It's not foreign for hyperbole to be injected into the promotion building up to a boxing mega fight. However, none is needed here.
That's because, Josh Taylor facing Jose Ramirez in an undisputed junior welterweight title mega bout Saturday night from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is the epitome of a genuine 50-50 fight just as it has been billed from the very start.
“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 when the bout was first announced in March. “It’s a true 50-50 fight, one that the fans and both fighters demanded.”
Oddsmakers see it as a close fight as well, with Bet MGM listing Taylor, the WBA (Super) and IBF champion, a -250 favorite to WBC/WBO champ Ramirez as the +200 underdog just three days ahead of their clash for undisputed junior welterweight glory.
So, what will spell the difference in the biggest fight of the undefeated world champions' respective careers?
DAZN News tries to piece it all together by analyzing their fighting styles and taking a look back how each boxer became a unified world champ, before awarding the slight edge to one combatant.
Styles make fights and Taylor vs. Ramirez figures to be explosive
Quick: Set a timer for how long it will take for Taylor and Ramirez to willingly step foot into the phonebooth and trade dynamite Saturday night. Both Taylor, a southpaw, and Ramirez, who fights in the orthodox stance, love to throw that left hook with bad intentions. The only difference with how each world champ uses the weapon of choice is Ramirez has a penchant to use his fast-twitch muscle fibers to land the shot with more zip — and in turn, render damaging results. Taylor, on the other hand, can head hunt with his left hook, too, but also enjoys ripping the body with the blow. How that meshes Saturday night will be intriguing to say the least.
How Taylor became a unified junior welterweight world champ; October 2019
Taylor flashed his power, dropping Ivan Baranchyk twice in the sixth round, en route to a dominating unanimous decision win to become IBF champion in May 2019. He followed that up five months later with a stirring performance in the World Boxing Super Series by edging Regis Prograis via majority decision to put the WBA (Super) title around his waist as well. The victory over Prograis proved multiple points.
Taylor once again showcased that he can be the aggressor against an opponent who's touted to having more punching power. In the process, Taylor also demonstrated that his clean punching packs major pop — especially that left hook, whether it's aimed upstairs or crashing against the body. Perhaps most importantly, Taylor showed that he can stay in close quarters for a majority of a 12-round fight and land the better, more impactful shots over back-and-forth action.
How Ramirez became a unified junior welterweight world champ; July 2019
It's as if Ramirez's left hook is screaming "Just ... like ... that" any time he detonates it because its effects are downright devastating. Just ask Maurice Hooker. The two walked into their title unification bout set for 12 rounds two summers ago, but Ramirez would only need half of those frames to close the show.
After showing a granite chin, eating pulverizing shots from Hooker, Ramirez returned fire in the sixth round and absolute carnage ensued. That's when Ramirez launched a nasty left hook across Hooker's jaw that wobbled "Mighty Mo," before a barrage of punches had Hooker knocked out on his feet. The epitome of just ... like ... that, as Ramirez captured the WBO title to go along with his WBC strap that night.
Common opponent: Viktor Postol
Viewing a common opponent can be an indicator for how fighters will fare against each other. Or it could have absolutely no bearing on how a bout turns out. That being said, for what it's worth, both Ramirez and Taylor collected decision victories over Postol, a ruggedly tough Ukrainian fighter. Taylor scored a unanimous decision over Postol, overcoming turbulence during the seventh and eighth rounds, before regaining control and riding out the victory back in June 2018.
Ramirez took a majority decision over Postol in August 2020, having to shake off some ring rust and nearly dropping Postol with a massive left hook in the seventh, before earning the points win.
Taylor vs. Ramirez: Who has the slight edge?
Both Taylor and Ramirez have shown the ability to fight fire with fire and they may have to do so yet again to clinch undisputed glory. Watch for Taylor's volume in sticking out that jab and being the aggressor, while mixing in that left hook to the body. If he can do that effectively and dictate the pace, Taylor could put Ramirez in an early hole and give judges enough eye candy to take a decision.
However, Ramirez will eat punches to advance and land something devastating in the blink of an eye. And when he does, he doesn't let up. Ramirez is voracious in the way he can smother an opponent, especially after landing that left hook. For that, and that reason alone, Ramirez gets the slightest razor-thin edge in this fight.
Follow DAZN News on Saturday night for all the live updates, results and highlights from the Taylor vs. Ramirez title unification fight.