Mexico’s Ramirez wins WBO super middle title

AP

LAS VEGAS — Mexican Gilberto Ramirez proved true to hype as he dominated Armenian- German Arthur Abraham to crown himself as the new World Boxing Organization super middleweight champion in the chief support of Pacquiao-Bradley III.

Towering by five inches, the 6-foot-3 Ramirez outgunned and outboxed Abraham to win by a shutout, 120-108, on the three  judges’ scorecards  and stretch his unbeaten run to to 34-0 with 24 knockouts.

The 24-year-old Ramirez caught Abraham, now 44-5 with 29 KOs, with a right counter late in the second round, staggering the 36-year-old Armenian-German in the fight’s most defining moment.

Abraham clung to Ramirez, surviving as the bell rung, but it was clear that he had little more to offer. 

He was trying to apply pressure but Ramirez, using his three-inch edge in reach, was chopping him down with body and head punches every time he waded in.

It was virtually the same scenario from the seventh to the 12th round, with Ramirez landing a barrage of punches that sent Abraham to the ropes, just before the final bell rung.

Ramirez’s dominance was reflected in the Compubox statistics, where he outpunched Abraham, 532 to 441, and outlanded him as well, 144 to 85.

Mexican prospect Oscar Valdez Jr. tagged Gradovich with a short left hook in the fourth round to down the  Russian in the 2:14 mark and clinch the North American Boxing Organization featherweight crown. 

Valdez padded his win-streak to 19 with 17 knockouts while the bloodied Gradovich dropped to 21-2-1, 9 KOs.

Earlier, Jose Ramirez bested Manny Perez by unanimous decision to capture the World Boxing Council Contenental Americas super lightweight title.

Ramirez, a 2012 London Olympian, and one of Mexico’s rising stars, climbed to 17-0 with 12 KOs, while Perez fell to 25-12-1, 6 KOs.

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