Rising Mexican star Jesus “Mono” Ramos has given himself a lofty goal of becoming the first fighter to stop top contender Shane Mosley Jr. when they fight for the Interim WBC Middleweight Title in PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video action taking place Saturday, October 25 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’m working to deliver my best performance to date,” said Ramos (23-1, 19 KOs). “I have a lot of tools in my toolbox that I’m yet to display and I’m looking forward to showing all of that on October 25. Shane Mosley Jr. is a great fighter who’s never been stopped. So my goal is to be the first to get him out of there.”
On October 25, the 24-year-old Ramos will look to pick up his first major title and establish himself as next in line for a world championship at 160-pounds. While Ramos promises that his overall mindset is the same, he admitted that the title implications have been on his mind heading into fight night.
“It’s the same mindset as always,” said Ramos. “That never changes. We’re coming to win and put on a good show for the fans. But it’s a big fight. This is a big opportunity and there isn’t a day that I don’t go to sleep dreaming about this moment. I don’t like to get too ahead of myself, but I do dream about me holding the belt, sitting in the locker room and reading every part of that WBC belt.”
Ramos will be opposed by an opponent who’s not only more experienced at middleweight and higher weight classes, but who enters this fight red hot on a five-fight winning streak, including a dominant performance over former two-time champion Daniel Jacobs last year. Despite that, Ramos is clear about what he needs to do in order to have his hand raised.
“The most important thing for me is the jab,” said Ramos. “He’s a very slick fighter and he’s very fast. So we have to negate that. We’ve been working on the jab and our timing. All around I just have to make my style sharper and better. If I’m 100%, I don’t think anyone can beat me.”
On top of Mosley’s skillset, his legacy as the son of boxing Hall of Famer Shane Mosley Sr. adds extra significance for Ramos, who grew up watching and rooting for his upcoming opponent’s father.
“If I go back 18 years and you told me you’d be fighting for a title against Shane Mosley’s son, I would have called that person crazy,” said Ramos. “We used to watch him fight and we were big fans. Especially when he beat Antonio Margarito after everything with the hand wraps. It’s crazy that I’m fighting his son now for my first title. I’m grateful to be here and I’m gonna take full advantage of this moment.”
While Mosley has strong familial ties, Ramos’ corner will be buoyed by his own family’s experience in big fights. On top of his father and head trainer Jesus Ramos Sr., Ramos will have his uncle Abel Ramos, who’s fought for world titles on multiple occasions, in his corner to help keep him steady during the biggest fight of his career to date.
“Abel has fought for titles before, so he’s talked with me about how that feels and what to expect,” said Ramos. “He’s actually gonna be part of my corner on October 25. It’s great to have him around because of that experience. It’s just different when you’ve really been in those big moments in front of the crowd. I think he’ll be able to give me advice in the corner that will help me control those emotions.”
In discussing his mindset heading into fight night, Ramos emphasized that he believes that controlling the mental side of the sport has helped him immensely, especially since his controversial defeat to Erickson Lubin in 2023. As he now steps onto this big stage, Ramos knows that he has the tools to overcome any mental hurdles.
“There comes a time in the fight where things get tough and you ask yourself why you’re here,” said Ramos. “You have to have answers. I tell myself it’s because I was once that eight-year-old kid who wanted this. This is what I worked my whole life for. I’ve never hit a wall that I couldn’t overcome. I’ve calloused my mind to get over those moments and it’s helped me get to the next level.”
Training for this fight will take Ramos through Hispanic Heritage Month, a time of year that gives Ramos an opportunity to show his appreciation for the culture that helps define him and to those who’ve helped him get this far. To Ramos, his family’s journey and his journey in boxing go hand in hand.
“Being Mexican plays a big role in the mindset that I have,” said Ramos. “My parents and my grandparents had to give up their lives to give us better opportunities. I’ll always be grateful for that. That’s one of the reasons I never quit, because my family never quit. We didn’t start off like this. We started off in a garage and we just kept going and fighting. We know what kind of work it’s taken to get here and that’s what Hispanic Heritage Month is about. We’re hard workers and we never give up.”
