Ramirez, Pedraza Eye Return to Glory
Former Champions Poised to Square Off On ESPN
Odds Favor Ramirez
Jose Carlos Ramirez and Jose Pedraza are not just former champions. Ramirez is the former unified light welterweight champion who was unbeaten until he lost his titles to Josh Taylor. Pedraza was a two-weight world champion at super featherweight and lightweight. Ramirez will enter this bout as the bigger man and as the huge favorite on the boxing betting lines.
- Date: Friday, 10 p.m. ET
- Venue: Save Mart Arena, Fresno, Calif.
- Watch on: ESPN
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Jose Ramirez vs Jose Pedraza Betting Preview
Weight Class: Light Welterweight (140 lbs)
Rounds: 12 (Main Event)
Moneyline: Jose Pedraza +425, Jose Ramirez -650
At a quick glance, the online sports betting lines are a bit off here. While Ramirez is the rightful favorite, Pedraza stands a better chance at winning than 18 percent as his +425 line indicates. Thus, the value is on Pedraza (29-3-0, 14 KOs), although Ramirez’s (26-1-0, 17 KOs) style may be more favorable for the judges.
Pedraza Must Make His Shots Count
Pedraza began as a decorated amateur, winning gold in the Central American and Caribbean Games and silver at the World Championships. He then went on a 22-fight unbeaten streak as a pro until he ran into Gervonta Davis, who put him down in seven rounds.
That didn’t deter Pedraza, who would then move up in weight and capture the WBO lightweight title from Raymundo Beltran, though he would drop it immediately to Vasiliy Lomachenko. Since then, Pedraza has won four of his last five fights, one by TKO.
As his record shows, Pedraza is not much of a power puncher. He is aptly named “The Sniper” as he picks his shots but does it well. As a counter-puncher, Pedraza is adept at picking apart his opponents. He is patient and has dealt with plenty of setbacks in his career, making him a tough fighter in more ways than one.
Is Ramirez Still That Dog?
Losses can set fighters back a few years, especially if it is the first defeat in their career. Ramirez was outclassed by Taylor. There is no shame in that as the Scotsman has been unstoppable and showed true grit in turning back then-unbeaten Jack Catterall.
But what will Ramirez’s mindset be like when he returns to the squared circle? His air of invincibility is gone. In fact, it was taken away when he almost lost to Viktor Postol prior to fighting Taylor. Ramirez will need to recapture his confidence since his fighting style depends on it.
The American fights aggressively. He pressures his opponents by constantly moving forward and doing work on the inside. Ramirez has shown a sturdy chin, though he does not have too much punching power. Still, if he stays relentless he can fold inferior competition, which is why he can be worth betting online.
Ramirez vs Pedraza: Who Wins?
We spoiled it a little when we pointed to Pedraza as the more valuable bet. Pedraza is the finer boxer of the two and he should be able to exploit Ramirez’s forward pressure. And despite being the smaller of the two, Pedraza is only giving up a 1½-inch reach. He also won’t be cutting weight like Ramirez, which can be to his advantage.
However, Pedraza may be on the backpedal for most of the fight. Even if he is landing more shots and cleaner punches, the judges may favor Ramirez, who will be the one pressing the fight. Still, if Pedraza leads in the boxing metrics, he may just eke out a decision here. Ultimately, this one will be close and much closer than the lengthy boxing lines.
