Undefeated Top-10 contender Mike “Yes Indeed” Reed loves home cooking and on Saturday, November 11, he is looking forward to digging into several servings at the expense of Olympian super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez. Reed (23-0, 12 KOs), from Waldorf, MD, is all that stands between Ramírez (20-0, 15 KOs), from Avenal, Calif., and his first world title shot. The WBC has already sanctioned the fight between Ramírez and Amir Imam, world-rated #3 and #1, respectively, for the vacant WBC super lightweight world title.
Scheduled for 10 rounds, the Ramírez-Reed title fight will take place in Ramírez’s backyard, the Save Mart Center at Fresno and headline “Fight For Water,” which benefits the California Latino Water Coalition. It will be televised live and exclusively at 10:30 p.m. EST on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and stream live on the ESPN app. The telecast will also feature top-rated contenders Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs), a Russian native who fights out of Montréal, Québec, Canada, and Enrico Köelling (23-1, 6 KOs), of Berlin, Germany, battling for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight title.
“I don’t just want a victory over Ramirez, I want his spot in the world title fight against Imam,” declared Reed.
Reed had first called out Ramírez, a 2012 U.S. Olympian with a sterling amateur pedigree, after defeating Luis Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden on June 13, 2015. Upon leaving the ring, he told all who would listen. “Get me Ramirez. I don’t care if the fight is in Fresno. It doesn’t matter.”
Hall of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler had this to say when the fight was announced: “In an era when many fighters wait for chances instead of creating opportunities for themselves, Mike Reed is a throwback to road warriors of the past. He was offered a match with plenty at stake and sent his signed contract back Top Rank immediately. Jose Ramirez deliberated for days over facing undefeated Reed, even on his own home turf. That speaks volumes about each fighter.”
Born in Washington, D.C., Reed trains in Clinton, MD, at Dream Team Boxing Gym, which is owned and operated by his father, trainer, and manager, Michael “Buck” Pinson.
“This is a fight I’ve been asking Top Rank to make and now it is here. I’ve knew Jose Ramirez when we were amateur fighters boxing in the big tournaments. He always fought a weight division below me but I always kept an eye on him,” Reed continued. “Ramirez is a pressure fighter. He has a great left hook. I give him credit for that. Sooner or later in our fight, Jose will move towards me and that is exactly what I want to happen. I want him to get real close on the inside so we can do some serious damage. There are methods to counter and avoid his left hook — and he throws it well to the head and the body — but when you see Jose moving towards me — and he will, I promise — that’s when I will get to work. I know he has Freddie Roach.. Good for him. But this fight will be decided inside the ring — just Jose and me — and no one else. Just the two of us.”