The next major boxing event takes place on Saturday from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main event features Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez meeting to determine an undisputed junior welterweight champion.
As always with a big-time boxing card, there are certainly plenty of bets to be made. Let's take a look at some of them.
Josh Taylor vs. Jose Ramirez odds
Josh Taylor: -250
Jose Ramirez: +200
(All odds via BetMGM )
BetMGM (as of Friday, May 21) has Taylor installed as a surprisingly big favorite — coming in at -250, meaning you'd need to bet $250 to win $100. Meanwhile, Ramirez is a +200, meaning if you pluck down $100, you will win $200.
Taylor puts himself on the boxing map when he beat Ivan Baranchyk and then Regis Prograis to capture the IBF and WBA (super) junior welterweight titles along with winning the World Boxing Super Series in 2019. In his last time out, Taylor steamrolled mandatory challenger Apinun Khongsong with a vicious first-round knockout in September.
Ramirez got to the fight by winning the vacant WBC belt over Amir Imam in March 2018. He became a unified 140-pound champion when he stopped Maurice Hooker in one of the best fights of 2019 to add the WBO to his collection. Like Taylor, Ramirez fought one time in 2020, besting Viktor Postol to retain his championships.
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Taylor vs. Ramirez prediction
Surprisingly, the odds are this high in favor of Taylor in a fight with the highest stakes. Ramirez is a two-belt champion for a reason. He's no slouch by any means. The way he broke Hooker down to finish him off was a sight to see. But we live in a what you have done for me lately society, which is why Taylor is such a heavy favorite to become the second four-belt holder at 140 pounds, along with Terence Crawford, who accomplished the feat in 2017.
Ramirez narrowly beat Postol via majority decision. It was a fight that you could have easily scored for Postol or a draw. Ramirez won by thatmuch while Taylor wiped out Khongsong one month later.
If you look at the resumes, that also favors the native of Scotland. Taylor took the undefeated records away from Baranchyk and Prograis, with the latter considered either the No. 2 or No. 3 fighter in the division by many pundits. The record of Taylor's last five foes is 110-1. Ramirez's best win is over Hooker, who just got finished by Vergil Ortiz.
Perception is unfortunately reality to a lot of people. Ramirez has a shot. But he has to fight like he did against Hooker and not how he did against Postol. According to Compubox, Ramirez is number one at 140 pounds in punches thrown/round (64), punches landed/round (21), total connect rate (33%), and jab connect rate (24%).
Taylor is coming to make it a firefight. Compubox also says that Taylor has the highest rate of power shots connected in the junior welterweight division (44%). Ramirez gets hit more than any fighter in the weight class with 16 punches landed/round.
The pressure and the heavy absorption of punches will wear Ramirez down, and Taylor gets the job done in the late rounds to become the undisputed junior welterweight champion.
If you're feeling a bit froggy and wanting to spend a little money, you can take Taylor straight up at -250 as those aren't the worst odds to take on a winner. But the best bet would Taylor via stoppage at +350.
Muehlhausen's pick: Josh Taylor
Best odds: Josh Taylor by KO/TKO/Technical Decision/DQ : +350
More Taylor vs. Ramirez odds
Will the fight go the distance?Yes: -350
No: +240
Method of victory
Taylor by KO/TKO/Technical Decision/DQ: +350
Taylor by points: -120
Tie: +1800
Ramirez by KO/TKO/Technical Decision/DQ: +650
Ramirez by points: +350