Ramirez’s Recent Decline
Jose enters with the stronger track record but fewer recent answers. A former unified titleholder at 140, his decline began with the unanimous decision loss to Josh Taylor in May 2021. He has gone 3–2 since, with the last two defeats moving him further from contention.
Losses to Haney and Barboza Jr. left Ramirez outside the title picture rather than moving him back toward it.
The Haney fight was the clearest indication of where Ramirez now stands. Boxing at Times Square last May, Ramirez failed to pressure or limit Haney’s movement. He followed instead of cutting off the ring and allowed long stretches to pass without adjustment. The pace stayed low, the crowd stayed quiet, and the fight slipped away without resistance. At 33, and inactive since that night, Ramirez no longer looks capable of forcing control when an opponent refuses to engage.
Catterall’s Rebuild
Catterall’s position is different, but not stronger. His unanimous decision loss to Barboza Jr. last May stalled his progress at the moment he needed traction. Wins over Ekow Essuman and Harlem Eubank have kept him active, but they did not change how he is viewed. Those fights showed competence and discipline, not a step toward the level he continues to reference publicly.
That reality defines the matchup. Catterall wants access to elite names, but his recent work has not demanded it. Ramirez still has recognition and a home base, but his last performances have suggested limits he has not addressed. Fresno offers Ramirez familiarity and support. Traveling offers Catterall an opportunity. Both enter with open questions.
For Ramirez, the test is whether he can still impose himself in front of his own crowd. For Catterall, it is whether beating a slower, inactive former champion carries any weight at all. If neither question is answered clearly, the fight fills a date and leaves both men with fewer places left to go
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