Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza has contracted COVID 19, resulting in his previously scheduled February 5th fight against Jose Ramirez moved from February 5th to March 4th on ESPN+ at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
The former two-division world champion Pedraza (29-3, 14 KOs) tested positive for COVID-19, but he’s expected to make a quick recovery so that he can face the former WBC/WBO 140-lb champion Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs) in the main event on March 4th.
Assuming the 32-year-old Pedraza makes a full recovery from his illness, he should provide a stern test for the 29-year-old Ramirez, who has a high volume style of fighting that makes him easy to hit.
‘Sniper’ Pedraza is a highly-skilled former two-division world champion who only recently moved up to the 140-lb division in 2019.
In Pedraza’s four fights at 140, he’s gone 3-1 against these fighters:
- Julian Rodriguez – RTD 8 W
- Javier Molina – UD 10 W
- Mikkel LesPierre – UD 10 W
- Jose Zepeda – UD 10 L
It was a step too far with Pedraza facing the huge puncher Jose Zepeda in his first fight in the 140-lb division in 2019.
If Pedraza had more time to acclimate to the light welterweight division before facing Zepeda, he would have done better against him.
Still, you’ve got to give Pedraza HUGE credit for taking the fight with Zepeda right off the bat in his first fight in the new weight class.
You can’t rule out a victory for Pedraza against Ramirez on March 4th, as he showed a lot of flaws in his last fight.
Ramirez, 29, will be returning home to his hometown in Fresno, California, to fight for the first time since losing his WBC & WBO light welterweight titles in his last fight a year ago on May 22nd in a unification fight against IBF/WBA 140-lb champion Josh Taylor in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ramirez made mental mistakes against Taylor that cost him the fight, mainly when the two were in close. Ramirez wasn’t ready for the power shots that Taylor was catching him with on the inside, and led to him getting dropped twice.
On the undercard of the Ramirez vs. Pedraza event, 2020 Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. will be making his debut in the professional ranks.
In the chief support bout, highly ranked 126-lb featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez will be battling Jeo Santisima in a scheduled 10 round fight.
Tickets for the Ramirez vs. Pedraza on March 4th can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets purchased for the Feb. 5 date will be honored for March 4.