Golden Boy has signed super flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez to a promotional deal, and the undefeated prospect will look to prove his promise immediately when he faces Ronal Batista on Oct. 7.

The matchup is a WBA final eliminator bout for the 115-pound title currently held by Kazuto Ioka, and the fight will co-headline the card featuring Gilberto Ramirez and Joe Smith Jr. at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on DAZN.

David Suh of 3 Point Management (3PM) brokered the multi-fight deal for the Los Angeles-based Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) and presented him with the bout against Panama’s Batista (15-3, 9 KOs).

“It means a lot [to sign the deal with Golden Boy]. It feels great to finally achieve something that I have been working for, to get signed,” Ramirez told BoxingScene.com in an interview. “I was told I wasn’t going to get signed because I started boxing at the age of 20. I sacrificed a lot, and I had to be patient. It wasn’t easy, but everything was worth it.

“I’m here to stay. This fight is personal to me. I believe in myself. I came from nothing, and now I am here. I’m ready.”

The 27-year-old Ramirez, who trains with Julian Chua at the Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California, believes he is ready to be fast tracked for a fight against the four-division champion and 14-year pro Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs).

He’ll have to beat the battle-tested Batista to get there. Batista last fought in May against Julio Cesar Martinez and was stopped in the 11th round after Martinez mounted a second-half rally.  

Ramirez cut it close in his last fight, scoring a 10-round split decision against Fernando Diaz in May. 

“When it comes to skills and natural ability, I have that. When I say I’m the man, most of these guys don’t have the character, the work ethic, the belief. That’s not teachable or coachable. You have to have it. I’m a winner. I don’t believe in losing,” said Ramirez.

“October 7, I am coming to knock this kid [Batista] out with bad intentions. I want to make a statement. I have to show the world I’m really here.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.