Redemption Day Is Coming Soon For WBA No.1
Super Flyweight Contender John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez!
(Picture courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions)
(October 7th) For World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 1 ranked, mandatory super flyweight challenger John “Scrappy” Ramirez (17-1, 9 KOs), redemption day is finally coming now that the WBA has ordered WBA Super Flyweight World Champion David “Medallita” Jimenez (18-1, 12 KOs) to defend his title against Ramirez.
“No excitement yet on my part,” Ramirez admitted. “It’ll hit me when everybody signs the contract. Until then I’ll continue following the process and training hard. No promises in boxing, but I am happy the WBA ordered this fight.”
The negotiating period started September 18 and will close on October 18, 2026. If the parties fail to reach an agreement, or if either party declines to continue to negotiate, the WBA Championships Committee may call for a purse bid. Reports are the two camps are close and that the title fight could be held in December.
On April 24, 20024, Jimenez defeated Ramirez by way of a 12-round unanimous decision back in Brooklyn to capture the WBA Interim Super Flyweight title. Jimenez, fighting out of Costa Rica, hasn’t fought since July 20, 2025. Jimenez, 34, defended his WBA Interim title only twice, winning a 12-round decision from Keyvin Lara (32-6-1) in Costa Rica , and knocking out Kenburn Torres (15-5) in Kyrgyzstan.
The 30-year-old Ramirez, fighting out of South-Central Los Angeles, has fought four times since his loss to Jimenez, including two in 2026. “Scrappy” was installed as No. 1, mandatory challenger position in the super flyweight division of the World Boxing Association (WBA) back in January for the second time during his professional career.
After Jessie “Bam” Rodriguez relinquished his WBA Super Flyweight World title to move up one weight class, Jimenez was elevated from WBA Interim Champion to WBA Super Flyweight World Champion on June 13, 2026. Jimenez’ lone loss was a 12-round unanimous decision to then-defending WBA Flyweight World Champion Artem Dalakian (21-0, 15 KOs) in London.
“I’ve grown in boxing and my personal life since that fight,” Ramirez explained. “That was 2 ½ hears ago and a lot of things have changed; I’m a better fighter now. I used my natural ability over my opponents. I feel like a runner who is right there at the finish line and that I rise to the occasion.
“Jimenez has experience and will. He’s a dog and it takes one to know one. I do believe I am better than him in every way. I came up short the first time and I need to redeem myself. I lost to him but now we are going to run it back.”
“Scrappy” is trained by rising cornerman Julian Chu at Brickhouse Boxing Club, located in North Hollywood.
“’Scrappy’ is a different fight now,” Chua insisted. “He’s always believed in himself, but I think there was a part of him that questioned his experience, because he didn’t have that big amateur background like a lot of these guys. Losing to Jimenez but proving to himself that he could compete at that level was honestly one of the best experiences he could’ve had. It gave him peace with that insecurity. He knows he belongs now, and since then I’ve seen him develop tremendously as a fighter. He’s more mature, more confident, and much more complete. I think you’re going to see that in the rematch.”
“Scrappy Time” is right around the corner.
“My dream since I started boxing is to be world champion,” Ramirez concluded. “I also wanted to redeem myself. Now, I will have the opportunity to accomplish my dream and redeem myself against the only opponent to have defeated me. Fans love to see great boxing stories. I resonate with the second Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns fight. (Leonard lost the first, won the second) This will be our second fight and like Sugar Ray, I will get the job done this time!”
“Scrappy” is managed by 3 Point Management (3 PM), which has a growing stable of gifted boxers former including WBA & WBO Cruiserweight and WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs), WBA No. 5-rated world super middleweight Darius “DFG” Fulghum (15-1-1, 13 KOs), former WBC Light Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk (21-3, 17 KOs), former WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight Champion, Canadian Kareem “Supreme” Hackett (13-1, 7 KOs), Armenian featherweight Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (23-6, 17 KOs), and German junior welterweight Simon “Saucy” Vollmer (7-0, 3 KOs).
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