Jesus Ramos happy to show Yoenli Hernandez that experience matters

Jesus Ramos Jnr feels Yoenli Hernandez has “a lot to learn” at this point in his career.

Hernandez, a 28-year-old Cuban training in Providence, Rhode Island, stopped Terrell Gausha in February. Despite Gausha’s veteran boxing age of 38, the former title contender and U.S. Olympian had never been stopped. Ramos, the current interim WBC middleweight titleholder, was ringside for the bout. 

Hernandez, 10-0 (9 KOs), has roared toward the top of his division. It isn’t just the wins he holds over the likes of Guasha and Kyrone Davis, it is how he is achieving them. Hernandez is using relentless pressure and bullying his opponents, making the bouts very one-sided. 

“I think he is a little too green,” Ramos told BoxingScene. “I feel like [he has] a lot to learn. At one point, we were all like that, trying to get our opponents out of there, overly aggressive, but that is why you take certain fights that teach you certain lessons.”

Hernandez’s aggression has impressed fans, pundits, and most importantly, the sanctioning bodies. He is ranked in the top 15 by all four major sanctioning bodies, holding the No.1 ranking by the WBA. He is rated No.2 by the WBC, and No.3 by the WBO. 

Currently, Ramos, 24-1 (19 KOs), has goals of facing the outright titleholder, Carlos Adames. That said, Adames has stated that he would move up to super middleweight. The assumption is that he is looking for high-profile names that merit big money. Yet, Adames hasn’t vacated the WBC title. If Adames were to leave the division, Hernandez, 10-0 (9 KOs), becomes a suitable option, especially given his ranking. The 25-year-old Ramos believes it is too soon for Hernandez to take a fight at that level, but is open to it. 

“At the end of the day, I am not his manager; if he wants to fight, we will fight,” Ramos said. “If they think it is a good idea to fight me, I am open to it. I need a fight anyway, and I don’t have an opponent – so why not?”

Ramos from Casa Grande, Arizona, took a tough road to his position, beating various contenders and veterans. On that journey, he stopped Vladimir Hernandez, and he holds decision wins over Brian Mendoza (who would go on to beat Sebastian Fundora) and Luke Santa Maria. After a controversial loss to Erickson Lubin, he stopped Johan Gonzalez, former titleholder Jeison Rosario, and Guido Schramm in consecutive bouts. His interim title win was over veteran Shane Mosley Jnr, who entered on a five-fight winning streak.

“It is experience you get along the way to handle different styles,” Ramos said. “Most of those guys I fought when I was younger, 20 or 21. That was a challenge within itself.”