Unified WBC and WBO junior welterweight titleholder Jose Ramirez will make a rescheduled defense against WBC mandatory challenger Viktor Postol on May 9 in Fresno, according to ESPN.
The fight was originally scheduled for Feb. 1 in China, but was canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. The May 9 date also means that Ramirez and WBA/IBF titleholder Josh Taylor likely would be right on line for a meeting later this year should both win. Taylor is reportedly set to face Apinun Khongsong on May 2 in Glasgow, and both fighters are with Top Rank.
Ramirez, 27, is from nearby Avenal, California, and has fought eight times as a pro in Fresno, becoming a reliable live draw there. He won the WBC belt in Mar. 2018, beating Amir Imam for the vacant strap, and added the WBO title with a thrilling win over Maurice Hooker last July.
Postol, 36, is still a viable contender, though he’s probably past his best days. The former titleholder had a big win over Lucas Matthysse in 2015, but lost his WBC belt in a unification fight with Terence Crawford nine months later in 2016. He’s 3-1 since then, losing to Taylor in 2018, and beating Mohamed Mimoune in an eliminator in April of last year.