by Francisco Salazar | Three fights that will make up the undercard of the David Benavidez-Caleb Plant fight on March 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas were officially announced today by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
In the co-feature bout, unbeaten junior middleweight prospects Jesus Ramos and Joey Spencer will square off in a 10-round bout. In a compelling clash of once-beaten lightweights, Chris Colbert will face Jose Valenzuela and welterweight contender Cody Crowley will square off against hard-hitting Abel Ramos.
All four bouts will be part of the Showtime Pay-Per-View telecast (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT).
“With such an intriguing fight in the main event, it was only right that the Benavidez vs. Plant pay-per-view undercard was also filled with evenly-matched showdowns highlighted by future stars looking for signature victories,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Jesus Ramos versus Joey Spencer will help determine who might be the next star at 154 pounds, while two more young stars also square off on the pay-per-view as Chris Colbert and Jose Valenzuela go toe-to-toe.
“With Cody Crowley putting his unbeaten record on the line against the upset-minded Abel Ramos in the telecast opener, this card lines up to be a can’t-miss event on March 25 in Las Vegas.”
Ramos (19-0, 15 knockouts), who along with uncle Abel Ramos, resides in Casa Grande, Arizona, last fought on May 28, defeating Luke Santamaria by unanimous decision. Ramos also has victories Esteban Garcia, Javier Molina, and Brian Mendoza.
The fight against Spencer will be Ramos’ fourth at 154 rounds. Ramos is confident a win would put him in contender status.
“I’ve been in the gym for months now getting ready for this opportunity and everything has been great,” said Ramos. “I’m expecting the best version of Joey Spencer on March 25. I know I have what it takes to beat him because of the preparation we’ve been putting in, my dedication, my skills, and my will to win. I’m excited to be part of one of the biggest cards of the year thus far, and I know we will give the fans an exciting fight.”
Spencer (16-0, 10 KOs), who resides in Fenton, Michigan, defeated Kevin Salgado Zambrano in his last bout on September 4 in a clash of unbeaten fighters. The win over Salgado took place over five months after Spencer defeated Ravshan Hudaynazarov by decision.
The 22-year-old has utilized his skill-set to outbox his opponents, winning three of his last four bouts by decision. Spencer hopes a win would make other fighters at 154 pounds take notice.
“It’s not that often that fans get to see fights between two undefeated rising fighters like (Jesus) Ramos and I’m thankful to be part of it,” said Spencer. “This is the fight I asked for, and for it to take place on one of the biggest cards of the year is very special. I’m training to put the rest of the division on notice come fight night.”
Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs), who resides in Brooklyn, New York, has not fought since losing by unanimous decision to Hector Garcia, who is the current WBA world junior lightweight titleholder, on February 22 of last year. Prior to the loss to Garcia, the 26-year-old accumulated wins over Jezzrel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda, and Tugstsogt Nyambayar.
Like Colbert, Valenzuela suffered the first loss of his pro career in his last bout. That took place on September 4, when Valenzuela (12-1, 8 KOs), who is originally from Los Mochis, Mexico and now resides in Renton, Washington, was dropped twice en route to a knockout loss to Edwin De Los Santos.
Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) has emerged as a welterweight to watch, as he is on the cusp of a ranking by The Ring. In his last bout on April 16, the 29-year-old, who is originally from Peterborough, Canada and now living and training in Las Vegas, defeated Josesito Lopez by unanimous decision.
Abel Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs) will be a significant step-up in opposition for Crowley, despite having lost two of his last three bouts. The 31-year-old has faced former world titleholders and contenders with mixed results, including Yordenis Ugas, Omar Figueroa, Bryant Perrella, Jamal James, and Ivan Baranchyk.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]
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