LAS VEGAS – Cody Crowley smiled wide when he was informed Abel Ramos expects to overwhelm Crowley with his power Saturday night.
The confident Canadian welterweight contender has heard it all before, but he remains undefeated nine years after he moved to Las Vegas from his tiny hometown in search of boxing glory. His unblemished record will remain intact, Crowley promised, when the aggressive southpaw opposes Ramos in a 12-round WBC elimination match on the David Benavidez-Caleb Plant undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I’m excited. Bring it,” Crowley told krikya360.com after an open workout Wednesday at MGM Grand. “I’m here, I’m ready. I’ve been in the ring with some of the biggest punchers in the world. I’ve got a granite chin and I live for guys who are trying to come and take my soul. I’m gonna keep coming forward. Whatever he brings, I’m gonna keep coming forward. I can guarantee that, or I go out on my feet, which I don’t see happening. But I always, always come to fight. I don’t get intimidated. It doesn’t matter how hard someone punches, I’m gonna walk through it.”
Crowley (21-0, 9 KOs) noted that Josesito Lopez hit him harder than any prior opponent in his most recent bout, a 10-rounder Crowley won by unanimous decision last April 16 on the Errol Spence Jr.-Yordenis Ugas undercard at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs) has power, too, and has faced former or current champions in Maurice Hooker, Regis Prograis, Ivan Baranchyk, Jamal James, Ugas and Omar Figueroa Jr. during his 11-year pro career as a junior welterweight and welterweight.
The Crowley-Ramos winner will move closer toward fighting for the WBC 147-pound championship. The third-ranked Crowley, a native of Peterborough, Ontario, or the sixth-ranked Ramos, of Casa Grande, Arizona, could face the winner of an interim title fight the WBC ordered last week – Ugas against Mario Barrios.
Crowley and Ramos will square off in the opener of a four-fight Showtime Pay-Per-View telecast scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET ($74.99).
“I worked my whole life for moments like this, so how can I not be trying to steal the show?,” Crowley asked. “I thought I was the co-main event and I got pushed to the opener, but someone’s gotta set the fireworks off. So, I’m willing to do it. I play my position, I play my part and I always show up. I show up on weight, I feel in good shape and I’m excited.”
The 29-year-old Crowley is a 7-1 favorite over Ramos, according to MGM Grand’s sportsbook. He still feels like he has plenty to prove after back-to-back wins against Riverside, California’s Lopez (38-9, 21 KOs, 1 NC) and Uzbekistan’s Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (18-2, 10 KOs), who was undefeated when Crowley got up from a flash knockdown during the second round and beat him unanimously in their 10-rounder in December 2021 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California (98-91, 97-92, 95-94).
“I’m an underdog fighter,” Crowley said. “That’s what I do. I come from a very small town. I’m here to prove a point. … I’m here to prove that small-town kids can do world-class things.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.