In a cagey, low-key fight befitting the atmosphere in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, super lightweights Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza struggled to get going at any point during the 10 rounds they shared.
Of the two, it was Barboza who showed a little more control and ultimately won more of the rounds, taking a unanimous decision by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94.
Boxing smartly on the back foot, Barboza demonstrated composure under pressure and used his jab to good effect, especially early. The first three rounds, in fact, all belonged to Barboza and it wasn’t until round four that Ramirez launched and landed any sort of meaningful attack. He then followed this brief period of success with a solid right hand in round five, but still Barboza remained calm under fire and still he refused to be dragged into a brawl.
For as long as he stayed disciplined, Barboza clearly had the tools to dictate the pace and keep the fight at his kind of range. He moved well, he countered well, and he appeared well on his way to winning as they entered the final round.
“You need something big,” Ramirez was told by his coach, Robert Garcia, before round 10, but whatever was needed, whether big or small, never came. Instead, Barboza, now 31-0 (11), produced the cleaner work in the final round, including a good right hand with 30 seconds left in the fight, and a clever reverse one-two in the final 10 seconds, which buckled Ramirez’s legs.
“This is a long time coming,” said Barboza afterwards. “I’ve been waiting for opportunities like this. This was my championship fight, man. All the time we spent together, with the same promoter, it never happened. This is a fight that I’ve been wanting.
“I would love a title shot. I’m 31-0 now and I think I’m the only guy in the top five who hasn’t got a shot. Any belt, it doesn’t matter.”
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