LOS ANGELES (February 19, 2024) – Rising super flyweight star John “Scrappy” Ramirez has patiently waited to learn about his impending world title shot against World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Flyweight World Champion Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs). On January 13th, the WBA ordered both camps to negotiate an agreement by February 15th or Ioka vs. Ramirez would go to purse bid.
News recently broke (BoxingScene.com), however, that Ioka has reportedly petitioned the WBA, through Shisei Promotions, for permission to next fight lineal and World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Flyweight World Champion Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) in a unification fight, targeted for July 3 in Tokyo, just as the WBA-ordered deadline approached for Ioka to come to terms with his mandatory challenger, Ramirez.
“It would be easy to get frustrated when you don’t get what you want,” Ramirez explained, “but I remind myself to trust the process. I know my team is doing its part and I am, too. It’s all about trusting the process and I’m a strong believer in that. I need to stay patient and focused in the gym, on my vision and my dream.
“I’m an old school fighter. After I win the belt, I want to fight three, four, five times a year defending it before I make the move to 118 (pounds). I’ve also had several conversations with the WBA and its committee, and I believe this fight will be next.
“I’ve been saying all along that I’ll fight him in Japan, I’d fight him on the moon. He’s the champion and I’m willing to fight him anywhere. I’m not getting frustrated and know that I need to stay smart. The beauty of the journey is I don’t have all the answers. But I get it. If I’m Ioka, I wouldn’t want to fight me either. He knows the game and knows I can send the 34-year-old into retirement.”
After enduring a 10-plus month wait to fight in a (WBA) title eliminator, “Scrappy” demolished WBA No. 7-ranked Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs) last October 21st, dramatically flooring him twice to close the DAZN show in the fourth and final round. “Scrappy” was elevated to the No. 1-ranked, mandatory challenger position for Ioka. A four-division world champion, Ioka was crowned the WBA super flyweight world champion after defeating defending champion Joshua Franco by way of a 12-round unanimous decision (116-112 twice and 115-113) last June in a rematch of their previous draw.
When Ioka vs. Estrada failed to materialize for this past New Year’s Eve in Tokyo, Ioka was allowed to make a voluntary defense against No. 8-rated Josber Perez(20-3), who was stopped in the seventh round. Estrada, incidentally, hasn’t fought since December 3, 2022, when he defeated Roman Gonzalez by a 12-round majority decision in the finale of their trilogy.
Now, Ioka wants to fight Estrada at the expense of “Scrappy” Ramirez. The hope for Ramirez is that the WBA will deny Ioka’s request and order him to fight “Scrappy” within 90-days or be stripped of his world title belt.
“I’ve been saying for a long time, ‘and the new champion’,” Ramirez summed things up. “I actually feel like the champion right now. I just don’t have the belt to prove it, but all that’s left for me is to go get that WBA belt.”
All “Scrappy” needs is the world title shot he’s earned.
INFORMATION: