Undefeated super welterweight sensation Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. discussed the increased intensity in his training camp and much more as he looks to earn a world title shot with a victory over top contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin on Saturday, September 30 in the SHOWTIME PPV co-main event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo Promotions will present the Premier Boxing Champions Pay-Per-View.
“This camp has been more intense than my previous camps,” said Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs), who is trained by his father Jesus Ramos Sr. at the Ramos Boxing Academy in Casa Grande, AZ. “My strength and conditioning coach Jamie Belt has really stepped it up. We’re going through it and I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life right now. That’s what we have to do to be better each time we step into the ring.”
The 22-year-old had previously been slated to compete on the July 30 Spence vs. Crawford SHOWTIME PPV undercard, but was forced to withdraw due to a hand injury that Ramos says has since healed.
“I’m feeling good, I just needed to let my hand heal,” said Ramos. “I’ve been sparring and everything has been going great. I’ve had no pain whatsoever and I’m happy about it.”
Ramos most recently dominated the previously unbeaten Joey Spencer in March, stopping the fellow rising 154-pound contender in round seven. With wins already against Interim WBC Super Welterweight Champion Brian Mendoza and veteran contenders Vladimir Hernandez and Luke Santamaria, Ramos believes that a statement victory over Lubin will land him the world title shot he covets.
“I think a win does show that I’m ready for a title shot,” said Ramos. “A win over Erickson Lubin, plus my previous wins, shows what level I’m on. It’s a huge statement, especially if I look impressive. If I’m able to dominate him, it shows that I’m on a different level.”
The 27-year-old Lubin will step into the ring with his own motivation and a proven ability to turn a contest into a toe-to-toe clash. His only defeats came first in 2017 in a loss to Jermell Charlo, and in 2022 as he was defeated by Sebastian Fundora in one of the year’s best fights, one in which Lubin had led on the scorecards at the time the fight ended. For Ramos, he thinks highly of Lubin’s resume and has had a fight against him on his mind before it was ever offered.
“Lubin is a great fighter and he’s really a warrior,” said Ramos. “He’ll fight anybody and he doesn’t back down from a fight. We saw it against Fundora. Things got tough and he was still fighting back. Facing him was actually something we’ve talked about, even after the injury. Me and my dad talked about possibly facing him on this card when it was announced, so it was really the law of attraction that made it happen.”
As a rising Mexican-American star, Ramos has relished in the upcoming opportunity to compete as the co-main event to a Canelo Álvarez topped event. Having watched Canelo for years before embarking on his own pro career, Ramos is excited to show the many fans tuning in what he’s capable of.
“I remember when Canelo was the co-main event for Floyd Mayweather, we would always watch him, so now to be his co-main event is huge for me,” said Ramos. “I’m embracing every second of it. Fans are going to see the best version of Jesus Ramos on September 30. This has been a strong training camp and it’s going to reflect in the ring on fight night.”
