By Keith Idec

Jose Ramirez’s first title defense shouldn’t be nearly as difficult as expected.

When Ramirez beat Amir Imam to win the then-vacant WBC super lightweight title, he was supposed to defend it against the WBC’s interim champion, Regis Prograis, in his following fight. Prograis instead has agreed to participate in the World Boxing Super Series’ 140-pound tournament, which will leave Ramirez to face a less imposing opponent.

krikya360.com has learned that a deal is nearly finalized for Ramirez to defend his title against Danny O’Connor on July 7. ESPN is expected to televise the Ramirez-O’Connor fight as the main event of a card that night from an undetermined venue in Fresno, California, near Ramirez’s hometown of Avenal.

The 25-year-old Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) likely would’ve had a very tough time with the powerful Prograis (21-0, 18 KOs), but the 2012 Olympian will be heavily favored in this hometown fight against O’Connor. The 33-year-old O’Connor (30-3, 11 KOs), of Framingham, Masschusetts, has won four straight fights since suffering a first-round knockout defeat to New York’s Gabriel Bracero (24-3-1, 5 KOs) in their rematch in October 2015.

Ramirez became a world champion March 17, when he beat Imam (21-2, 18 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 12-rounder in The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Prograis, meanwhile, might fight once before competing in the World Boxing Super Series’ 140-pound tournament, which will officially be announced soon.

Prograis could face an undetermined opponent July 14 in a fight ESPN would televise from his native New Orleans before the start of an ESPN Pay-Per-View telecast that’ll feature Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse in a 12-rounder for Matthysse’s WBA world welterweight title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In his last fight, Prograis knocked out former IBF/IBO/WBA super lightweight champ Julius Indongo (22-2, 11 KOs) in the second round March 9 in Deadwood, South Dakota. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.