Golden Boy will continue its streak of providing fight fans an unprecedented 2024 fight schedule with the announcement today of a massive doubleheader on Saturday, April 27 featuring two of the brightest lights in boxing.
Jose Ramirez vs. Rances Barthelemy and Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Thomas Dulorme will be one of the biggest boxing shows yet in the Central Valley, and will take place live from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, and broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
Tickets for the public on sale for the event begins Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. PT and are priced at $225, $150, $100, $65 and $40 plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com. A special pre-sale will be available through Ticketmaster beginning today, March 26 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. PT with code: GBPFRESNO.
In the main event, making his Golden Boy debut in front of his hometown crowd of Fresno, U.S. Olympian and former unified super lightweight world champion Jose Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) will make his long-awaited return to the ring against Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas. Ramirez will be performing for the first time since March 2023, when he secured a dominant knockout victory over Richard Commey in a WBC world title eliminator fight. The main event is presented in association with TGB Promotions.
“I’m excited and honored to be working with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Jose Ramirez. “I know this next chapter of my career will be full of excitement as I chase to be the best and fight the best.”
“I’m very excited and fully focused on April 27th; I’m ready to bring the heat against Ramirez,” said Rances Barthelemy. “This fight isn’t just about victory…it’s about earning another world title shot so I can accomplish my goal of becoming a three-division world champion. Get ready for fireworks, Fresno!”
In a very special co-main event, the undefeated knockout monster Vergil Ortiz Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas, will measure up against Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KOs) of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a 10-round super welterweight fight. Ortiz Jr. is a fight away from an opportunity for a world championship and is returning to the ring after a colossal, first-round knockout this past January 6 in Las Vegas.
“I have spent a few weeks in Fresno in 2023 and I grew to love the city,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. “I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans out there, and I am content that we are staying active. 2024 is looking to be a great year for me.”
“I’ve been waiting for another big fight and this is exactly what I have wanted,” said Thomas Dulorme. “Vergil is a good fighter. I know him very well from years of training alongside him. One thing I can say is that the fans are going to get an all-out war!”
“I am thrilled to announce this doubleheader coming to Fresno’s Save Mart Center on Saturday, April 27,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya. “Both Jose and Vergil are knocking on the door of world championships, but to get to that next level, they will need to get past two guys who have faced the best of the best during their careers. With these two stars appearing atop the kind of stacked card the Golden Boy delivers on each and every show, April 27 is going to be a night to remember.”
“Another huge night of boxing for our subscribers at DAZN,” said Alfie Sharman, VP of DAZN. “From April 20 through June 1, we have an unmatched run of shows around the world from Haney vs. Garcia, to this Ramirez and Ortiz doubleheader to the return of Canelo to the platform in an all-Mexican affair for the ages. All live on DAZN.”
“Rances Barthelemy is already one of Cuba’s most accomplished fighters and he has a great opportunity for a signature victory that will put him in a position to be his country’s first three-division world champion,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “I expect him to put on a great performance and leave with his hand raised on April 27.”
“This is the biggest fight card to hit the #559; this is the Golden Boy Debut of Jose Ramirez and Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s first appearance in the Central Valley,” said Rick Mirigian, manager to Ramirez and Ortiz Jr. “It’s truly an honor to help promote this event.”
Credit: WBN