I said the winner of Prograis/Taylor is rightfully # 1 at the weight. Taylor beats him. Prograis beats him. I still consider Taylor/Prograis 1a and 1b, IMO they're just right there considering talent and ability, and are above everyone else at the weight.
Competitive but clear win for Taylor. Don't think we'll see a stoppage but we will likely see a very good fight.
I like both. I like Taylor more. Hes more of a natural, But I think Ramirez will be underrated. This fight will be the true measurement of his skills
Certain posters will always hate on a quality white fighter (just as I suspect some will hate a quality black fighter). Welcome to boxing's longstanding tribalism.
Taylor wins IMO. Too compact in the exchanges, good movement and can use feet & jab to off set Ramirez. It could be tough as Ramirez fights with intensity, Taylor would need to slow the tempo down in phases but I think he wins a decision.
"Josh Taylor: I believe Jose Ramirez is easier fight than Prograis." Ramirez is a tall, strong, come-forward guy who likes to impose his will and strength. He more or less walked through Maurice Hooker. Taylor, as I've highlighted numerous times, limits himself at long-range by being too comfortable at mid to short-range. Postol, Baranchyk, Prograis, etc, too much having to rely on fighting up-close across so many different styles. Some guys he should press in on, others he needs to move around and box. Ramirez would be a guy he should box and move on, but knowing Taylor, he'd elect to trade and hold his feet in the aforementioned zones. He could beat Ramirez at mid to short-range, but would be making life more difficult for himself, not easier. All said and done, what Taylor says is true, but only if he boxes and moves on Ramirez and keeps his distance, in the main anyway. If he holds his feet and elects to trade in the aforementioned zones, I believe the Ramirez fight has the potential to be even tougher than Prograis. Ramirez might be equally as strong as Josh (or stronger) with his physicality up close, and certainly stronger than Prograis.
Excellent analysis. Taylor is the more athletic and skilled fighter, and if he boxes with those advantages in mind, he should beat Ramirez more easily than he defeated Prograis. If he allows himself to get sucked into a stand-and-trade fire fight, however, he'll absorb a lot of unnecessary punishment and make the fight much more difficult than it could be (as you so astutely observed).
JT said he has no problem heading on over to the US to face Ramirez and likewise Ramirez has now gone on record about being willing to do the same and travel over JT's turf. They both mean it too. This is how real warriors roll. 'I am willing to go to the UK to unify the world titles': Jose Ramirez lays down the gauntlet to Josh Taylor over super-lightweight unification fight next year'' Jose Ramirez last night told ring rival Josh Taylor he is happy for their winner-takes-all world title superfight to go ahead in Scotland. The WBC and WBO super-lightweight champion shares IBF and WBA kingpin Taylor's hunger to unify the division in 2020 and insists he would have no qualms about travelling across the Atlantic if the deal is right. Taylor wants the bout to take place at Edinburgh Castle or Easter Road with Ramirez pointing out he already has a proud record of stepping into his opponent's backyard and taking away his title. The California-based 27-year-old travelled to Texas to take on local favourite and then WBO champion Maurice Hooker in a unification match in July and won by a sixth-round stoppage. 'Listen, it really doesn't matter to me where the fight is. All I need is the ring,' Ramirez told Sportsmail. 'I am willing to fight on a different (TV) network or whatever and I did that against Hooker. 'I fought in his backyard. I wasn't going to let go of that opportunity to unify the titles and I am willing to go to the UK. 'In order for someone to become a world superstar, they have to be able to adapt to boxing in different venues, different cities and different countries. 'Boxing in America has been Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden and it would be a great opportunity for Josh Taylor to make a name for himself over here. However, this fight can also be a great opportunity for me to make myself known in Europe.' Ramirez will first of all make a mandatory defence of his WBC crown against Ukrainian Viktor Postol, a past victim of Taylor, with the bout likely to take place on February 1 next year. There is also talk of a mandatory WBO clash with Englishman Jack Catterall, but Ramirez states he wants Taylor after Postol - and would seek to fight him sooner were it not for the fact the Prestonpans southpaw needs time to recover from the eye injury sustained in his unification battle with Regis Prograis. 'If Josh was able to go in the first quarter of the year, I would do everything I can to skip Postol and go straight for all the titles,' said Ramirez. 'But he needs some time to relax and let his eye heal properly, so he probably won't be able to fight until summer. 'That gives me room to go up against Postol, but I am 100-per-cent willing to do anything it takes to make the fight with Josh Taylor.' Taylor has already stated that facing Ramirez would be 'easier' and 'more straightforward' than his punishing epic with Prograis. 'I hope he is not underestimating me because you know what happens in the ring at this level when you underestimate someone,' responded the Mexican-American.
