Expert Picks
Al Bernstein, boxing analysts and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
How Ramirez wins: For him, it's about putting on pressure and working the body and breaking down Taylor. That's what he does when he's at his best. He'll suffer from bad moments while doing it. Viktor Postol and other opponents have hit him. So he'll probably get hit. But can he get on the inside, work to the body, work to the head and wear Taylor down? I think that's where Ramirez wants to take this fight -- that's always where he wants to take a fight. So, for him that is the game plan. Will he be able to do that?
How Taylor wins: I think he's the favorite for one simple reason and that is that Ramirez has shown enough defensive liabilities in some recent fights -- even in fights he won -- that make people nervous. And they think with his attacking style that Taylor will be able to potshot him. That's probably the only differentiating point. Otherwise, it's a pretty pick 'em fight.
Ramirez only knows one way, and that's forward. Taylor is slightly more multi-dimensional in that he can battle on the inside, but he's also a little more of a boxer-puncher. He presumably has another path to victory other than getting on the inside and rumbling with Ramirez. I think it's going to be interesting to see how Taylor approaches it. Will he engage Ramirez on the inside?
X-factor: The possibility that Taylor might decide to really box. It's possible that they might have worked a game plan where they say, we think we can use the jab and stand at distance and throw combinations and give some movement and potshot him. And maybe he thinks "I don't need to get on the inside much at all." That's not super likely, but it's possible he might approach the fight this way. Could Taylor do it? Could he keep Ramirez off that way? And how effective would Taylor be if he did that? We'll see.
Prediction: I would have to say Taylor wins. But it would not be a pick with a lot of assurance. I think either guy can win this fight and that's what makes it an appealing match. I'm surprised Taylor is as high of a favorite as he is. I don't think Ramirez is to be underestimated. He's a force in the ring. He brings a lot to deal with. The pressure he puts on is pretty intense.
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Regis Prograis, former junior welterweight world titlist, lost to Taylor in the WBSS final
How Ramirez wins: I think he would use his double and triple jab to get in on Josh Taylor and then work the body. I'm pretty sure that's what the game plan is. But at the same time, even with me saying that, Taylor's trainer knows the same thing. It'll be interesting to see what type of game plan they're going to roll out. Most of the people would think that Ramirez's chance is to get in, work the body.
How Taylor wins: Taylor, I think he can make it easy on himself if he uses his feet and keeps Ramirez outside. Keep that southpaw jab in Ramirez's face, and hit him with big shots.
X-factor: I've been in there with Josh Taylor. I still think it was a close fight, but I think I won that fight. What he did with me was a very, very smart thing, which was making me fight on the inside. Me and him just started fighting. I just kind of wanted to hurt him and I wasn't smart. We fought inside a lot and that was his best chance. What he did with me a lot is he leaned on me, and then when I tried to move he hit me. That was his game plan. As far as Ramirez, I don't think he's gonna be able to pull that same thing. I'm pretty sure they watched the footage with me and Ramirez is going to avoid the same mistake that I did.
Prediction: I think Taylor is going to win. For me, Ramirez is a strong and durable champion, but he can be outboxed. Especially by a southpaw. He had trouble with Jose Zepeda, who was beating him and then kind of gassed out. The fight with Viktor Postol, it was a real close fight. A lot of people actually had Postol winning. Postol, he's long, he's tall, he's rangy. He gets the jab in your face. I think Taylor can do the same thing.
With all that being said, it still is a huge fight for both of them. Basically it's a lot for both of them on the line. You can say all these things as far as strategy and breakdown of the styles, but at the end of the day I think it's going to come down to the will and who really, really wants it the most. But like I said, stylistically, I think Taylor has the edge.
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Raul Marquez, former U.S. Olympian and junior middleweight champions, and Showtime boxing analyst
How Ramirez wins: Ramirez only fights one way. I don't think he has any dimensions like Taylor does. Ramirez is a warrior, he attacks and attacks and breaks you down, and that's what he has to do against Taylor -- put pressure on him and get him out of his comfort zone. Don't allow Taylor to think, because Taylor can see the fight well and he will set traps. He attacks from angles, there is a lot of awkwardness to his attack. Ramirez has to bring the fight, stay busy and keep Taylor busy, too, so he can get Taylor to think too much out there. Break him down, that's the way Ramirez is going to win.
How Taylor wins: Like I said, he has more dimensions to his game, he's a very good boxer. When he fought Prograis, not only could he come forward and attack, but also could also come from different angles. His punches are crisp, and he puts very good combinations together. Taylor needs to change it up, depending on how Ramirez takes his shots. But Taylor needs to attack from the angles, use lateral movements, throw combinations from both sides, and when he sees that it's safe to push Ramirez back or go toe-to-toe with him, go for it. Taylor has the power to hurt Ramirez, and he has very good defense, so he can take some risks.
X-factor: I think they are both in their prime, but Ramirez has been in some wars -- he has more wear and tear than Taylor does, because of his fighting style. Taylor has taken care of his body better. I'm not saying Ramirez is damaged goods -- of course not, he's undefeated, they are both undefeated, they both have titles and want to win. But what I'm saying is that Ramirez has suffered more damage to his body because of the style he has.
Prediction: I'm gonna pick Taylor in a close fight. They are both undefeated and I know that Ramirez is a warrior and comes to fight and he's in great shape, but I think Taylor is the fresher of the two, and has more dimensions to his game. I'm gonna say Taylor wins by decision.
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Francisco "Chia" Santana, former welterweight contender
How Ramirez wins: First of all, Ramirez is the best fighter in the world at 140 pounds, so he just has to be himself. He's aggressive, he comes forward a lot in his fights and he has to let his hands go as he always does. But more importantly, he has to dig to the body. He does that very well, so if he can get to Taylor's body early, I think he can get an early stoppage.
How Taylor wins: He has to box, keep Ramirez at bay with the jab. He uses his jab very well, so he should use it and not let Ramirez dictate the pace or get off to a fast start. And he needs to stay off the ropes and keep Ramirez from landing his body punches.
X-factor: Ramirez's body shots. That's his bread and butter. He does a great job going to the body. You can't count Taylor out, he won the World Boxing Super Series and what he did there was big. But Ramirez keeps proving himself, time after time. He was supposed to have a tough fight against Maurice Hooker and he went out there and took him out, real quick. I think Ramirez's aggressiveness and his body work may be the key to his victory.
Prediction: I see Ramirez winning in a late stoppage, maybe the eighth or ninth round.
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Aureliano Sosa, trainer to Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller, Peter Quillin, Chris Colbert, Nikita Ababiy
How Ramirez wins: This is one of the fights I've been looking forward to. This is a 50-50 fight for me. Ramirez puts a lot of pressure, throws a lot of punches, has great conditioning, has shown he has a great chin, so he just needs to bulldoze Taylor, pressure him, fight a little dirty, throw punches everywhere.
How Taylor wins: I like Taylor. He's crafty with his movements and he can punch off his movements. He really surprised me when he fought Ivan Baranchyk. When I saw that fight, I said, "Oh my God! I thought Ivan was going to destroy Taylor." But then I saw the fight, Taylor was standing his ground and Baranchyk wasn't moving him much with his punches. Taylor was seeing the punches coming, slipping under them, picking apart Baranchyk.
X-factor: I think it's about how well Taylor can take Ramirez's punches. If Taylor can't adapt to Ramirez's attack the same way he adapted to Baranchyk's punches, Ramirez is going to win a decision. If Taylor adapts, picks his moments to go toe-to-toe with Ramirez, picks his shots and stays in front of Ramirez, and sees his punches coming and throws three or four punch-combinations, it's Taylor's fight.
Prediction: Like I said, it's a 50-50 fight, but I'm leaning a little more towards Taylor, because I like his movements. What he did against Baranchyk surprised me and made me a Taylor fan. But you have to respect Ramirez, he's a great fighter. I'm gonna go with Taylor by 12-round decision.
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BJ Flores, former cruiserweight and heavyweight title contender, current boxing trainer of Jake Paul
How Ramirez wins: Ramirez has got to make it a phone-booth type of fight. He's got to get close, he's got to get right on his chest and not give Taylor any room to breathe. Easier said than done. A guy like Taylor is a master of distance and punch selection. He knows which punch to shoot at the right time. Ramirez has to cut the ring off, he's got to use head movement, he's got to use feints. He's got to put it in Taylor's mind right from the first round that's the kind of fight is going to be. That's the only way Ramirez has a shot. He can't win on the outside.
How Taylor wins: Taylor can punch. He's got single-punch power, probably harder than Ramirez. Ramirez is more of a volume puncher. But Ramirez is a very strong fighter on the inside. He's very tough. I feel like Taylor is better at distance. He can get inside at times. He's got sharp punches. I don't feel like Ramirez is gonna be able to walk through his punches by any means. I think Taylor is going to mix it up -- a little bit inside, a little outside. I think he's gong to be too sharp and control the action.
X-factor: It's tough when you fight overseas. I remember when I fought Danny Green in Australia, I remember when I fought Tony Bellew [in England]. You go overseas and it's not the same. It's tough. How does Taylor handle it? How long has he been in the USA? Has he been here the proper 15 to 20 days to get acclimated? Fighting overseas, fighting somewhere he's not comfortable, eating food he's not used to eating, on a time zone he's not used to -- that can be a major X-factor.
Prediction: Taylor is the better boxer, he has the better résumé, he's been in there with better fighters, he's beaten better guys. If you look at both guys' fights with Viktor Postol, Taylor had his way with him, ran a clinic for 12 rounds. Ramirez won a majority decision against him. Taylor is the much sharper boxer. He's got Adam Booth, who is an excellent, excellent trainer in his corner. He's trained a lot of world champions and I think Adam is one of the best boxing minds in the sport, I really do. There's a lot to learn from a guy like that.
I'm going to go with Taylor. I think it's going to be a good fight. Ramirez can definitely make it difficult if he gets on the inside. He's definitely tough. But I feel like Taylor is the sharper puncher and has the higher boxing IQ. Ramirez is going to have a perfect night to win the fight. I think Taylor is going to use his smarts to offset some of the stuff Ramirez is trying to do.
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Doug Kezirian, ESPN gambling analyst
Boxing fans get a treat with this showdown for an undisputed championship in Las Vegas. There's a lot to like with Taylor. He has demonstrated in recent fights that he has the ability to initiate the action, and I expect him to selectively do just that against Ramirez. The southpaw ultimately will have too much power as he head-hunts with his left hook and stops this fight before the final bell. -260 for a money line bet on Taylor is fine, but I prefer +350 knockout or DQ.
i like it
