Jesus Ramos Jr. believes that “it’s time” for him to conquer the middleweight division
CASA GRANDE – Ever since his victory over Shane Mosley Jr. in December, Jesus Ramos Jr. has been waiting patiently to show the world that he is ready to be at the top of the middleweight division. On September 19th, Ramos (24-1, 19 KOs) gets a chance to make a statement against Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KOs) in the co-main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card in San Diego.
“I’m very excited to be on this Pitbull card in San Diego, and right by Tijuana. That’s where my career started and I have a lot of fans there.”
In 2018, Ramos started his pro career in Mexico just hours away from his home in Casa Grande and now in his eighth year as a professional, he has been one of the young fighters to watch out for. Last year, he scored three wins including the victory over Mosley to become the WBC interim champion in the division. Now in his first fight back since then, Ramos feels like he is ready to go against Nursultanov.
“It was a little longer layoff than we expected, but I think it was necessary,” Ramos said. “There were some injuries that I had to let recover. I feel like this fight is coming at the right time. I’m feeling great and I’m excited to be back.”
Over the past few weeks Ramos has been in camp at his family’s gym, the Ramos Boxing Academy. It opened in 2022 and he has had his father and trainer, Jesus Ramos Sr. be at his side from the beginning. With his father in his corner he is focused on what is ahead on September 19th.
“There’s no trainer like my dad. We have the right chemistry and he always knows how to push my buttons. I’m grateful to have him as a coach and there’s no one else I’d want to share this journey with.”
Jesus Ramos Sr. has guided his son to success at middleweight.
“We’re on a different level right now. These days in the gym aren’t draining, because we know from experience what needs to be done. It’s because we’ve reached that different level.”
That level will be required on September 19th as Nursultanov steps in the ring with an undefeated record and experience from the amateur and semi-pro ranks. He has been rated at the top of the WBC rankings for a year and looks forward to fighting Ramos and show that he should be considered among the best in the division. Ramos is aware of that which is why he is not underestimating his opponent.
“We know we can’t take Nursultanov lightly. He’s coming in to prove a point, but we’re going to be ready for what he brings. I expect the best version of him and that helps motivate me every day.”
That motivation guides him as he aspires to be the best fighter in the division. This year, we have seen a new WBO champion in Denzel Bentley, a new IBF champion in Aaron McKenna, and on August 22nd we saw fast rising contender Yoenli Hernandez score a win to be in the mix as a contender. Ramos has heard the talk about potentially facing Hernandez in the future, but thinks that the Cuban is not ready for him yet.
“Yoenli Hernandez is a good fighter, but he’s a little green. I’ll fight him any time, don’t get me wrong. I just think he needs a little time to improve and get better.”
When it comes to Ramos, he is confident that not only will he be victorious on September 19th against Nursultanov but he will eventually end up as the best fighter in the middleweight division. He feels that this upcoming bout just brings him one step closer to middleweight supremacy.
“The 160-pound division is open for the taking. It’s my time!”
Photos by Roberto Cordero Jr. of Premier Boxing Champions
