LAS VEGAS – February 15, 2023 – Three high-stakes showdowns will put young stars and unbeaten contenders in the toughest tests of their careers to date, all as part of a jam-packed night leading up to the highly anticipated SHOWTIME PPV main event between super middleweight stars and former world champions David “El Bandera Roja’’ Benavídez and Caleb Plant taking place on Saturday, March 25 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
In the co-main event, unbeaten rising stars Jesús “Mono” Ramos and Joey Spencer will go toe-to-toe in a 10-round super welterweight scuffle, as each fighter looks to make their claim as the future of the 154-pound division. The action will also see rising lightweights Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela meet in a 10-round duel, while unbeaten welterweight contender Cody Crowley faces the hard-hitting Abel Ramos in the telecast opener at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased HERE through AXS.com.
“With such an intriguing fight in the main event, it was only right that the Benavidez vs. Plant pay-per-view undercard was also filled with evenly matched showdowns highlighted by future stars looking for signature victories,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Jesús Ramos vs. Joey Spencer will help determine who might be the next star at 154-pounds, while two more young stars also square off on the pay-per-view as Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela go toe-to-toe. With Cody Crowley putting his unbeaten record on the line against the upset-minded Abel Ramos in the telecast opener, this card lines up to be a can’t-miss event on March 25 in Las Vegas.”
A strong southpaw who at 21 has yet to come close to hitting his ceiling as a fighter, Ramos (19-0, 15 KOs) is the nephew of welterweight contender Abel Ramos but has forged his own path toward stardom since turning pro in 2018. Jesús Ramos added two victories to his ledger in 2022, blasting out Vladimir Hernandez in round six in February before dominating Luke Santamaria in May to earn a unanimous decision. A native of Casa Grande, Ariz., Ramos also owns back-to-back 10-round unanimous decisions over Brian Mendoza and Javier Molina in 2021. Overall, the youthful Ramos has gained recognition with highlight-reel KOs, stopping six of his last nine opponents, showcasing a desire to end his fights early.
“I’ve been in the gym for months now getting ready for this opportunity and everything has been great,” said [Jesús] Ramos. “I’m expecting the best version of Joey Spencer on March 25. I know I have what it takes to beat him because of the preparation we’ve been putting in, my dedication, my skills and my will to win. I’m excited to be part of one of the biggest cards of the year thus far, and I know we will give the fans an exciting fight!”
The 22-year-old Spencer (16-0, 10 KOs) turned pro in February 2018 and immediately caught the eye of fans and pundits with his combination of speed, power and athleticism. Spencer’s most recent outing saw him earn a career-best triumph as he controlled the action throughout and scored a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Kevin Salgado in September 2022. The Linden, Mich., native has remained busy since debuting as a pro, including two knockouts out of three victories in his 2021 campaign. Prior to the Salgado fight, Spencer dispatched of Ravshan Hudaynazarov via unanimous decision in March 2022.
“It’s not that often that fans get to see fights between two undefeated rising fighters like [Jesús] Ramos and I’m thankful to be a part of it,” said Spencer. “This is the fight I asked for, and for it to take place on one of the biggest cards of the year is very special. I’m training to put the rest of the division on notice come fight night.”
Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) will look to impress in his lightweight debut after dropping a hard-fought contest to super featherweight world champion Hector Luis Garcia in February 2022. After a decorated amateur career, Colbert turned pro in 2015 and took out three undefeated fighters in his first eight bouts. Since then, he took care of a slew of former champions and contenders including Jezzrel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda and Tugstsogt Nyambayar to establish himself as a potential future world champion. He will now seek to reach that goal at 135-pounds.
“I’m happy to be back,” said Colbert. “Training camp is going amazingly for this fight. Like I’ve said before, there’s no pressure on me. I bring the pressure. It’s ‘Primetime’ on SHOWTIME®! I’m back baby!”
The 23-year-old Valenzuela (12-1, 8 KOs) trains as a stablemate of unbeaten two-time world champion Benavidez and will look for a big bounce back victory after dropping a September 2022 contest to Edwin De Los Santos. Valenzuela, who turned pro in 2018, was sensational prior to the loss, including a first-round knockout of former world champion Francisco Vargas in April 2022. Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela rode a five-bout knockout streak before earning his first 10-round decision in a victory over Deiner Berrio in September 2021.
“I’m extremely motivated for this fight and have been training really hard,” said Valenzuela. “The difference with this camp is that I was in shape when camp started, so it’s giving me a head start on my preparation. My strength and conditioning are at a whole new level and I can’t wait to show everyone what I’m capable of in this fight.”
Representing his native Ontario, Canada, Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring after a pair of impressive victories that have catapulted him up the 147-pound division. In December 2021, he took care of the previously unbeaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov with a unanimous decision, and most recently he turned back the streaking Josesito Lopez with another unanimous decision in April 2022. The 29-year-old had previously defeated Josh Torres in September 2020 following a 2019 run that saw him win a Canadian super welterweight title with a 12-round decision over Stuart McLellan in February.
“After years of hard work and dedication, I’m thrilled to be fighting back on the big stage for this fight,” said Crowley. “I have succeeded in overcoming obstacles and adversity, and Abel Ramos will not be able to stop me from achieving my dream of becoming world champion. I’m dedicating this fight to my father’s memory and to all of those who have worked diligently to help me succeed against all odds.”
Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs) is part of a boxing family out of Casa Grande, Ariz., which includes his nephew, rising star Jesús Ramos, who he shares a card with for the fourth-straight time. The 31-year-old has built a reputation as a hardnosed boxer who doesn’t back down from a fight and gives as good as he gets. He turned the tables on Omar Figueroa, Jr., when he went toe-to-toe and forced Figueroa to quit on his stool in May 2021. He also owns a split-decision defeat over former welterweight world champion Yordenis Ugas, and has shown a flair for the dramatic when he scored a TKO victory over Bryant Perrella in the waning seconds of their fight in 2020. Ramos will look to bounce back from a decision loss against Luke Santamaria in his last fight in February.
“I’m having a great training camp and I can’t wait until it’s time to get into the ring,” said Ramos. “I’m prepared to take on Crowley and show off everything I’ve been working on in camp. I’m facing a strong opponent, but I believe that my experience in these big fights will get me the victory on March 25.”
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