LOS ANGELES (July 11, 2023) – Undefeated super flyweight John “Scrappy” Ramirez (11-0, 8 KOs), fighting out of South-Central Los Angeles, seems to be the best kept secret in the super flyweight division.
Ramirez, 26, is rarely if ever mentioned by the media as an elite super flyweight, despite him being the top rated 115-pounder in the World Boxing Association (WBA) ratings.
Boxing is a risk-reward sport, and the bottom line is “Scrappy” is too risky for many of the “name” super flyweights to fight, at least right now. His problem is the relatively late start he got in boxing. He has been on the fast track, capturing the WBA Continental and North American Boxing Association (NABA) super flyweight titles along his long, arduous journey. More significantly, though, is that he’s extremely explosive in the ring and improving each fight.
“Scrappy” accepted an offer last December to face veteran Thai boxer Sirichai Thaiyen (64-4, 42 KOs), who was then rated No, 3 (the No. 1 spot is open), in a WBA Title Eliminator to determine the mandatory challenger for WBA Super Flyweight World Champion Joshua “El Profesor” Franco. Nothing materialized, Thaiyen has been dropped to No. 8 in the WBA’s ratings, and Franco lost his title to Kazuto Ioka (30-3-1, 15 KOs) and retired. Ramirez’ opponent is being determined. The WBA will go down its ratings until it secures the highest-rated fighter who is available and accepts the challenge to fight “Scrappy.”
“I’ll fight whoever is put in front of me,” Ramirez explained. “In the end, boxing is a business and the only thing I’m missing is a world title. I am on the path to what I want, fighting the new WBA super flyweight champion, (Kazuto) Ioka. I’ll go to Japan to fight him if that’s what it’ll take.”
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WBA SUPER FLYWEIGHT RATINGS
Champion : Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs), Japan
- Unrated
- John “Scrappy’’ Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs), USA – WBA Continental Champion
- Kosei Tanaka (19-1, 11 KOs), Japan
- Roman “Chocolito” Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs), Nicaragua
- Bin Lu (3-1, 2 KOs), China – WBA International Champion
- “El General” David Cuellar Contreras (23-0, 16 KOs), Mexico
- Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs), Panama
- Sirichai Thaiyen (65-5, 43 KOs, Thailand
- Argi Cortez (25-3-2, 10 KOs), Mexico
- Phumelele “Truth” Cafu (8-0-3, 7 KOs), South Africa
- Felix Montenegro (12-9-1, 8 KOs), Panama
- Kenta Nakagawa (24-4-1, 12 KOs), Panama
- Rene “El Indio” Calixto Bibiano (20-0, 7 KOs), Mexico
- Winston “El Fantasmas” Guerrero (19-0, 12 KOs), Nicaragua
- Keiver “El Chamo” Fernandez (25-1-1, 13 KOs), Venezuela
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Ramirez adds, “The WBA is the oldest organization with great champions throughout its history.”
Ramirez, the lone USA representative in the WBA super flyweight rankings, simply hasn’t had enough time fighting yet as a professional to have an elite name in the WBA ratings such as No. 4 Roman “Chocolito” Gonzalez, the 5-time, 4-division world champion, or even No. 5 Bin Lu, who was a 2020 Chinese Olympian that had a world title fight in only his second pro fight, albeit in a loss to WBA Light Flyweight World Champion to Carlos Canizales. The other world super flyweight champions are all better known than “Scrappy” at this stage of his career: Juan Francisco Estrada (WBC), Fernando Martinez (IBF Super champ), and Junto Nakatani (WBO).
There are also other more recognizable names in the top 15 of the major sanctioning bodies than Ramirez’ in the super flyweight division such as former world champion Donnie Nietes, Srisket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras, Andrew Maloney, and Jade Bonea. Plus, Ramirez is a dangerous opponent for any fighter, including world champions.
“Either the media doesn’t want to talk about me or I’m not relevant,” Ramirez said. “I’m the WBA Continental champ, so I’m in the loop. It doesn’t matter because I’ll get the respect that I deserve. “I’m a high-risk, low-reward fighter right now. I’ve been saying that since day one. I know I’m risky to fight but there are other fighters like me out there. There have been some changes in the WBA with Ioka being the new super flyweight champion. I’m pursuing the eliminator to become Ioka’s mandatory challenger. I won’t be denied. Somebody has to step up in the WBA top 15 and fight me. My time is coming!”
“Scrappy” Ramirez is working with 3 Point Management (3 PM), a growing company based in Los Angeles that has a growing stable of gifted boxers including former world super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), light heavyweight Kareem Hackett (10-0, 5 KOs), super middleweight Cem “Champ” Kilic (17-1, 11 KOs), and heavyweights Darius “DFG “ Fulghum (6-0, 6 KOs) and Zach Spiller (3-0, 2 KOs).
