Gilberto Ramirez vs Tommy Karpency Preview April 12th
Unbeaten WBO Super Middleweight Champion Gilberto Ramirez of Mexico will be moving up in weight this Friday, April 12th when he takes on fellow southpaw Tommy Karpency of Adah, Pennsylvania. The 10-round bout takes place at the staple Center in Los Angeles, California and can be seen live in the USA on ESPN+ while fans in the UK can catch the action on Sky Sports and those in Canada can see it on TSN. Ramirez last fought in December when he defended his title for the fifth time with a majority decision over Jesse Hart in a rematch. Ramirez and Hart first met in September of 2017 with Ramirez winning a close unanimous decision. Karpency last fought in November when he stopped Marlon Hayes in the third round.
Ramirez vs Karpency Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Tommy Karpency +300
- Gilberto Ramirez -450
My Pick
The 27-year-old Ramirez became the first Mexican to capture a world super middleweight title when he beat Arthur Abraham via unanimous decision in 2016 and he’ll enter the ring with a perfect record of 39-0 along with 25 Kos. He stands close to 6-feet-3-inches tall and has a reach of 75 inches. He turned pro back in 2009 and has fought 223 rounds since then. Ramirez possesses pretty good power in his fists and owns a knockout ratio of 64 per cent. He’s is a bit of an oddity for such a tall boxer though since he doesn’t always use his height to his advantage.
Ramirez often prefers to work his way inside to engage instead of fighting at a safer distance. Along with Abraham, Max Bursak and Hart, some of his noteworthy opponents have been Derek Edwards, Fulgencio Zuniga, Junior Talipeau, and Derrick Findley. Ramirez has gone undefeated up to now basically because of his knockout power and the level of opponents he’s faced. He needs to tighten up defensively if he wants to remain unbeaten. To do this he should take better advantage of his height and control the distance in his bouts.
Karpency is a two-time former world title challenger who’s now 33 years old. He’s won 10 of his last 15 outings with five defeats, but has won his last three. He climbs into the ring with a 29-6-1 record along with 18 Kos. His last loss came to Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2016 when he was stopped in the sixth round. The fight was for the NABF Light Heavyweight Title as it came before Gvozdyk became the WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. Karpency did get a shot at the WBC crown when Adonis Stevenson was the champ and was stopped in the third round in 2015.
Karpency also fought for the WBO world title against Nathan Cleverly in 2012, but lost a unanimous decision. His other losses came at the hands of Andrzej Fonfara by stoppage in 2012, as well as decisions to Karo Murat in 2010 and Rayco Saunders in 2008. His draw was an eight-round affair against Demetrius Davis in 2008. Karpency is just over 6-feet tall with a 73-inch reach so gives up three inches in height and two inches in reach to Ramirez.
The veteran’s biggest win was against former world champion Chad Dawson back in October of 2014 by 10-round split decision. However, he’s been beaten every other time he stepped up in class. Karpency has fought 164 rounds since turning pro in 2006 and has average power with a current knockout ratio of 50 per cent. Karpency’s a competitive fighter, but not quite in the elite category at this stage and may fall just short of it during his career. However, he has won a few regional titles along the way.
Prediction…
Karpency has been stopped in three of his six defeats and that doesn’t bode well for him since he’s facing a big hitter on Friday night. Ramirez is moving up in weight since he’s having a hard time making 168 lbs and at 6-foot-3 it’s easy to see why. He’s got the size and power to succeed at light heavyweight and should start his career in the 175 lb division with a stoppage over Karpency.
Karpency’s chin will likely let him down.
Play: Ramirez -450 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Gilberto Ramirez betting • Tommy Karpency betting