“I really want that fight. He’s been talking a lot. I was willing to give him my opportunity after I beat Adames for the belt, but now that he’s going for the WBO, it’s even better. Have him win that, and then we’ll make it happen. He’s next. I want him. I need that fight,” Ramos Jr. told Boxingscene.
That is an ambitious plan for someone who has not yet become the WBC champion. The sanctioning body has ordered champion Carlos Adames to face the Ramos-Nursultanov winner. Hernandez still needs the WBO committee to grant his mandatory title shot before attempting to defeat Bentley.
September 19 cannot be treated as a formality. Ramos Jr.’s disputed 2023 loss to Erickson Lubin showed that persistent pressure and heavier punches do not guarantee victory against a disciplined boxer who controls distance and refuses prolonged exchanges.
The four victories since that defeat have not erased every concern. Johan Gonzalez was rebuilding opposition at super welterweight. Ramos Jr. then debuted at middleweight against an aging Jeison Rosario before meeting Guido Schramm at 155¾ pounds. Shane Mosley Jr. provided his first credible test against a full-sized middleweight, but beating him did not establish Ramos Jr. as the division’s leading fighter.
Nursultanov’s inactivity may give Ramos Jr. his best early advantage. The Kazakh contender has not fought since defeating Julio Alamos in November 2023. Nearly three years outside the ring can dull the timing required to read Ramos Jr.’s pressure, particularly during the opening rounds.
Once Nursultanov settles, his upright posture, stiff jab, and step-around angles can force Ramos Jr. to restart his attacks. He cannot copy Lubin’s tactics exactly because Nursultanov is orthodox and Lubin fought Ramos Jr. from a southpaw stance. However, the underlying task remains similar: deny Ramos Jr. stationary targets, turn him after his combinations, and prevent him from building sustained offense.
A Hernandez fight would carry considerably more value if each man held a world title. One loss on September 19 would erase Ramos Jr.’s plans for Adames, Hernandez, and a unification in a single night.
