Jose Ramirez's quest to regain his 140-pound titles began successfully Friday night with a unanimous-decision victory over Jose Pedraza on ESPN+.
All three judges scored the fight 116-112 for Ramirez, who was fighting in his hometown, Fresno, California, for the first time in three years.
The matchup was Ramirez's first since May, when Josh Taylor handed him his first pro defeat in a battle for the undisputed junior welterweight championship. Ramirez was dropped twice in that bout but didn't take on a soft touch in his comeback fight.
Instead, he faced a former champion in Pedraza, who boxed well in spurts Friday but couldn't find consistency.
Like many of Ramirez's recent bouts, it was a close decision win over a contender. But unlike in the disputed decision wins over Viktor Postol and Jose Zepeda, Ramirez earned a clear victory.
"Jose Pedraza is a smart, experienced fighter; he was going to find a way to survive and put up a fight," said Ramirez, ESPN's No. 2 boxer. "He was there boxing toward the end of the fight. My hat's off to him and his team. He was well prepared. ... I got to see where I am right now."
After Taylor's struggle with Jack Catterall on Saturday, a controversial decision victory in Scotland, the champion said he planned to campaign at 147 pounds going forward. That means four 140-pound titles could soon be up for grabs.
With Friday's victory, Ramirez (27-1, 17 KOs) ensured he's at the top of the list of boxers jockeying for a shot at those titles. He's joined by other title hopefuls such as Regis Prograis, Catterall, Subriel Matias, Jose Zepeda and even Teofimo Lopez.
Ramirez, 29, consistently beat Pedraza to the punch with constant pressure. His patented left hook inflicted damage on Pedraza's midsection as well as his right eye, which was badly swollen by the end of the fight.
Pedraza (29-4, 14 KOs) was effective with his jab and was able to time the hard-charging Ramirez with crisp counter shots on many occasions, but he never pressed the action. Pedraza could have salvaged a draw if he swept the championship rounds, but instead, it was Ramirez who closed strong.
Pedraza won Rounds 3, 8 and 10 on all three cards and Round 6 on two of three. He landed just 18.8% of his punches, connecting on 110 of 586. Ramirez outlanded Pedraza but also was inaccurate, connecting on 133 of 554 (24%).
"I was a little tense coming into this fight because of my last fight," Ramirez said. "Fighting at home, last minute, I got a little more tense than I thought I was going to be. I went out there and just boxed, had fun in there. I played it smart, used my jab, and I think I won more than eight rounds.
"My inactivity, my discouragement throughout training camps, it really took a big toll on me. I'm ready to stay active and stay motivated. ... There's a lot of really good fighters at 140 right now."
Pedraza, a 32-year-old Puerto Rican, entered the fight ranked No. 6 by ESPN at 140 pounds, but after yet another loss, he'll likely be relegated to gatekeeper status in one of boxing's deepest divisions. He held titles at 130 and 135 pounds, but lost those belts to Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, respectively.
At 140 pounds, Pedraza has now dropped decisions to Zepeda and Ramirez and finds himself on the outside looking in.
Ramirez, on the other hand, is on the cusp of becoming a champion once again.
Torrez wins pro debut by TKO
Richard Torrez Jr., who won the silver medal at the Olympics last summer, made his pro debut Friday with a second-round TKO of Allen Melson in a heavyweight fight.
Torrez, who weighed 228 1/4 pounds, floored Melson three times before the referee stopped the bout at 1:23 of Round 2. Torrez didn't emerge unscathed, though -- a clash of heads in the opening round left him with a gash over his right eye.
"After the cut, I knew I had to get back to basics, and that's what I did," said Torrez, 22. "I made sure to avoid additional head clashes, and I got the job done in the second. Sure, the cut is frustrating, but I'm not going to let it ruin the celebration. What a night. It was everything I'd hoped it would be."
Torrez added: "I wanted to make a good first impression, especially in front of my home fans. They brought the energy, and I fed off the energy they gave me. The Central Valley is home, and I am proud to represent my people."
Flores returns with win
In his first fight since suffering the first loss of his career, Gabe Flores Jr. struggled to a majority-decision victory Mexican journeyman Abraham Montoya on Friday's undercard.
One judge scored it 95-95, but was overruled by two 96-94 scorecards in favor of Flores, who plans to move up five pounds to lightweight for his next bout.
Flores was coming off a brutal beating at the hands of Luis Lopez in September.