NEW YORK (AP) – Jose Ramirez left the comforts of California to chase his title shot across the country.
When he goes back home, he’ll take a championship belt with him.
Ramirez won his first world title Saturday night with a unanimous decision victory over Amir Imam to win the WBC’s vacant 140-pound belt.
Ramirez pulled away in the late rounds, swelling Imam’s right eye in the process to take the title that became open when Terence Crawford moved up to welterweight.
Ramirez relentlessly pressured Imam and pounded away with hard left hooks, and Imam just couldn’t keep him off for all three minutes. Ramirez won the final three rounds on all three scorecards after Imam had gotten back into the bout with some good work in the middle rounds.
“There was a point in the fight that I said to myself `Jose what are you doing?’’’ Ramirez said. “That’s why I caught my second wind and I gave it my all in the championship rounds.’’
Ramirez, a 2012 US Olympian, won by scores of 120-108, 117-111 and 115-113.
