. On August 29, my dream will come true, and I plan to make the most of this opportunity. For a small-town kid, we proved a lot of people wrong. Let's get it on."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Undercard Information

The Dominican Republic’s Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez, returns on the Jose Ramirez-Viktor Postol/Arnold Barboza Jr.-Tony Luis undercard Saturday, Aug. 29 for his third appearance inside the MGM Grand “Bubble." Rodriguez will fight Cody Wilson in a six-round welterweight bout as part of the exclusive undercard stream on ESPN+ (7:30 p.m. ET).

“I like staying active and putting on a show for the fans,” said Rodriguez, who is trained by the legendary Freddie Roach. “You’ve seen two big knockouts from me inside the ‘Bubble,’ and I don’t see my third fight being any different.”

Rodriguez (8-0-1, 8 KOs), like many of his nation's sporting heroes, started on the baseball diamond. He soon found out he enjoyed fighting more than pitching and hitting, and thus began his ring journey. Following a successful amateur career in his homeland, he turned pro in November 2018 and signed with Top Rank early the following year. Apart from a headbutt-induced technical draw, Rodriguez has knocked out every opponent he’s faced. He made his “Bubble” debut July 2 and knocked out Danny Murray with a power jab in the opening round. Nineteen days later, he stopped Dennis Okoth with a left cross in the second round. Wilson (9-2, 6 KOs), from Fairmont, W.V., has won four fights in a row and has yet to be knocked out as a pro.

The Ramirez-Postol undercard also features:

Unbeaten 20-year-old junior lightweight prospect Chris Zavala (6-0, 3 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since last September and will fight Anthony Chavez (8-1, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder. Zavala, from Long Beach, Calif., turned pro under the Top Rank banner in June 2018 after going 136-9 as an amateur.

Bantamweight prospect Gabriel Muratalla (4-0, 3 KOs), the fighting preschool teacher who is 2-0 inside the “Bubble,” will face fellow unbeaten Justice Bland (2-0) in a four-rounder. Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (9-0, 7 KOs), Gabriel’s younger brother, will fight the battle-tested Cesar Valenzuela (15-6-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-rounder at lightweight.

Milwaukee-born southpaw Javier Martinez (1-0), who now trains with Robert Garcia, will fight Rance Ward (4-1-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round middleweight bout. Martinez made his pro debut inside the “Bubble” July 14.

Ernesto Mercardo, an amateur standout who was recently the lightweight runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Trials, will make his professional debut in a four-round lightweight bout against an opponent to be named.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Third time's the charm: The unpredictable journey to Ramirez vs. Postol

AFTER ARRIVING IN Haikou, China, in the early hours of the morning of Thursday, Jan. 23, Viktor Postol and his team, who had just flown in for their Feb. 1 bout with WBC/WBO junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez, woke up to some bad news.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak that was spreading in another region of China, the bout, which was scheduled to take place at the Mission Hills Resort, was in jeopardy.

Everything had seemed far less dire when Team Postol left Los Angeles, where training had been taking place at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym. But the flight to China had no internet access, and at that moment in time, there seemed to be nothing to worry about.

"We're talking about 20 hours of having no contact," said Marie Spivey, the business manager of Roach, Postol's trainer.

Once on the ground in China, Spivey received a call from Top Rank and was given an update on the virus and the guidance to take extra precautions.

"During that [flight] I think things escalated and people realized how serious this was becoming. ... I jumped on the computer and [saw how] every day the numbers were jumping so quickly," Spivey said. "And the locals were telling us it was a lot worse than what we were seeing in the news."

Postol and his team were told to stay on the hotel grounds to reduce the risk of exposure. So instead of going to the gym that was set up for them in the city, Roach put Postol through a workout at the hotel.

"When we were going to China, I didn't know about the virus," Postol told ESPN in January. "My wife told me when we landed there that it was all over the television channels in Ukraine. [Once on the ground in China,] we did [only] one training session and one last sparring to complete the camp."

Later that day, the fight was called. Oleg Kovalchuk, who is part of Postol's management team, said Postol was crestfallen upon hearing the news.

"He was upset. We were all upset because it was a great camp. He was in shape, he was ready to go," Kovalchuk said. "[Postol] didn't believe me [when I first told him]. He said, 'No way, c'mon, we have to fight here.'"

In the midst of the chaos that Postol, his team and Top Rank were dealing with, getting everyone out of China became the priority. With fears of the airports closing, time was of the essence.

"As you can imagine, [rescheduling flights] wasn't easy because a lot of people were trying to leave the country," Top Rank COO Brad Jacobs said.

There were two groups of passengers: Postol's crew of three heading to Ukraine, and four others, including Roach, heading to Los Angeles. Arrangements were made, and the team headed back to the airport less than 48 hours after arriving. Kovalchuk said it was a rather eerie scene inside the airport, which is usually bustling with activity.

"It was kinda weird because we had a connection in Guangzhou, it's a huge international airport in China -- and it was completely empty, almost no people," said Kovalchuk, who recounted that everyone at that time was wearing specialized masks, which demonstrated to him the severity of the crisis.

But the challenges didn't stop once at the airport. Postol's group missed its connection, and there was a significant concern that his group would have to stay there until Monday or even longer. At the very last moment, Top Rank's Jacobs found a solution.

"I got on the phone with our travel agent, and we pulled three seats out of our rear end and found a flight at like 3 o'clock in the morning," Jacobs said.

By Sunday, everyone was home.

More to the story..

[Cent0089]

Hopefully Ramirez can defeat Postol and then we can get Ramirez - Taylor unification.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hopefully Ramirez can defeat Postol and then we can get Ramirez - Taylor unification.

Arum wants that by end of the year.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ramirez stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale at 139.8 pounds, slightly heavier than Postol, who officially weighed 139.7 pounds.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Andre Ward: 'Dangerous' Viktor Postol Is A Major Threat To Jose Ramirez

Andre Ward views Viktor Postol as a legitimate threat to Jose Ramirez’s championship reign.

Ramirez is listed as a 7-1 favorite to beat Postol on Saturday night, yet Ward wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Postol pulls off an upset. The former WBC super lightweight champion has lost only 12-round unanimous decisions to a pair of unbeaten, elite-level fighters, Terence Crawford and Josh Taylor, whom Ramirez hopes to encounter next in a 140-pound title unification fight.

The 28-year-old Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) and the 36-year-old Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) intend to finally fight Saturday night for Ramirez’s WBC and WBO 140-pound crowns. Their 12-round bout, the main event of an ESPN+ stream from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, has been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m gonna say it,” Ward said during an ESPN+ stream Saturday night, “since I don’t see a lot of people saying it in the press, is that Viktor Postol is a major threat to Jose Ramirez becoming an undisputed champion at 140. He’s dangerous. Now, he’s not the same guy that we knew and saw in 2016, with an undefeated, unblemished record as he challenged Terence Crawford. I mean, every loss for a fighter chips away at your confidence, it chips away at your psyche. But he is the kind of guy that if Jose Ramirez is not on point, he can pull an upset.”

Timothy Bradley, another former two-division champion and Ward’s fellow ESPN analyst, completely disagreed with Ward’s take on the Ramirez-Postol fight.

“Obviously, Jose Ramirez will be on point,” Bradley said, “and I’m not really worried about if Garcia’s gonna be in the corner or not. It doesn’t matter. Ramirez can have his wife work the corner. I think it’s an easy fight for Ramirez because Viktor Postol can’t fight on the inside and that’s where Ramirez like to operate. I don’t have a problem with what’s going on. I believe that Ramirez is gonna win this fight handily and easy.”

Bradley referred to Robert Garcia, Ramirez’s trainer. Garcia tested positive for COVID-19 late last week and was not allowed to enter the Top Rank/ESPN “bubble” to work a fight Saturday night on the Joe Smith Jr.-Eleider Alvarez undercard at MGM Grand Conference Center.

Ramirez, of Avenal, California, and Postol, of Kiev, Ukraine, were first scheduled to fight February 1 at Mission Hills Resort Haikou in Haikou, China. That show was postponed January 23 at the onset of the coronavirus crisis.

Ramirez-Postol was rescheduled for May 9 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. It was postponed again due to COVID-19 concerns and eventually rescheduled for August 29.

If Ramirez overcomes Postol, the mandatory challenger for his WBC belt, and Taylor wins his upcoming fight, promoter Bob Arum intends to match them later this year in what would be a fight for full supremacy in the junior welterweight division. Scotland’s Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs), who owns the IBF and WBA titles, is scheduled to make a mandatory defense of his IBF belt against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) on September 26 at BT Sport’s Studio in London.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Live from The Bubble at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

(ESPN+ 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT)

Unified WBC & WBO Junior Welterweight World Championship
Jose Ramirez vs. Viktor Postol

10 Round Junior Welterweight Contest
Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Tony Luis

6 Round Welterweight Contest
Elvis Rodriguez vs. Cody Wilson

8 Round Lightweight Contest
Raymond Muratalla vs. Cesar Valenzuela

4 Round Bantamweight Contest
Gabriel Muratalla vs. Justice Bland

6 Round Middleweight Contest
Javier Martinez vs. Rance Ward