ESPN and Top Rank used the main network to broadcast former WBC and WBO junior welterweight boss Jose Ramirez in front of his rabid hometown fan base in Fresno, California in a WBC eliminator against former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey.
Commey had been thought to be on the downside of a career filled with exciting battles and after a draw against Jose Pedraza, moving up in weight and giving away the hometown crowd to boot, it was easy to see Ramirez as a strong favorite, despite Ramirez being away from the ring for a year.
Instead, Commey gave Ramirez all that he could handle before Ramirez stopped him with a body shot that left Commey on his knees to receive the count of ten in the eleventh round.
Ramirez attempted to make short work of Commey as he sent him around the ring with an attack from the opening bell that contained Commey in a corner and along the ropes in an opening round salvo that seemed to show an early end to the evening.
Ramirez controlled the next few rounds before Commey began to separate from Ramirez by connecting with his jab and landing several straight rights and pulling himself back into the fight on my scorecard.
After ten rounds, the fight was up for grabs and while I had Ramirez up 96-94, Commey looked to be the stronger fighter, and the momentum all belonged to the Ghanian.
However, it was Ramirez that closed the show with a knockdown early in the round that would have likely clinched the bout on the scorecards but to Ramirez's credit, he didn't allow Commey to survive as he chased him down before a crunching left hook to the body that sent Commey to a knee with Commey unable to rise to beat the count.
For Jose Ramirez, who entered the fight answering plenty of questions about why he passed on chances twice to fight for the WBC title, first against Jose Zepeda for the vacant title, and then against Regis Prograis after Prograis won the vacant title with a tenth round knockout of Zepeda, and leaves it with an exciting victory and talks again for a fight against Prograis, which has been rumored for years and for various reasons, has never taken place.
As for Richard Commey, he proved that he still can fight against world-class opponents and while he doesn't have the firepower at 140 pounds as he did at 135, should Commey be able to make the weight in the lightweight division, he might be very competitive in bouts that could divide the titles should Devin Haney defeat Vasyl Lomachenko and move up to the junior welterweight division.
As for the aforementioned Jose Zepeda, he fought for the first time since losing to Regis Prograis in the main event of a DAZN show from Guadalajara, Mexico and honestly, I'm no more sure how the punishment that Zepeda had taken from Prograis as Zepeda won every round (100-90 on all three judges cards and mine) from former Indian Olympian Neeraj Goyat, who spent the entire fight clowning, gesturing and doing about anything that you can name short of landing punches.
The less said about this one, the better as Zepeda still has to show that he's the same fighter as previously and Goyat is someone that I don't have to watch again anytime soon.
Earlier in the day, ProBox picked up the Sky Sports feed from Manchester England and weren't rewarded with an exciting fight as Lawrence Okolie retained his WBO cruiserweight title with a unanimous decision over New Zealand's David Light.
Light was the WBO mandatory challenger and didn't have much luck getting to Okolie, who didn't exactly shine in victory other than an occasional right hand, a jab, and holding.
Lots and lots of holding to the point that Okolie lost a point in round eleven for his grabbing tactics.
Okolie won easily with scores of 119-109, 117-110, and a surprisingly close 116-112.
My score agreed with the middle score of 117-110.
Okolie's defense was his first since signing with Boxxer and leaving Eddie Hearn and Matchroom but his third defense overall and his second uninspiring performance against an opponent that Okolie could have dominated.
Okolie may fight a grudge match next against his fellow Boxxer stablemate Richard Riakporhe and should Okolie stink the joint up in that one, even with a win I'll wonder what Boxxer thinks that they are going to receive for their investment in Okolie.
Boxing Challenge
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