The biggest fight of Abel Ramos’ career draws near, as the 33-year-old from Casa Grande prepares to face Mario “El Azteca” Barrios for the WBC welterweight title Friday night as part of the main card for Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
Ramos (28-6-2, 22 knockouts) is an underdog despite his record and the quality of opponents he faced. Barrios won the WBC welterweight interim belt Sept. 30 of last year, over Yordenis Ugas, who has a win over Ramos.
Barrios defended the belt in May and now goes for the full-fledged title Friday night. He’s 29-2 and has lost to only two boxing greats, Keith Thurman and Gervonta Davis. He has won three straight fights since those defeats and has been the WBA super lightweight champion.
Both fighters have been part of some major boxing cards, but nothing like the unique spectacle of Tyson vs. Paul, which pits the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion and legend against a former teen actor turned YouTube superstar and pro boxer from Ohio.
Paul and his promotions company have found a way to connect with new audiences in booking fights against boxers, mixed martial arts fighters and athletes past their primes, and, for the most part, defeating them.
But Ramos vs. Barrios is a legitimate fight between two Mexican American veterans with a ton of experience, and Ramos has never been knocked out.
“It’s a dream that I had since I was a kid to become a world champion,” Ramos said after his open workout Tuesday. “I’m taking this fight serious. I know Barrios is a great champion, but we’re here to make that little kid’s dream a reality.”
Ramos said he could never have imagined being on the same card as Tyson, whose fights he watched as a youngster. He comes from a boxing family — his nephew Jesús Alejandro Ramos is a contender in the super welterweight division and he is trained by his older brother.
“(Winning) would change my life forever,” Abel said, then in Spanish saluted his family and friends from Casa Grande and thanked the Mexican fight fans for being at his workout.
“Happy to be back here in Texas,” Barrios said. “I know Abel’s coming in hungry; he’s ready, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure this belt stays in San Antonio.
“You got two Mexican fighters in there fighting for the WBC. You know it’s going to be a banger. … This fight could easily take fight of the night.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tyson vs Paul undercard: Big opportunity for Casa Grande native Abel Ramos
