Jose Ramirez vs Jose Pedraza rescheduled after positive Covid-19 test
- Joe Hewlett
- 11 January 2022
Jose Ramirez's return to the ring has been delayed after his opponent tested positive for Covid-19.
The homecoming of former unified junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez is happening - just 27 days later than expected.
Central Valley native Ramirez will fight former two-weight world champion Jose "Sniper" Pedraza in the 12-round main event on March 4 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
Ramirez and Pedraza were scheduled to fight Saturday, February 5, but Pedraza tested positive for Covid-19.
The fight between the pair has been tipped to be a 'Fight of the Year contender' by Top Rank's VP.
Ramirez, who previously held the WBC and WBO titles, is working towards a first return to the ring since a first professional defeat to Josh Taylor.
The Scottish southpaw dropped Ramirez twice on his way to earning a unanimous decision win to become undisputed world champion at 140lbs.
Elsewhere on the card, in a six-round heavyweight special feature immediately before the main event, Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr., from the Central Valley town of Tulare, California, will make his long-awaited professional debut.
The 10-round co-feature will see the Top Rank debut of featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez, who will fight Filipino veteran Jeo Santisima.
Gonzalez (24-2, 14 KOs), from Glendora, California, is ranked in the top 10 at featherweight by two sanctioning organisations.
He received his first world title shot in October 2019, dropping a unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBO featherweight title.
Nearly two years later, he challenged Emanuel Navarrete for the same belt, and the two combined for a Fight of the Year contender.
The entire Ramirez-Pedraza card will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.
