Ruiz vs Arreola results and highlights: Abel Ramos dominates Omar Figueroa Jr, Sebastian Fundora and Jesus Ramos win

The undercard is over in Carson, Calif., and we saw a show-stealing, dominant performance from veteran welterweight Abel Ramos, who stopped Omar Figueroa Jr after six rounds of increasingly one-sided action.

Ruiz vs Arreola live coverage continues! Click here!

Though the FOX commentary team seemed quite taken by Figueroa (28-2-1, 19 KO) early in the fight, it was clear by the second round that Ramos (27-4-2, 21 KO) couldn’t really be hurt by Figueroa — a natural lightweight — and that he was doing much more damage.

From the third round on, it just became a beating, enough that even Brian Kenny and Lennox Lewis stopped narrating and actually noticed that the 31-year-old Figueroa was being beaten up. He was reacting oddly to head and body shots from the first round on, but they were telling a story early. Once Ramos was clearly imposing his will, they stopped imagining Figueroa as a great defensive fighter, started noticing he was getting hit clean a lot, and that Ramos was in control.

The only round Figueroa even had an argument in was the first, and we’re not saying any of this negatively toward Figueroa. He’s a tough fighter who was trying his best, but he couldn’t dent Ramos and couldn’t deal with the power in return. After the sixth round, he was spitting up blood in the corner, and trainer Joel Diaz wisely called it there, saving Figueroa from his own bravery and any more damage.

This was Figueroa’s first fight since his one-sided loss to Yordenis Ugas in 2019, and you have to question whether he should really continue on if he has to fight above 140 pounds. At his best, he is a wonderful action fighter, and he looked in generally good condition here, not like he had trouble making weight this time or anything. But 147 just seems to take too much of what he’s good at away from him.

For Ramos, hey, this was a WBA eliminator at 147, whether it should have been or not. So he’s right in the mix in that division, and this was a terrific showing for him. He did damage and got a good win.

Sebastian Fundora TKO-4 Jorge Cota

Fundora improves to 17-0-1 (12 KO), as the 6’6’” (that was his listed height tonight) “Towering Inferno” gets a fourth round stoppage win over tough veteran Jorge Cota, though not without some calls that the plug was pulled a bit early.

Fundora and Cota (30-5, 27 KO) came out for war in this one, with a tremendous first round that saw both landing big shots, as the 33-year-old Cota was really winging everything he had. But the 23-year-old Fundora was landing the better shots, and that was really the story of the fight.

After the first round, it settled some but still had good action, as Fundora tried to sap Cota of his strength a little bit while still attacking plenty and getting the better of the action. Referee Ray Corona stopped the fight at 2:35 of the fourth round, but maybe it was a bit early. Cota had just landed a good return shot after a nice punch from Fundora. It’s hard to see Cota having turned it around, but he’s a warrior and Fundora is young. Things happen when guys don’t just go away after you throw your best shots.

But it’s no huge outrage, either. Fundora had pretty clearly won the first three rounds and was still in control. He did hear some boos, mostly directed at Corona’s decision and not so much Fundora himself, probably.

“It was a good trading fight. He was hitting me, I was hitting him, but I think my punches were doing more damage and that’s why the referee stepped in,” Fundora said. “He was getting hit with hard punches. I don’t know, I would have stopped the fight (earlier in that round), but I’m not the ref, I’m the boxer.”

Fundora didn’t name a specific target, but this was a WBC eliminator. That title is currently one of three held by Jermell Charlo, who faces Brian Castano for the undisputed 154 lb championship on July 17.

“We’re here! If you guys are ready for war, we’re here to take it. Bring it on! I don’t call out names, but anyone (ranked) above us, why not?”

Jesus Ramos UD-10 Javier Molina

A good 10-round win for the 20-year-old Ramos, the nephew of Abel and someone who projects to possibly be a much bigger star, with respect to Abel.

Ramos (16-0, 14 KO) went a valuable 10 with a solid veteran in Molina (22-4, 9 KO), who gave him some good looks, didn’t collapse under the pressure or power of the younger man, and won a round or three along the way. Official scores were 97-92, 99-90, and 99-90. Bad Left Hook also had it 99-90 on two separate cards.

Ramos says he wants to win a world title before he’s 21, but that’s a tall order at 147 or 154 (he fought tonight at a 150 catchweight, but is really a welterweight right now) — there are some really, truly top fighters at 147/154 with belts right now, and PBC have a lot of them. It’s ambitious, and who knows, maybe won’t be crazy, but right now that seems like a big ask. But it’s his ask, too.