Undefeated contender Ivan Baranchyk takes on Abel Ramos Friday night in a 10-round super lightweight fight from the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla. The bout is the main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation fight card (Showtime, 10:05 p.m. ET).
In the co-feature, former Dominican Republic Olympian Lenin Castillo (15-0-1, 10 KOs) and former national Golden Gloves champion Joe “Mack” Williams (10-0, 7 KOs) clash in an eight-round light heavyweight bout.
In the opening bout of the telecast, Spain’s up-and-coming Jon “Johnfer” Fernandez (10-0, 8 KOs) takes on southpaw Ernesto Garza (7-1, 4 KOs) in an eight-round super featherweight fight.
Baranchyk, nicknamed “The Beast,” is a 5-foot-10-inch, offensive-minded fighter with power in both hands. He had won nine fights in a row by knockout before winning a 10-round decision against Zhimin Wang last Sept. 23 on ShoBox. In his last outing, Baranchyk (13-0, 10 KOs) scored a 10-round decision on Dec. 10 against Wilberth Lopez.
“I am looking forward to continuing my pursuit of a world title,” said Baranchyk. “Ramos is a very tough fighter and a ShoBox alum himself, so I will enjoy knocking him out.
“I think I’ve proved my durability by going 10 rounds in my last two fights. My team wants me to box more and let the knockouts come, so that is something we work on all the time.’’
Baranchyk, 24, a former European amateur standout, is a Minsk, Byelorussia native now living in Brooklyn. He’s making his fourth appearance on the prospect developmental series. Two other ShoBox starts ended in first-round knockouts against undefeated foes, totaling a combined 2:49 of ring time. All 10 of Baranchyk’s knockouts have come inside three full rounds, including six in the first.
Ramos (17-1-2, 12 KOs) is a five-year pro who’s won three in a row, all by knockout in 2016, since his only loss, a ninth-round TKO to highly regarded, unbeaten Regis Prograis in 2015.
“Ivan is a different fighter. We know what we’re getting in there with and we’re going to feel out his power,” Ramos said. “His last two fights went the distance so he must not hit that hard. We’re going to wear him out.
“Ivan is aggressive, and he can be explosive at times, but he makes mistakes. He fights a little wild. I think I can start to worry him. We’re going to test his power and decide how I need to fight. He hasn’t fought anyone at my level yet.”
(Photo of Baranchyk, left, and Ramos during their Thursday weigh-in by Stephanie Trapp, Showtime)