Jose Ramirez Is Confident He Can Drop Devin Haney

Jose Ramirez believes he can knock Devin Haney down if he lands clean on his chin in their May 2 welterweight bout at Times Square, New York.

At 32, Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) is coming off a close unanimous-decision loss to Arnold Barboza in Saudi Arabia last November, with two judges scoring it 96-94 against him. The grand stage and moving up in weight have energized Ramirez, a 2012 U.S. Olympian who trains under 2024 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia in Moreno Valley, California.

Haney vs. Ramirez serves as the co-main event on the Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero card, drawing significant attention. Haney must secure a victory to keep his planned October rematch with Ryan Garcia intact, a bout organized by Turki Alalshikh.

If Haney suffers a devastating loss to Ramirez, that rematch could slip away, opening the door for another fighter to take his place. Facing Ryan after back-to-back defeats wouldn’t make sense, as fans wouldn’t take it seriously. This fight comes at the right time for Ramirez, as Haney is returning from a year-long layoff and the worst performance of his career—a lopsided loss to Ryan Garcia last April, where he was knocked down three times.

Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is determined to prove he’s back and better than ever, and Ramirez is the opponent he’s chosen to make that statement. However, this decision could come back to haunt him. A loss would put his career in jeopardy and likely eliminate any chance of a rematch with Ryan Garcia.

Some speculate that the only reason Haney has remained inactive since his April 20 loss to Garcia is that he didn’t want to risk losing again and jeopardizing his shot at redemption.

After suffering the three knockdowns and a one-sided defeat, Haney’s confidence may have taken a serious blow. That brutal loss could have drained the best out of him, leaving him hesitant and overly cautious as he heads into this dangerous matchup with Ramirez.

“I’m sure if I land a solid one on Devin Haney, I’m going to put him down,” said Jose Ramirez to Snowqueen LA.

“I feel like if I hit anyone in my weight class all the way up to 160, if I hit them with a solid shot on the chin, anyone can go down. It’s boxing with eight ounce gloves.”

Haney may be the favorite, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. His ability to absorb punches remains a big question mark, especially against Ramirez, who packs power and appears to be weighing in the 180s. If Haney’s chin isn’t up to the task, Ramirez has the size and strength to finish what Garcia started.

Ramirez has his own ambitions—he wants Haney’s spot against Ryan in October, and promoter Oscar De La Hoya is likely on board with that scenario. If Jose pulls off the upset, the decision will be in Turki Alalshikh’s hands as to whether he’d rather book Ryan vs. Ramirez instead of the originally planned Haney rematch.