Raymond Ford: I’m Ready
To Be A Two Weight Champion!
(October 11th) Raymond Ford told Matchroom Boxing’s Flash Knockdown Podcast that he’s ready to take the first step on his path to becoming a two-weight World champion, as he moves up to 130lbs and faces Orlando Gonzalez for the WBA Continental Super-Featherweight title at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday November 9, live worldwide on DAZN, leading the undercard in support of the World title doubleheader as Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis defends his IBF World Welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez defends his WBC and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles against Pedro Guevara.
Ford (15-1-1 8 KOs) won the WBA crown at Featherweight in March with a stunning 12th round KO win over Otabek Kholmotov in Verona, New York, pulling off one of the most dramatic victories of 2024 at the very last moment.
‘Savage’ quickly defended the crown against Nick Ball on the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5 vs. 5 blockbuster in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June, and was edged out in another thrilling contest by the Briton via split decision.
The 25 year old admitted on ‘Flash Knockdown’ that he held on at 126lbs to land the World title shot that he grasped in such spectacular fashion, despite his body telling him to move up in order, and he’s more than ready to take on the champions at Super-Featherweight and claim their belts.
“I don’t single out anybody or try to go for the easiest route,” said Ford. “I just want the champions to give me the opportunity to fight for a World title, and I want to test my skills amongst the best. I hear that Anthony Cacace is going to move up, so Sugar Nunez will get a World title shot - if he doesn’t have a dance partner, I’ll fill those shoes and get in there with him.
“It’s the same thing when I fought for my first World title, guys moving up and vacating belts, it’s history repeating itself. I like the challenge with the guys that people are scared of or turn into the boogeyman, the monster. I like that, so I can go and display my skills and she that they are just regular human beings.
“I’m fighting alongside great champions in Philadelphia in Boots and Bam, but I’m at the stage in my career where I want to be headlining my own shoes and doing my own thing. It’s cool to fight close to home, and eventually I want to do my own thing.
“I don’t look at the Ball fight like it was a setback, I think I gained a lot more than anything. The fans enjoyed the fight, happy with it and even though I didn’t get the decision it was a great night of boxing, thats what really matters, it’s about putting on a show for the fans. A lot of my fans think I won the fight, so I don’t feel bad about the fight in any way.
“I thought that I should have moved up before the Kholmotov fight, but I was so close to the World title, and I wanted to be a World champion. I stayed for the money and the opportunity to fight on the Saudi Arabia card, but truthfully, I should have moved up.”
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Ford (15-1-1 8 KOs) makes the move to 130lbs and does so with ambitions of becoming a two-weight World ruler. The Camden ace landed the WBA World title at 126lbs in March with a stunning last-gasp KO win over Otabek Kholmatov in upstate New York and was edged out in his first defense via split decision against Nick Ball in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June.
The 25-year-old will be looking to put his new division on notice with a stand-out performance in Philadelphia where the WBA Continental North American title will be on the line over ten rounds, but ‘Savage’ faces a Puerto Rican in fine form in Gonzalez (23-2 12 KOs). Wins over the distance against Ramiro Cesena and Jose Casteneda look good on the 29-year old’s CV, and he’ll be looking to ruin Ford’s introduction to the division.
Leading the undercard that also features Light-Heavyweight talent Khalil ‘Big Steppa’ Coe taking on Manuel Gallegos and Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado making his Matchroom debut.
Coe (9-0-1 7 KOs) will be itching to get back to the city of brotherly love, where he shone on the undercard of Boots’ win over David Avanesyan in July. ‘Big Steppa’ had the crowd on their feet as he pummeled Kwame Ritter inside two rounds of their clash for the vacant USWBC Light-Heavyweight title, a belt he puts on the line for the first time and in search of a fifth straight win inside the distance.
Standing in his way is Gallegos (20-2-1 17 KOs) the Mexican that returns to action for the first time since tackling another rising star from Eddie Hearn’s stateside stable, when he met Diego Pacheco in July 2023, and now moving up from 168lbs to look to halt Coe’s rise.
“November 9, Philly stand-up,” said Coe. “We back. Big Steppa – coming through. Fighting in Philly is like being home for me, and having the opportunity to put on another show in front of all my family and friends is extra special and I am ready to put on another spectacular performance.
“I believe that there is no better prospect in boxing than me, and on November 9, Manuel Gallegos is about to find that out the hard way.”
“My name is Manuel Gallegos, ‘El Meño’, and I’m ready for my next fight against Khalil Coe,” said Gallegos. “I’m hugely motivated and can’t wait to fight in this weight division where I feel great.”
Mercado (16-0 15 KOs) penned a deal with Matchroom after Hearn fought off fierce competition for his signature, and the 22-year-old will be looking to continue his brilliant 2024 with a fourth win inside the distance. ‘Tito’ will be in action over ten rounds at Super-Lightweight, against an opponent to be named soon.
Austin Williams returns to the ring over eight rounds at 160lbs, eager to get back to winning ways. Williams (16-1 11 KOs) gamely battled Hamzah Sheeraz for the WBC Silver title in the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5 vs. 5 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in June, taking plenty from his brave performance against the powerful Brit.
Dennis Thompson (2–0 1 KO) and Ismail Muhammad (5-0 3 KOs) both recorded points wins on the undercard of Ennis’ win over David Avanesyan in July in Philadelphia, and the Boots Promotions duo are back again under their mentor over four rounds at Super-Flyweight and six rounds at Welterweight respectively, and there’s a debut on the card for the hotly-touted Zaquin Moses, the cousin of pound-for-pound superstar Shakur Stevenson, stepping through the ropes for the first time over four rounds at Super-Featherweight.
“This is going to be some night in Philadelphia,” said Hearn. “Boots and Bam are two of the very best that there is, and we have a brilliant supporting cast before those two pound-for-pound stars strut their stuff.
“Ray is back and is ready to meet any champion at 130lbs to become a two-weight king, while Khalil is like a runaway train right now, he’s going to be knocking very loudly on the door of the contenders at Light-Heavyweight.
“Ammo showed incredible guts and heart against Hamzah, and he will have learned so much from that night to go again in his career, and I cannot wait to let Tito off the leash and showcase his immense talent on the big stage. It’s another big night for Dennis and Ismail fighting for Boots Promotions, and watch out for Zaquin making his pro debut, there’s a massive buzz around this young man.”
Leading the show two pound-for-pound superstars will light up Philadelphia on November 9 as hometown hero Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis headlines at Wells Fargo Center once again, defending his IBF World Welterweight title against Karen Chukhadzhian and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez defends his WBC and Ring Magazine World Super-Flyweight titles against Pedro Guevara.
Ennis (32-0 29 KOs) thrilled his hometown crowd at Wells Fargo in July, forcing David Avanesyan to retire on his stool after five rounds to make the maiden defense of his IBF crown. ‘Boots’ boxed in his Philadelphia backyard for the first time since November 2018 on that night, and his city showed out, recording the highest attendance for a boxing event in Philadelphia for over 40 years.
The 27 year old has reiterated his desire to become undisputed at 147lbs, and to do so, must first see off his mandatory challenger in Chukhadzhian (24-2 13 KOs). The Ukrainian has already faced Boots in Washington in January 2023, but since that night has collected impressive wins over Pietro Rossetti (TKO 9, October, Munich) and Harry Scarff (UD, May, Hamburg) to land the mandatory spot for Boots’ prized belt.
Boots is joined on the card by two-weight ruler Rodriguez (20-0 13 KOs), who skyrocketed into the top five pound-for-pound rankings with Ring Magazine following his stunning KO win over Juan Francisco Estrada in Phoenix in June, with a brutal body shot in the seventh round seeing ‘Bam’ rip the titles from the Mexican star.
Bam will be seeking a third straight win inside the distance having forced Briton Sunny Edwards to retire after nine rounds of their Flyweight unification battle in December in Arizona, but in Guevara (42-4-1 22 KOs), he faces another Mexican foe that will be giving everything to rip the belts away. The former WBC Light-Flyweight champion landed the interim WBC World Super-Flyweight title with an impressive away day win over Andrew Maloney in Perth, Australia in May, and the vastly experienced 35 year old can become a two-weight World ruler with victory on November 9.
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