Tartan Tornado Josh Taylor Defeats Ramirez, Wins Undisputed Junior Welterweight Title
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (May 23, 2021)– With lineal World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury at ringside, The Tartan Tornado, Josh Taylor, decked Jose Carlos Ramirez twice in the ESPN main event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night, May 22, 2021, to win the undisputed World Junior Welterweight (Super Lightweight) championship. Taylor became only the sixth man in history to hold the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, and International Boxing Federation unified titles.
Taylor, 18-0 with 13 knockouts, Haddington, Scotland, United Kingdom, inspired by former Scottish World Lightweight champion Ken Buchanan as a youth, dropped Ramirez, now 16-1 with 17 knockouts, Avenal, California, in the sixth and seventh rounds to score two critical 10-8 rounds and win the title. Ramirez, who has no knockouts in his career past the sixth round, did appear to win the tenth, eleventh and twelfth rounds by slightly outworking the holding Taylor, but Ramirez did not have enough left to make anything happen.
Taylor appeared to win rounds one, two, six, seven, eight and nine. Ramirez appeared to win rounds three, four, five, ten, eleven, and twelve. A short left by Taylor dropped Ramirez with ten seconds left in the sixth round. A pinpoint Taylor left uppercut off a clinch caught a sleepwalking Ramirez and sent him to the canvas, and buried him on the scorecards. Ramirez was landing power shots, and was way ahead on the punch count early in the bout, particularly in round three when he threw 31 more punches than Taylor.
Taylor had superior foot movement, and while Ramirez banged fast and hard early and put the pressure on Taylor, the knockdowns took wind out of Ramirez. He could rally on technical skill, but he could not do anything more than that after getting knocked to the canvas twice, including banging his head backwards. Taylor appeared to come into the Las Vegas bout looking for a knockout, and came close twice, presuming he would not get the scorecards with the Pro-Ramirez crowd. He had Tyson Fury cheering for him at ringside, and the knockdowns appeared to silence the crowd, aside for a few boos after the decision was announced. Taylor did good counter work, and kept the super fight close throughout.
There was no bad blood in the week before the bout between the two combatants, and there was good sportsmanship between the two gentlemen inside the ring after the bout. Aside from Taylor being warned by referee Kenny Bayless for holding and leaning on the back of Ramirez down a few times, the bout was clean, and a successful ESPN Top Rank event. The prefight proceedings including Tyson Fury signing on the dotted line for his third trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.
As Fury noted on ESPN, he alone is the main reason for generating public interest in boxing today. His presence could only help Taylor’s confidence, in the light of the otherwise verbally hostile crowd to the visiting Briton. Nobody in the house quarreled the decision of the three judges, which was in 114-112 mutual agreement on all three scorecards, and the scorecards were in general agreement on the mark, in particular because Taylor, who won the bout, clearly did not win the last three championship rounds.
Result: Josh Taylor Win 12 Jose Carlos Ramirez, Junior Welterweights
Taylor retains World Boxing Association Super World Super Lightweight title
Taylor retains International Boxing Federation World Super Lightweight title
Taylor wins World Boxing Council World Super Lightweight title
Taylor wins World Boxing Organization World Super Lightweight title
Scoring: 114-112, 114-112, 114-112 for Taylor. Referee: Kenny Bayless
Real Combat Media scored the bout 114-112 for Taylor. Scoring appeared neutral and fair.
Taylor knocked Ramirez down in rounds six and seven
World Boxing Organization World Welterweight champion Terence Crawford could be next for Taylor, now that it has been announced World Boxing council and International Boxing Federation World Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. will be fighting World Boxing Association Super World Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who last appeared in the ring in 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA title before the pandemic began.
In the co-main event, Jose Zepeda won a close but unanimous decision over veteran Henry Lundy to defend his World Boxing Council Silver Super Lightweight title, and a shot at the winner of the main event. The fight appeared to be closer to a draw, and Lundy appeared to be ahead four rounds to three after seven rounds. However, despite appearing to win round nine, Lundy faded over the last three rounds on the punch count, though appearing to win round nine, though the round was close. Zepeda clearly outworked Lundy, who was not moving much in round ten. Still, Lundy appeared to win rounds one, three, six, seven and nine. Zepeda appeared to win rounds two, four, five, eight and ten.
The southpaw Zepeda, age 31, 34-2 with 26 knockouts, La Puente, California, came over the top with overhand lefts and rights, and did some quality body work in the later rounds. Lundy, age 37, 31-9-1 with 14 knockouts, switched off from orthodox to southpaw, and had good head and body movement, enough to keep Zepeda off balance and cautious. Zepeda fell to the canvas in round three after the fighters’ legs tangled, ruled a slip by referee Celestino Ruiz. Zepeda bled from a cut on the right check. The cut was not a factor.
At best, Zepeda should not have gotten more than 96-94 on the scorecards, as opposed to winning the last seven rounds on the scorecards. However, Las Vegas is Las Vegas, and after a solid six rounds ahead on the punch count, Lundy fell behind and got outworked. Lundy did enough to perhaps earn the draw. The second half of the fight did not do it for him. Zepeda appeared to take the viewpoint he would simply win on the scorecards, and did not take any real chances with Lundy, who weighed in at 139 pounds and arrivied in surprising top condition. Zepeda made weight at 140 pounds on the second opportunity. Whatever the case, the scorecards were not indicative of what a close fight Lundy fought. At best, Zepeda won six rounds to four, not eight rounds to two. So it was. Zepeda, after losing a decision to Ramirez, will probably become the mandatory challenger for unified 140 pound champion Josh Taylor later in 2021, perhaps in Great Britain.
Result: Jose Zepeda Win 10 Henry Lundy, Super Lightweights
Zepeda retains World Boxing Council Silver World Super Lightweight title
Scoring: 98-92, 98-92, 98-92 Zepeda. Referee: Celestino Ruiz
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas ESPN Undercard Results
Javier Ramirez KO 4 Calvin Metcalf, Middleweights (1:33)
4-0 Milwaukee, Wisconsin southpaw Ramirez knocks out 10-6-1 Metcalf of Missouri
Robeisy Ramirez Win 6 Ryan Lee Allen, Featherweights
2012 Olympic Games Cuban Gold Medalist Ramirez wins sixth straight over 15-5-1 Allen
Andres Cortes Win 8 Eduardo Garza, Lightweights
Las Vegas lightweight prospect Ramirez wins fourteenth straight over 15-4-1 Texan Garza
Raymundo (Danger) Muratalla TKO 5 Jose Gallegos, Super Lightweights (1:40)
Californian super lightweight prospect Muratalla wins twelfth straight over 20-11 Gallegos
Jose Enrique Durantes Vivas Win 8 Luis Coria, Super Featherweights
20-1 Mexican American Vivas wins in a thriller by 75-74, 75-74, 75-74 on the scorecards
Kenneth (Bossman) Sims Jr. Win Majority Decision 8 Elvis Rodriguez, Super Lightweights
16-2-1 Chicago fighter Simms scores a major upset over previously undefeated Dominican
Scoring: 78-74, 78-74 Sims. 76-74 Draw. Dominican Southpaw Rodriguez falls to 11-1-1.
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