Ramirez, Prograis taking interim fights before meeting

Those who are looking forward to a WBC junior welterweight title clash between titleholder Jose Ramirez and interim titleholder Regis Prograis will have to wait a bit longer.

The two fighters’ promoters have agreed to put aside the fight, which has been ordered by the WBC, for the time being, and instead take interim bouts in July with the hopes of making Ramirez-Prograis a bigger event.

Ramirez (22-0, 16 KO) will return on July 7 in Fresno against veteran fringe contender Danny O’Connor (30-3, 11 KO), and Prograis (21-0, 18 KO) will be back on July 14 in New Orleans against Juan Jose Velasco (19-0, 11 KO), provided that Velasco wins a fight he has coming tonight in Argentina, which it’s expected he will.

The move makes plenty of sense, as Ramirez-Prograis is a terrific matchup but could certainly be built a bit more into something bigger as an event. With back-to-back weekends showcasing the fighters on ESPN airwaves, the promoters hope to accomplish that quickly, and make more money for everyone.