Super flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez is waiting on Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez to decide if he’ll move up to bantamweight permanently following the announcement of his move to 118 pounds.
Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) will take a swing at bantamweight when he takes on WBA champion Antonio Vargas in Glendale, Arizona on June 13. The current WBA, WBC and WBO super flyweight world champion and his promotional team Matchroom Boxing have left the door open for Bam to move back down to super flyweight after his date with Vargas. However, the mega-fights pull Rodriguez north, with momentum building for a fight with Japanese pound-4-pound star Naoya Inoue.
The situation leaves Ramirez (17-1, 9 KOs) waiting on Rodriguez to decide his future, sitting as the WBA number one ranked super flyweight.
“I’ve had some unique experiences the last 5 years,” Ramirez said. “In my soul, I haven’t fulfilled my goal yet. I’m isolated and focused on that (winning a world title). I have had extra time to travel and train with friends like Regis Prograis in Texas to learn more and stay refreshed.
“I just need to continue trusting the process in boxing. As a fighter, I don’t like sitting around waiting for the pieces to move. We have a plan and it includes options. Regardless of the situation, I will continue to get better, and most importantly keep winning.”
Promoted by Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, Ramirez is also ranked in sixth place with the WBO and in twelfth place by the WBC. Ramirez comes off a majority decision victory over Byron Rojas this past January. Elsewhere at super flyweight, Andrew Moloney will challenge Willibaldo Garcia for the IBF world title in Tokoname, Japan on June 6.
“It’s not an easy task,” Ramirez added. “All of these questions will be answered in time. I can’t fight the unknown. I’ll keep training hard, eating right, and surrounding myself with good people.”
