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Add FightsATW on GoogleBoxing returns to sunny San Diego, California, on Saturday night, live from the Pechanga Arena and streaming on DAZN. Although the main event between Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz and Nestor Bravo will draw the majority of attention, a good percentage of fans will tune in to the WBC interim middleweight title fight between champion Jesus Ramos Jnr and the undefeated Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KOs).
The 25-year-old Ramos Jnr (24-1, 19 KOs) from Casa Grande, Arizona, has been a pro for eight years. Although it appeared his moment to capture a world title would occur at junior middleweight, a loss to Erickson Lubin in September 2023 derailed those plans for a bit, and he would eventually move up to middleweight. Moving up in weight class earned him a shot at Shane Mosley Jnr in December, which not only saw him earn a unanimous decision but also made him the WBC interim middleweight champion.
Since then, Ramos Jnr hasn’t fought until his upcoming bout on Saturday night, but during that time, things have been falling into place for him outside the ring.
“I’ve been enjoying my life and my time,” Ramos Jnr told FightsATW. “I’ve been in the gym working hard. It was just that I was recovering from an injury from my last fight. I took a little longer layoff, just making sure everything is right and to come back healthy. We are blessed, and I’m just happy to be back in the ring.”
The injury mentioned was what Ramos Jnr described as “hand trauma,” but it was serious enough to keep him out of the ring.
“It wasn’t anything serious, just hand trauma from punching so much,” he said. “The only thing I could do was give it time.
“We tried to get a fight earlier in the year, but my hand wasn’t fully recovered. We took our time to make sure everything was right. Now everything is going so smoothly. It’s been a while since I had a training camp like this, where I’m healthy, and everything is flowing.”
While recovering from his injury, something happened to Ramos Jnr that will leave an eternal mark on his family’s legacy: he received the key to the city of Casa Grande. The presentation of the key to the city was kept under wraps, and the only thing Ramos Jnr knew was that he was receiving some sort of recognition at the city council’s meeting. This setup made it feel even more satisfying when he found out what he was actually being presented with.
“It was a surreal moment for me,” said Ramos Jnr about receiving the key to the city. “It was awesome. I don’t know how to explain it. The crazy part is that we recently got a theater here in town, and they were having a Toby Keith tribute. I was super excited about that show, and it was the same day. They didn’t tell me I was getting the key to the city. They told me I was getting some kind of an award at the city council meeting and to just show up. It didn’t sound that serious, and I was like, ‘Man, I wish I could stay and watch the concert.’ I thought I would just go handle that and then go straight back to the concert.
“I went, and I’m thinking it was going to be something fast, and then they said my name and that they were honored to give me the key to the city. Everything hit me right there. It was beautiful. I almost wanted to cry, especially since the mayor gave a beautiful speech about my family and how hard we worked for years.”
While it was special for Ramos Jnr to receive that recognition, it was time to get back in the ring now that his hand is healthy. Although Ramos Jnr is an eight-year veteran, he’s only 25, and his mindset is a little different than it was when he was coming up as a junior middleweight contender.
“A lot [has changed] in every aspect,” he said. “I haven’t lost the focus for the main belt and unifying. It’s one title, and it’s meant a lot, but it’ll mean more when I have the real one, unify, and get all the belts in the 160-pound division. I’m not comfortable with what I got, but I’m grateful. I’m a little older now, so the experience is different.”
On Saturday, Ramos Jnr faces an undefeated tough fighter, Nursultanov, who he must get past to earn a big fight in 2027. Ramos Jnr isn’t overlooking his opponent, but he knows the winner already has a shot at the full champion, Carlos Adames, next. With that opportunity on the horizon, what should fans expect from Ramos Jnr on Saturday night at the Pechanga Arena and live on DAZN?
“The impression I’m going to leave is that they’ll be worried about what I’m going to do to Carlos Adames. [They’ll say] ‘If this guy shows up against Carlos Adames, he’s going to destroy him.’ That’s the impression I want to leave because I strongly believe that’s what’s going to happen. I will beat Carlos Adames. I just have to earn that. The first step is getting through Meiirim, and then we’ll go for Adames.”
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