Dominic Valle wants to prove who he is Saturday night, and he says that's the boogeyman of the junior lightweight division.
Valle will face Eduardo Ramirez in a 10-round junior lightweight bout Friday night at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida. The bout will air on ProBox TV.
Valle, 12-0 (7 KOs), has been featured on ProBox TV since turning pro in 2021. During that time, he has gone from one of the first bouts of the night to fighting in the co-feature. Valle is one of three boxing siblings, including his older brother Marques and younger brother Kenyan. His target is to win a title by next year, but he says he’s being avoided.
“These fighters know who I am,” Valle told BoxingScene. “That’s why I say I am the boogeyman of 130lbs – because the world doesn’t know yet, but the fighters know.”
Valle, a 25-year-old from Lutz, Florida, stands 5ft 11ins, which is tall for his weight class. In November, he recorded the biggest win of his career, an eight-round unanimous decision over former titleholder Rene Alvarado. The bout, which was a late-minute replacement, took place at lightweight. Alvarado would not go away, but Valle controlled the fight and showed multiple facets to his game.
“People usually have a high ring IQ or good conditioning or balls-to-the-wall type fight,” Valle said. “I have everything in my arsenal, and I can pick and choose what I feel like fighting that night. There are not many fighters who can do that.”
The Ramirez fight will mark the first 10-round bout of Valle’s career, but it is the natural next step for a fighter who has his sights set on a title shot in the near future.
“Every time I fight, I prove to be who I say I am,” Valle said. “I can’t wait to continue to prove the doubters wrong, and the believers right.”
Ramirez, 29-5-3 (14 KOs), is a veteran who has faced former titleholders Mark Magsayo and Isaac Cruz in the lightweight division. He also holds a knockout win over the then-unbeaten Leduan Barthelemy. Ramirez, a 33-year-old from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, picked up a first-round stoppage of Jose Nunez Lopez last December. Before that, he had lost three of his past four fights. It is the first time Valle will face a southpaw as a pro.
“I enjoy fighting southpaws,” Valle said. “I think he will bring his game – like he always does – but it won’t be enough.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
