Eduardo Ramirez Edges Luis Melendez With Tough Majority Decision

NEW YORK – Eduardo Ramirez overcame some tenuous moments Saturday night to extend his winning streak.

The Mexican contender beat Luis Melendez by majority decision in a 10-round, 130-pound fight that opened Showtime Pay-Per-View’s telecast of the Gervonta Davis-Rolando Romero undercard at Barclays Center. Judges Bernard Bruni (96-94) and John Poturaj (98-92) overruled John McKaie, who scored their closely contested bout a draw, 95-95.

Los Mochis’ Ramirez (27-2-3, 12 KOs, 1 NC) has won five straight fights since he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to the Dominican Republic’s Claudio Marrero in November 2019. He also ended the 15-fight winning streak of Miami’s Melendez (17-2, 13 KOs).

Ramirez finished their fight strong.

Ramirez drilled Melendez with a straight left that made Melendez move away from him 1:10 into the 10th round. Ramirez also knocked Melendez off balance with a left hand that connected a few seconds before the final bell sounded.

Ramirez blasted Melendez with a left hand that knocked him into the ropes toward the end of the eighth round. Ramirez’s left hook caught Melendez and moved him into the ropes just after the halfway mark of the seventh round.

Melendez drilled Ramirez with a right hand that snapped his head back with about 50 seconds to go in the sixth round. He caught Ramirez with another right hand in an exchange just before the sixth round ended.

Ramirez was the aggressor during the fifth round and landed the harder punches.

Melendez came out at the start of the fourth round and landed various left hooks and right hands. Ramirez took those shots well and later in the fourth round moved Melendez into the ropes and caught him with a right hand.

Melendez landed a short, left hook on the inside about 35 seconds into the third round, when the action intensified. Melendez then landed a right uppercut and a left hook with just under a minute on the clock in the third round.

Ramirez rallied in the final minute of the third round by backing Melendez into the ropes and unloading right hands and left hooks.

Melendez and Ramirez spent most of the first two rounds feeling each other out and neither fighter landed many punches.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.