Main Event
The mandatory fight comes as no surprise because it has been in the works for the past couple of months, but Top Rank on Wednesday made it official: Jose Ramirez and Amir Imam will battle for a vacant junior welterweight world title on March 17 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The fight will headline a Top Rank ESPN card that will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 8 p.m. ET with the ESPN App to stream the entire card beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
It will be the first time that longtime rivals Bob Arum, the Top Rank chairman who promotes Ramirez, and Imam promoter Don King -- more friendly rivals these days than the bitter enemies they were for so many years -- will promote against each other since then-junior middleweight world titlist Miguel Cotto, then fighting for Top Rank, retained his belt by knocking out the King-promoted Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th round on March 12, 2011.
Both promoters are, of course, backing their man.
"Jose has worked hard to earn his world title shot and I know he and trainer Freddie Roach will come out blazing and give the fans at the Garden and those watching on all the ESPN platforms a night they will remember," Arum said. "Jose has been a longtime advocate of the Central Valley farmers [in the Fresno region], fighting for their water rights. On March 17, I am confident he will become their first world champion boxer."
Said King: "This is going to be a great fight. A fantastic fight and I know Amir is training hard to come in at his best because he wants that belt."
Ramirez (21-0, 16 KOs), a 2012 U.S. Olympian, and Imam (21-1, 18 KOs) will fight to fill one of the 140-pound world titles that became vacant when Terence Crawford relinquished the undisputed title to move up to welterweight.
"I'm honored for the opportunity to be able to fight for a world title," Ramirez said. "Since I was only eight years old, with a few amateur victories under my belt, I started dreaming of becoming a world champion. To have that green and gold [WBC] belt like all the best fighters in history have, I'm living my dream. I'm ready to work as hard as it takes, to overcome any obstacle and adversity that comes my way.
"I've sacrificed, worked and challenged myself in a way most can't imagine. Physically and mentally, I'll be more than ready come March 17. I started drawing this picture 17 years ago, and I almost have it completed."
Ramirez, 25, of Avenal, California, knocked out then-undefeated Mike Reed in the second round on Nov. 11 in front of a home region crowd in Fresno on ESPN to set himself up for the title fight.
"Jose was so pumped up in his last fight when he destroyed unbeaten Mike Reed, a legitimate top-10 contender," Roach said. "He knew this title shot was at stake and he destroyed Reed. He will be ready to give it his all on March 17. What could be better than to win the WBC's green belt on St. Patrick's Day by driving Imam out of the Garden?"
Said manager Rick Mirigian: "It's Jose's time to show the world a real star has arrived as the complete package, and that is something boxing has needed for a long time. Jose has worked a lifetime to show everyone what I already know."
Imam, 27, of Albany, New York, boxed on the Nov. 11 undercard as a tune-up for the title fight and knocked out Johnny Garcia, a former Ramirez victim, in the fourth round.
"I'll have a really good opponent in front of me, and it's going to be a good fight," Imam said. "Fighting at Madison Square Garden, [near] where I come from, is a big thing, and it is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm working hard.
"I was ringside in Fresno for Jose's last fight, so I know what he brings to the table. I know what I've got to do to win this belt. This fight will be a clash of two fighters with a lot of knockouts, and it will come down to who can stand up to that leather. If he does come straight forward, I will box and break him down and stop him. I'm not going to call for a knockout, but if it comes within itself, I am going to take advantage of it. Either way, I will leave that ring with the W."
Stacey McKinley, Imam's longtime trainer, said he knows it's going to be a difficult fight.
"We know what we are up against," he said. "Jose Ramirez is an Olympian, an undefeated fighter and he has a big following. He's tall, he's quick and he throws a lot of punches. We certainly are not taking him lightly. His last fight against Michael Reed, Jose bombed him out like he bombed out the rest of them out. But Johnny Garcia fought Ramirez tough and went the distance. Amir carried Garcia until the fourth round just to get some work in."
Undercard
After more than 13 months away from the ring, FELIX ‘El Diamante’ VERDEJO makes his long-awaited return on March 17 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Verdejo (23-0, 15 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will face Antonio Lozada, Jr. in a 10-round lightweight special attraction on the undercard of the St. Patrick’s Day world title extravaganza featuring Irish sensation MICHAEL CONLAN and the World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Lightweight championship bout between JOSE RAMIREZ and AMIR ‘Young Master’ IMAM.
The undercard will include Verdejo, CHRISTOPHER ‘Pitufo’ DIAZ, and former International Boxing Federation (IBF) Junior Lightweight world champion JOSE ‘Sniper’ PEDRAZA making his debut under the Top Rank banner.
The Ramirez – Imam world championship event will be televised live and exclusively at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN and stream on the ESPN App. The night’s undercard bouts, including Verdejo, will stream live on the ESPN App at 5:30 p.m. EST. ESPN Deportes will air the bout on Sunday, March 18 at 8 p.m. EST.
Verdejo, who represented Puerto Rico at the 2012 Olympics, last fought on February 3, 2017, when he won a 10-round unanimous decision over Oliver Flores. He had been scheduled to fight England’s Terry Flanagan on November 5, 2016, for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Lightweight title, but was injured in a motorcycle accident in Puerto Rico three months prior.
Verdejo will be making his sixth appearance at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, last fighting there on June 11, 2016, when he knocked out Juan Jose Martinez in the fifth round. Lozada (38-2, 32 KOs) is riding a six-bout winning streak dating back to 2013.
"I'm very happy to return to New York with the task of showing the world that I'm back to retake what is mine,” Verdejo said. “I was hardened by the tough times we went through after Hurricane Maria, but like my people, I will rise again stronger than ever. March 17 will be the first step in that direction."
Diaz (22-0, 14 KOs), ranked No. 3 by the WBO at 130 pounds, will defend the NABO Junior Lightweight belt against Braulio Rodriguez (19-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-rounder as he continues his march toward a world title shot. He last fought on December 9 as one of the co-features on the Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux card, stopping Bryant ‘Pee Wee’ Cruz in the third round. Diaz knocked down Cruz four times, ending the fight with a crisp right hand. Rodriguez, who has won four of his last five, will be making his U.S. debut.
"On March 17, the fans can expect a more experienced, more explosive and more aggressive Pitufo,” Diaz said. “I'm hungry and I want to keep improving as a fighter. I'm coming to steal the show once again at The Garden. After March 17, I will be closer to a world title fight."
Pedraza (22-1, 12 KOs) will face veteran Jose Luis Rodriguez (26-11-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. He made two defenses of the IBF Junior Lightweight title before suffering a knockout defeat at the hands of Gervonta Davis on January 14, 2017.
"I feel very happy to be fighting for a promotional company like Top Rank. They want to take my career to the next level and part of that is fighting in venues like Madison Square Garden,” Pedraza said. “I'm going to give it my all so fans will enjoy my return to the ring. With Top Rank in my corner, I will become world champion once again, and I know that I have the potential to become a superstar.”
Also appearing on the undercard are a pair of exciting, undefeated prospects: 18-year-old Joseph Adorno (5-0, 5 KOs) will fight Ivan de la Madrid in a four-round super featherweight bout, while super bantamweight Jose Gonzalez (8-0-2, 2 KOs) will take on Adan Gonzales in a six-round rematch of their December 9 fight, which was ruled a majority draw.
Promoted by Top Rank and Don King Productions, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Ramirez-Imam world championship event are priced at $206, $156, $106, $81, $56 and $31, and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.MSG.com.
for Amir!
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