Friday night's "Battle of Rio Grande" card, airing live on pay per view from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas features former IBF super middleweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout against Alfonso "El Tigre" Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs). On the undercard, Los Angeles bantamweight John "Scrappy" Ramirez (no relation to Gilberto) will make his pro debut. Scrappy is the first boxer signed by the more-well known Ramirez' promotional company, Zurdo Promotions. Scrappy will competing onhis boss' undercard in a four-round bout against Puerto Rico's Jose "El Chavito" Solis (0-2).The 24 year-old Scrappy Ramirez, who has no formal boxing experience, played on an L.A. high school football team, which was featured on ESPN because the area from which student-athletes came from was riddled with drugs and gangs.

 

Scrappy did not box as an amateur, but he is a fighter. "I'm still young in the sport but I love it," he said. "I'm just a different breed when it comes to this. At the end of the day, it's a fight and I'm here to take over not just take part in. Where I'm from past records, accolades and titles don't mean s*it. It's all about today and what lays ahead.   Being around the Champ (Gilberto) and watching him firsthand, I'm more motivated than ever and know what it takes to succeed. The grind is different, and no one can outwork me."