Jose Ramirez vs Viktor Postol

Jose Ramirez retained his WBC and WBO super-lightweight championships by the narrowest satisfactory margin when he defeated Viktor Postol on a majority decision at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas on August 29, 2020. No crowd was inside Top Rank’s sealed “Bubble,” one of the necessary arrangements during the coronavirus pandemic, and the absence of spectators gave a close, tactical contest the atmosphere of an examination conducted behind locked doors. Steve Weisfeld scored it 116-112 and Tim Cheatham 115-113 for Ramirez, while Dave Moretti returned a draw at 114-114. Russell Mora was the referee.

The contest had already survived two cancellations. Ramirez and Postol were first due to meet in Haikou, China, in February, but the developing health crisis forced its postponement. A rearranged date in Fresno in May was then lost when boxing across the United States was suspended. By the time they finally entered the ring, Ramirez had been inactive for nearly 400 days, his previous appearance having been the sixth-round stoppage of Maurice Hooker, which made him a unified champion. Postol, 36, had endured three separate training camps for his mandatory challenge. Ramirez weighed 139.8 pounds and the Ukrainian 139.7.

The opening round was largely a contest between the jabs. Postol used his greater height and reach to keep Ramirez beyond comfortable punching distance, but the champion finished stronger and may have taken the round with his work in the final minute. Postol settled more effectively in the second, placing his jab while moving away from Ramirez’s pressure. The challenger’s straight punching became still more evident in the third. Ramirez followed rather than cutting off the ring and had difficulty moving past Postol’s lead hand without taking a scoring blow on the way in.

Ramirez improved in the fourth by applying pressure with greater purpose. He shortened the distance, worked downstairs and prevented Postol from completing every exchange on his own terms. The Ukrainian answered with an accomplished fifth round, circling, jabbing and making the champion reset before he could launch his heavier combinations. Ramirez landed the more forceful punches in the sixth, but Postol’s activity and straight work kept the round close. At the halfway point, Robert Garcia warned his champion that the bout was in danger of slipping away. It was sound advice, plainly delivered.

The contest changed temporarily in the seventh when Ramirez caught Postol with a hard left hand. The challenger was shaken and moved away while Ramirez pursued him, looking for the follow-up which might settle matters without the assistance of three judges. Postol recovered without going down, but the episode supplied Ramirez with his clearest success of the fight. The champion continued attacking the body in the eighth, trying to slow Postol’s legs and reduce the effectiveness of his jab. Postol remained disciplined, using movement and refusing to stand at the range where Ramirez could work continuously.

Postol regained ground in the ninth. The pace became more measured, suiting the challenger, whose jab repeatedly reached Ramirez before the champion could reply. Postol carried that success into the tenth, moving well and adding firm right hands behind the jab. Ramirez was pressing, but pressure without clean punching did not always provide a convincing claim to the rounds. The champion consequently entered the closing stages needing to produce more than a determined expression and forward steps.

Ramirez responded in the eleventh by increasing his aggression and driving Postol backwards. The challenger’s output fell for much of the round before he rallied during the final 20 seconds. Postol began the twelfth positively, landing the jab and right hand as Ramirez attempted to force the pace. The champion worked to the body and pushed the action, but Postol finished the final minute with several solid punches. There were no knockdowns, cuts of consequence, fouls or point deductions. It had remained a contest of fine margins from beginning to end.

The statistics were as closely divided as the action. Ramirez landed 156 of 556 punches, while Postol connected with 147 of 668. The challenger therefore threw 112 more blows, but Ramirez was more accurate overall and landed the more conspicuous power punches. Postol’s jab, movement and higher output gave him a reasonable argument, while Ramirez’s body punching, stronger blows and late aggression provided the judges with an alternative. The official cards gave Ramirez the majority decision, though the 116-112 return was wider than the contest appeared at ringside.

Ramirez advanced to 26-0, while Postol fell to 31-3 after another creditable performance against one of the division’s leading men. The champion had retained his two belts, but he had not delivered the commanding display anticipated from a substantial favourite. His long absence and the peculiar conditions may have contributed, although Postol’s intelligent use of distance was the principal reason for his difficulties. The Ukrainian did not take the titles, but he removed any notion that Ramirez’s projected meeting with Josh Taylor would be a simple march towards an undisputed championship. Ramirez left the Bubble still unbeaten and still champion, but only just.

I had Viktor Postol winning this 115-113. It was close, but the Ukrainian controlled too many rounds with his jab, feet and understanding of distance. Ramirez kept advancing, yet following a man around is not the same as cutting off the ring.

Postol made Ramirez reset repeatedly and caught him coming inside. Ramirez landed the heavier single blows, particularly the left hand which shook Postol in the seventh, but his attacks came in patches. After the Hooker victory, people expected him to roll through an ageing former champion. Postol was far too clever for that.

The 115-113 card for Ramirez was defensible; 116-112 was generous. Postol threw 112 more punches and finished the last round strongly. Fighting without a crowd may have reduced the value usually placed on Ramirez’s aggression, but the judges still favoured it. I thought Postol’s cleaner, more controlled boxing deserved the decision.