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Gary Russell Jr. says it’s an indication of weak spot for Devin Haney to make use of Jose Ramirez as his comeback opponent in Could in his first combat since his loss to Ryan Garcia.
The previous WBC and WBO gentle welterweight champion Ramirez is the warmup combat to get Haney prepared for his rematch with Ryan in October. The previous two-division world champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) will make some huge cash in his rematch with Kingry and a combat in February 2026 towards probably Teofimo Lopez.
Stepping Stone
It’s nonetheless a dangerous combat for Devin as a result of Ramirez is healthier than anybody he’s overwhelmed besides Vasily Lomachenko. Russell Jr. thinks the selection of Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) as Haney’s tune-up opponent alerts that his administration is making an attempt to “preserve” his profession.
It’s a wise transfer by Workforce Haney as a result of he took loads of punishment in his 12-round majority resolution loss to Garcia on April twentieth final 12 months on the Barclays Middle in Brooklyn. Devin was dropped 3 times and suffered a jaw damage.
It might be foolhardy for Haney to leap proper in with the sharks instantly at 147 after 13 months out of the ring coming off. The combat towards Ramirez shall be at welterweight and Devin’s debut on this weight class, though he rehydrates within the 160s.
The 2012 U.S. Olympian Ramirez was a reasonably good puncher at 140, and he could also be much more highly effective at 147. Russell focuses on Ramirez’s current shut 10-round unanimous resolution loss to Arnold Barboza Jr. on November sixteenth.
Barboza Jr outboxed Ramirez, however he did a very good job of constructing it shut in the long run together with his relentless strain. The scores have been 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94.
“With what happened with Ryan, this isn’t the guy to come back and fight,” stated Gary Russell Jr. to MillCity Boxing about Devin Haney coming again towards former WBC and WBO gentle welterweight champion Jose Ramirez in Could. “Now, you’re supposed, ‘I’ll combat whoever now. Anyone can get it.’
“Now it looks like, ‘I lost. All right, I’m going to try and fight that one over there.’ They’re trying to preserve his career. That’s what people do. I understand it. I understand you trying to preserve your career, but from the inside looking out, Devin Haney and them, you’re supposed to do what’s best for you.”
Russell Jr. doesn’t give any examples of who he feels Haney ought to combat at 147 for his comeback. There will not be loads of choices for accessible contenders within the division. Jose Ramirez would beat many of the contenders within the 147-lb division.
The one respectable fighters within the division are Eimantas Stanionis, Jaron Ennis, Brian Norman Jr., and Mario Barrios. Ramirez would give all of them issues. Ennis would most likely be an excessive amount of for him, however he’d have a superb shot at beating the opposite three champions.
“If that’s the route that y’all feel that y’all need to take, then do that. There is a flipside of that. People are like, ‘Damn, he just lost. He lost, and he ran.’ I want him to come back, but he got to come back hard now. Now you come back with that [Jose Ramirez]. That’s not coming back hard. You got to pick your poison and do what’s best for you,” stated Russell Jr. about Haney.
“Sometimes, ‘f*** what these people think. It depends on what you’re looking at. If you plan on being the big dog, then nah,” stated Russell Jr. when requested if he was in favor of Haney preventing Ramirez. “But if you’re planning on keeping your head load. ‘I’m going to go ahead and get what I can get.”
Haney is principally ignoring what individuals consider him as a result of if he was centered on them, he’d face somebody actually harmful and sure lose.
