Weekend boxing preview: Ramirez vs. Hooker, Davis vs. Nunez
July 24th, 2019
A junior welterweight title unification and the return of a rising star highlight the in-ring action Saturday. Jose Carlos Ramirez and Maurice Hooker will put their undefeated records and titles on the line on DAZN, while Gervonta Davis will take on the rugged Ricardo Nunez on Showtime.
Hooker has a freakish 80-inch reach and will need to utilize it more than any of his previous fights to diffuse Ramirez's pressure. Ramirez is a swarmer and will be constantly attacking to close the gap and force Hooker to fight on the inside, where he has shown vulnerability.
The fight will unfold in a predictable fashion to start, but the ending is open for interpretation. Hooker likely head into the middle rounds with a lead before begins to have less success keeping Ramirez off him. Either from fatigue or to get Ramirez's respect, Hooker will abandon his reach and cede ground to Ramirez, and should Ramirez manage to steal rounds early on, the narrative of the fight will change. Hooker will have to fight Ramirez's fight to come out with a victory.
A draw is not out of the question, but Ramirez will get more credit on the scorecards for coming ahead than Hooker will for going backward.
Nunez does have formidable power, according to his stat line, but all that has done is establish him as the darling of the Panamanian club fighting circuit and has him falling in line with many of Davis' previous opponents—either too small or too slow to seriously trouble him. Considering Nunez has already been stopped early in his career and is taking a huge step up in class, Davis couldn't have picked a better opponent to give the Baltimore crowd some fireworks.
Davis is one of the biggest punchers in his weight class and is also one of the fastest. His last two fights have ended within three rounds, and unless Nunez is one of the best-kept secrets in the sport, Davis won't need more than a round or two to down Nunez in ghastly fashion.
These are the two headlining fights this weekend, but they aren't the only bouts. Check them all out at BetAmerica!
Jose Carlos Ramirez (24-0, 16 KOs) -120 vs. Maurice Hooker (26-0-3, 17 KOs) -105
Boxing free pick: Ramirez (decision)
This junior welterweight title unification features two undefeated champions who will look to establish themselves at the top of one of the sport's most competitive divisions. Both fighters are capable champions and have looked impressive in recent performances, which suggests this fight will be as close as the odds indicate.Hooker has a freakish 80-inch reach and will need to utilize it more than any of his previous fights to diffuse Ramirez's pressure. Ramirez is a swarmer and will be constantly attacking to close the gap and force Hooker to fight on the inside, where he has shown vulnerability.
The fight will unfold in a predictable fashion to start, but the ending is open for interpretation. Hooker likely head into the middle rounds with a lead before begins to have less success keeping Ramirez off him. Either from fatigue or to get Ramirez's respect, Hooker will abandon his reach and cede ground to Ramirez, and should Ramirez manage to steal rounds early on, the narrative of the fight will change. Hooker will have to fight Ramirez's fight to come out with a victory.
A draw is not out of the question, but Ramirez will get more credit on the scorecards for coming ahead than Hooker will for going backward.
Gervonta Davis (21-0, 20 KOs) -2375 vs. Ricardo Nunez (21-2, 19 KOs) +900
Boxing free pick: Davis (knockout)
Baltimore will host its first world title fight in nearly a century when hometown champion Gervonta "Tank" Davis defends his super featherweight title against another hopelessly outgunned opponent in Ricardo Nunez. While this looks like a potentially explosive fight on paper, because both fighters have high knockout percentages, this has the makings of another quick night for Davis.Nunez does have formidable power, according to his stat line, but all that has done is establish him as the darling of the Panamanian club fighting circuit and has him falling in line with many of Davis' previous opponents—either too small or too slow to seriously trouble him. Considering Nunez has already been stopped early in his career and is taking a huge step up in class, Davis couldn't have picked a better opponent to give the Baltimore crowd some fireworks.
Davis is one of the biggest punchers in his weight class and is also one of the fastest. His last two fights have ended within three rounds, and unless Nunez is one of the best-kept secrets in the sport, Davis won't need more than a round or two to down Nunez in ghastly fashion.
These are the two headlining fights this weekend, but they aren't the only bouts. Check them all out at BetAmerica!
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