No. 1 WBA Super Flyweight John “Scrappy” Ramirez Looks forward To 2026 World Title Shot
Warning, fight fans, don’t sleep on exciting John “Scrappy” Ramirez (16-1, 9 KOs), the No. 1 rated super flyweight contender in the World Boxing Association (WBA).
Ramirez, 29, fought only once in 2025, June 28th against Houston’s Josue Jesus Morales (33-19-5, 14 KOs), in a thoroughly dominant 8-round unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 79-73) victory on the Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. pay-per-view event in Anaheim, California. But the charismatic boxer from South Central Los Angeles will start 2026 this Friday night in a 10-round bout against Byron Rojas (29-5-3, 12 KOs), the former WBA Strawweight World Champion. Ramirez’ promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, is promoting the DAZN streamed event live from Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
“Scrappy” has grown since he suffered the lone loss of his pro career, back on April 20, 2024, to David Jimenez (17-1, 11 KOs), who remains the WBA Interim Super Flyweight Champion.
“In 2024,” Ramirez explained, “I was No. 1 (in the WBA) but impatient. I tried to force a championship fight and did it with Jimenez and lost, which has led me to being patient and trusting in the system. I’ve learned that you can’t force things in life. You show up and let things happen. I just forgot about the ratings. I think I dropped to 8 or 9. I focused on training and the day after my last fight; I learned that I was back at No. 1 again in the WBA.
“Everything happens for a reason; adversity builds character. When things go wrong, don’t panic, just keep moving forward. If I had won the (WBA Interim) world title, I probably would have lost it in my next fight. When I do win the world title, I’m going to keep it.”
Ramirez, who is also rated at No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
It is rumored that unified (WBA, WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine) World Super Flyweight Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) is considering a move up in weight bantamweight, which would dramatically alter the super flyweight division.
“If ‘Bam” moves up that will open up all the (super flyweight) world titles,” Ramirez noted. “I want to fight whoever has the world title but, obviously, I want to avenge my only loss too.”
Ramirez would also welcome a high-profile fight, if offered, with future Hall of Famer Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (53-4, 42 KOs), the 38-year-old 5-time, 4-division world champion from Nicaragua.
“I’d take a fight with ‘Chocolatito’ but not because of money,” Ramirez added. “The bag ($) is not motivational, it’s a bonus because he was the number one, pound-for-pound fighter in the world and ruled the super flyweight division for years. He is a legend in our sport, and I’d gladly share the ring with him.”
Ramirez has been patiently waiting for his world title fight, which appears to be on the horizon in 2026. Even during the holidays season, Ramirez is on point and not concerned about eating too much or not being fully focused on his ring return.
“I’m disciplined and live a healthy lifestyle, so it’s easy,” Ramirez spoke about distractions during the holiday season. “The past 6 months, I’ve tapped into what got me here. I’m focused and isolated, not caught up in all the noise. I’m committed to my craft and getting to the next level. I’m still young and will get my opportunities. 2026 is going to be my year!”
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