One of boxing’s best and brightest young prospects will get a chance to show if he’s worthy of a world title shot in 2011 when undefeated and WBA #1 ranked super bantamweight Rico Ramos takes on former world title challenger Alejandro Valdez on Friday, Feb. 11, LIVE on ShoBox: the New Generation on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West coast).
In the co-feature, a pair of super middleweight prospects will tangle as unbeaten rising knockout artist Cornelius White (16-0, 15 KOs), of Houston, faces Chicago’s Don George (20-1-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round affair from Bally’s Grand Ballroom in Atlantic City, N.J.
Ramos, of Los Angeles, will look to keep his perfect 18-0 (10 KOs) record in tact when he faces Valdez (24-4-2, 17 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, in a 10-round 122-pound main event. Both Ramos and White are both represented by the show’s promoter Goossen Tutor Promotions.
“This is it. This is my time to shine,” said Ramos, who hails from Pico Rivera, CA is currently training out of Hawthorne, Calif., under the guidance of head coach Darnell Walker. “This is going to be a real step up for me. I know Alejandro plans to bring it on Feb. 11 but there is no way he stands in my way of a world title shot.”
Added Walker: “The intensity is up, you can just feel it. I just think because Rico knows he’s so close to a world title shot the focus has changed. He wants to be the next superstar of boxing and knows he’s a main event guy now.”
Ramos has shown flashes of brilliance and dominance and displays flat-out raw power. In his last fight he recorded a knockout worthy of a “Best of 2010” clip with a second-round one-punch annihilation of Heriberto Ruiz on Nov. 8, 2010. “Yeah, people are still talking about that one,” Ramos said. “It’s been all over Facebook and Twitter. A lot of people were shocked by it. A lot of people had me losing that fight.”
Ramos began boxing when he was just 8 years old at South LA’s Broadway Boxing Gym. A strong amateur (97-17), Ramos competed in the national Golden Gloves championships and won a Silver Glove and PAL title. In 2007 he was a runner-up at the U.S. National Championships, losing to U.S. Olympian Raynell Williams.
Ramos made his professional debut in March of 2008 by winning a four-round shutout decision over Sammy Yniguez in San Jose, Calif.
The southpaw Valdez, 27, has lost two title shots, one coming in 2008 and the other in 2009. He was knocked out in the second round by then-bantamweight titlist Hozumi Hasegawa in 2008 and suffered
an 11th-round knockout loss to Nehomar Cermeño in a 2009 interim title bout. Valdez owns a technical
draw against bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel in a 2009 nontitle fight. The referee, despite video replays showing differently, ruled a cut to Montiel was caused by a head butt rather than a punch.
He won his last two fights in Mexico, the only two he had in 2010. “It is great to get this fight to get me back on the map,” Valdez said. “I have tasted what it’s like to fight on boxing’s biggest stage. That experience will lead me to victory.”
On his opponent, Valdez said Ramos has good speed but is somewhat untested. “We want to test his chin. We want to be the first to give him a loss,” Valdez said.
A few years ago a family member of Ramos here on the island told me keep on eye on him. This was at the start of his pro career. I have copies of a few of fights and I must admit that I first I thought he was a bit too tight, as if he lifted too much weights. Still and all he’s impressed me with his strength, concentration and punching power. This fight vs Valdez should be an ‘indicator’ of Rico’s progress ans potential.
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