May 22: Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor to Battle for Undisputed Junior Welterweight Crown LIVE on ESPN

Published by Shawn C.

Two undefeated junior welterweight kings, one
undisputed title. The stakes don’t get any higher.

WBC/WBO champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley,
will fight Scotland’s IBF/WBA champion Josh Taylor for the undisputed world
championship Saturday, May 22. The winner will become only the second
undisputed junior welterweight champion of the four-belt era, joining
pound-for-pound great Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Promoted by Top Rank, Ramirez-Taylor will be televised live on ESPN and
ESPN Deportes (and simulcast on ESPN+) starting at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m.
PT. The location, venue, and undercard information will be announced
shortly.

“This is the best boxing has to offer, two elite fighters in the prime of
their careers colliding in a legacy-defining matchup for the undisputed
championship of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a true
50-50 fight, one that the fans and both fighters demanded.”

Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs) has been a world champion since March 2018, when he
toppled Amir Imam via unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC strap.
Following the Imam victory, he hired noted trainer Robert Garcia, and the
duo has combined to go 4-0 in world title fights. Ramirez knocked out
Maurice Hooker in July 2019 to unify world titles and defended his belts
last August with a majority decision over former world champion Viktor
Postol. Ramirez, a proud son of Mexican immigrants who hails from Avenal,
Calif., is an agent of social change in his community. He’s devoted his
time and resources to myriad causes, including cancer research, water
rights for area farmers, and COVID-19 relief for Central Valley field
workers.

“I look forward to making history by becoming the first boxer of Mexican
descent to hold all four major world title belts,” Ramirez said. “I
dedicate this fight to the Central Valley farm workers, who are out there
every day helping feed the world. This fight is big, but nothing is bigger
than getting vaccinations to the farm workers right now in the Central
Valley.”

“No excuses, no fake social media promises, no grandstanding. This is the
best fighting the best at their absolute best,” said Rick Mirigian,
Ramirez’s manager. “Jose will have his hand raised in the end, solidifying
his status as a Hall of Famer.”

Like Ramirez, Taylor (17-0, 13 KOs) fought as a lightweight at the 2012
London Olympics, where he advanced to the Round of 16. While he didn’t turn
pro until 2015, “The Tartan Tornado” won the Commonwealth 140-pound title
in only his seventh pro bout. Taylor toppled Postol by unanimous decision
in 2018 and won the IBF world title the following year with a decision over
Ivan Baranchyk. He unified the IBF and WBA titles in October 2019, edging
Regis Prograis by majority decision in a brutal masterpiece. He made his
first defense as a unified champion last September, blasting out mandatory
challenger Apinun Khongsong in the first round. Taylor hopes to make a
little history of his own as the first undisputed, four-belt Scottish
champion.

Taylor said, “I’m excited it’s been finalized and over the line. I can’t
wait to get in there for the biggest fight of my career. Fighting for the
undisputed title is something all boxers dream about.”

Use the hashtag #RamirezTaylor to join the conversation on social media.
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