Boxing champion Jose Ramirez has been compared to a modern-day Muhammad Ali, and could follow Manny Pacquiao into politics
- Jose Ramirez is a boxer unlike most others.
- Ramirez spoke to Insider ahead of his world super lightweight title defense against Viktor Postol. But rather than plug the fight, Ramirez wanted to promote social issues instead.
- His political awareness outside the ring has drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali, who transcended boxing because of his stances on war, race, and class.
- Considering the anti-immigrant rhetoric from the highest political office in the United States, there is perhaps no fighter, with a "pro-immigrant and proud" message as important as Ramirez's.
Jose Ramirez is a boxing champion unlike most others, and it's easy to see why.
Ahead of a world title fight, it is customary to call your opponent a loser, incite violence at the weigh-in ceremony, or even issue bone-chilling death threats.
But Ramirez, a 28-year-old from central California, is different.
Days before he defends his WBC and WBO super lightweight belts against the Ukrainian Viktor Postol at a behind-closed-doors ESPN show in Las Vegas Saturday, Ramirez spoke to Insider about his family, his relationship with God, and his political ideals.
Ramirez answered with graceful diplomacy when we asked about Donald Trump. He told us that he's "pro-immigrant and proud." And he talked at length about agriculture, green policies, and community spirit.
The fighter's activist mentality has drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali, the three-time world heavyweight champion who transcended boxing because of his positions on race, class, and war.
"Jose Ramirez, in my view, is the most socially involved American fighter since Muhammad Ali," Ramirez's promoter Bob Arum, the 88-year-old founder of the powerful Las Vegas fight firm Top Rank, told Yahoo Sports.
Ramirez's manager Rick Mirigian said similar to The Sacramento Bee. "Whether it's water or immigrant rights, he puts his money where his mouth is."
From the fields to the fights
The sun would beat 100-degree heat onto Ramirez's neck as he worked the farms during the summer holidays as a kid.
He'd labor outside in his teenage years, picking bell peppers in the fields, wanting to work and earn money so he could pay for his own things — clothes and a cell phone — as well as help out with a bill or two at home, relieving some of the financial burden from his parents.
And so he found a job in the agriculture business, making $390 a week.
"During the day, I would wake up at 4 a.m. or 4.30 a.m., go to work at 5 a.m, finish at 4 p.m. and go to the gym for 4.30 p.m., train for two hours, and then go home and rest so I can do it all again the next morning.
"That was a typical day during those summers," he recalled.
Ramirez never changed his work ethic even when school restarted in September. He's always been an early-riser.
"I'd wake up early and go for a run," he said. "Then I'd go to school, learn, go to the boxing gym afterward, and I played soccer as well after high school. Training with the team in the evenings.
"I'd then go home, do my homework, and sleep."
A child of immigrants
Ramirez's pro-immigrant stance is defined by his lived experience.
"My parents migrated from Mexico in 1987. I was born in the United States in 1992, first-generation, raised in a small farming community in California with a population of 10,000 people who dedicated their lives to the agriculture business.
"That's what I saw," he said. "A first-generation kid in that community where people had similar upbringings and lifestyles.
"My parents dedicated themselves to be good and loving. They taught me what's good and what's bad - faith in God. And made sure they were raising me and my siblings in the best way possible."
Ramirez said he loved life as a boy and didn't see that other kids may have had "extra privileges."
"Our innocence was colorful," he said.
He started boxing at eight years old in the year 2000. Even at that young age, his dream was to become a champion and knew if he rose to the top he could earn serious cash to "give more privileges to my family than we were used to.
"To give my future kids a better school, better education, making sure we don't struggle for food and live check by check.
"Back to the beginnings, it was a very simple life. I feel very honored I was raised in such a humble community. I grew up appreciating who those people were [farmers] … making it easy for the rest of America to go to the local goods store and get their food.
"That's where my passion for these hard-working people started off."
A political awakening that packed a punch
Ramirez is a fighter by trade. That's clear. He's unbeaten in an eight-year professional career with 17 knockouts from 25 wins.
He became a world champion in 2018 before annexing a second belt the following year with a signature stoppage win over Maurice Hooker in Arlington.
Against Hooker, Ramirez foiled his foe with expert head movement, a superior ability to close the gap and box inside, and make his opponent wince with painful body shots.
The referee jumped on Hooker when the Texan was on the ropes, getting battered by a merciless Ramirez in the performance of his career.
Watch the highlights here:
No doubt, Ramirez is an exhilarating fighter. And should he keep winning while competing in talent-rich weight categories, he will become a great one.
But speaking to Insider, Ramirez was always humble. He never bragged. And he also refused to bad-mouth opponents — those in the ring, and outside of it.
Insider asked Ramirez about Trump, his stance on immigration, and what he would do to combat anti-immigrant mentality, should he seek office in a post-boxing career.
"We are pro-immigrant and proud," he said, adding that he wants to motivate people.
"They should be proud to be immigrants just as an American, as a European American, who might have colored eyes and light skin.
"I want to remind people that America is a land of opportunity. And part of that is to motivate politicians to fight for immigration reform. We have the power to elect certain officials and it's their job to work for us.
"These elections, I haven't heard much about immigration reform besides opening or closing the borders. It's sad to see people running for president, who don't have answers to those questions."
Green policy, clean water
Immigration reform isn't the only issue Ramirez is passionate about.
As Kevin Iole for Yahoo Sports reported, "he's lobbied for water rights on behalf of the California Latino Water Coalition. He's worked to raise money for scholarships for needy students [in his community], who wouldn't be able to attend college otherwise."
Ramirez told Insider: "In California, it's a very environmental state, so I'd lean more towards parties that benefit the animals, going green."
He said because California is so agriculturally important to the rest of the country, providing many crops nationwide, the importance of correct water storage, and farmers having enough water to farm cannot be understated.
A Pacquiao, Klitschko, and Ali for 2020 and beyond
Fighters have hung up the gloves to concentrate on politics before. The former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is the current mayor of Kyiv.
The eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao is a senator in the Philippines.
It also brings us back to Ali, the man Ramirez's manager Mirigian and promoter Arum compare him to when it comes to social awareness.
So, does Ramirez look up to Ali, Pacquiao, and Klitschko?
"The only inspiration I have is to do the right thing and to do God's will," he said.
"Whatever policy, campaign, or movement I get behind, is because I truly believe in it and I know that it would do best for the people. That's my biggest motivation right now.
These are weird times. I don't know if I can get into politics as I'm way too honest with myself."
Boxing is his future, for the time being. "Right now, I want to focus on my career, and on being a good father, a good son, and a good friend. Respecting the people, respecting everyone's decision, and praying for everyone so they have a positive outcome."
Fighting Postol
Ramirez defends his two super lightweight world championships Saturday at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.
It is a highly-sanitized venue colloquially known as "The Bubble," and has been Top Rank's go-to destination in the coronavirus era.
It has made a cult hero out of the former UFC fighter Clay Collard, and a budding star in Elvis Rodriguez — who also fights Saturday — but it is Ramirez who is the biggest name to enter "The Bubble."
Few wins in boxing last year made as big a statement as Ramirez's thumping victory over Hooker, and Ramirez acknowledges it as his best performance to date.
"The reason why was because of who I faced — another champion who was undefeated and that really elevated my ranking in the sport."
Ramirez told us he's excited to finally continue where he left off in 2019, desperate to compete after two coronavirus-enforced cancelations of this bout.
Ramirez had "two training camps with no reward" but now the fight is here. "I'm eager to do my best, perform at my best, and leave everything I have in that ring."
Ramirez is visualizing victory so he can attempt to unify his two titles with the other two major championships in the 140-pound division — both of which are owned by the Scottish boxer Josh Taylor, a Top Rank stablemate.
"After Postol, that is definitely the fight [to make]," Ramirez said. "Josh Taylor is a great, unified champion. I'm a unified champion. [Whoever wins can] go on to the next division as the undisputed best.
"Taylor is a great fight," Ramirez said. "Everyone would be paying attention."
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