Nobody’s hat was stolen. No brawl broke out. WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez and WBA/IBF champion Josh Taylor were all business Thursday at the final press conference for Saturday’s undisputed junior welterweight world title showdown at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) and Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) are fighting, not only to maintain their unbeaten records but to become the sixth man to attain undisputed status in the four-belt era. For the first time since the matchup was officially announced nearly three months ago, the two best 140-pound fighters in the world were face to face. A little good-natured trash talk followed. But that’s to be expected.
Two days before the fight, this is what Taylor, Ramirez, and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say.
Bob Arum
“I’m very excited. Now at the end of this pandemic, we have the best fight of the whole pandemic experience. We don’t have to sell anything about this fight.
We just mention the fighters. They are both undefeated, both former Olympians, both world champions. This will be a great fight!”
“With Jose as a fighter, you have seen his accomplishments, but I’m more impressed with the man he is outside of the ring. I’m proud of Jose.”
Jose Ramirez
“It’s an honor for me to face a great fighter like Taylor. This will be the best fight of the year.”
“He is very prideful of his country and I respect that. That’s the way a champion should be.”
“This has been a great training camp. I’m very motivated. It will be an honor and a blessing to make history as the first Mexican undisputed champion.”
“I believe a fighter like Taylor will bring out the best in me. He is a technical fighter, and when you face a fighter like that, you see everything clearly.
You will see all the small things that I have worked on and that will show the experience I have as a fighter. You will see all my skills, and I will put on a show against a great fighter.”
“I’ve never been a fan of opinions of who is the best fighter out there. Sometimes people don’t understand that especially at this level, each fight is going to be tough.
I always train like I’m the underdog. I always train like each fight is the biggest fight of my career. I can’t afford to lose. That’s always been my mentality. I always find a way to win.”
Josh Taylor
“I loved every single minute of camp in Las Vegas. Felt great to be back to normal.”
“I respect every fighter that jumps in the ring. You don’t become a unified champion out of anywhere. You have to be a great fighter. I highly respect him. He is a great fighter and a great person, but on Saturday night, as soon as that bell rings, all that goes out the window”
“This fight means the world to me. Puts my name in the history books as one of the {best} Scottish fighters in history. That’s why I have trained so hard for this fight. I dedicated my whole life to the sport. I’m so confident. This is a pure boxing fight.”
“I’m confident I’m getting the KO on Saturday.”
SATURDAY, May 22, 2021
ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
- Jose Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor, 12 rounds, Undisputed Junior Welterweight World Title
- Jose Zepeda vs. Hank Lundy, 10 rounds, junior welterweight
- Elvis Rodriguez vs. Kenneth Sims Jr., 8 rounds, junior welterweight
ESPN+, 4:45 p.m. ET/1:45 p.m. PT
- Jose Enrique Vivas vs. Louie Coria, 8 rounds, featherweight
- Andres Cortes vs. Eduardo Garza, 8 rounds, junior lightweight
- Robeisy Ramirez vs. Ryan Lee Allen, 6 rounds, featherweight
- Raymond Muratalla vs. Jose Gallegos, 8 rounds, lightweight
- Javier Martinez vs. Calvin Metcalf, 6 rounds, middleweight
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: <> at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on May 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: Jose Ramirez(L) and Josh Taylor(R) face-off during their Press Conference for the Undisputed junior welterweight championship at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on May 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor shake hands during their Press Conference for the Undisputed junior welterweight championship at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on May 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 20: Jose Ramirez(L) and Josh Taylor(R) posed during their Press Conference for the Undisputed junior welterweight championship at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on May 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
