Ramirez rebounds with close win over Pedraza

Jose Ramirez’s quest to regain his 140-pound titles began successfully Friday night with a unanimous-decision victory over Jose Pedraza on ESPN+.

All three judges scored the fight 116-112 for Ramirez, who was fighting in his hometown, Fresno, California, for the first time in three years.

The matchup was Ramirez’s first since May, when Josh Taylor handed him his first pro defeat in a battle for the undisputed junior welterweight championship. Ramirez was dropped twice in that bout but didn’t take on a soft touch in his comeback fight.

Instead, he faced a former champion in Pedraza, who boxed well in spurts Friday but couldn’t find consistency.

Like many of Ramirez’s recent bouts, it was a close decision win over a contender. But unlike in the disputed decision wins over Viktor Postol and Jose Zepeda, Ramirez earned a clear victory.

“Jose Pedraza is a smart, experienced fighter; he was going to find a way to survive and put up a fight,” said Ramirez, ESPN’s No. 2 boxer. “He was there boxing toward the end of the fight. My hat’s off to him and his team. He was well prepared. … I got to see where I am right now.”