If you’ve ever watched Jose Ramirez cut off the ring, you know he isn't exactly there to play tag. He is a high-volume, relentless pressure fighter. But in the world of elite boxing, the hands are everything. They are the tools of the trade, and if those tools break, the job doesn’t get done. This is why the conversation around jose ramirez boxing gloves always leads back to one specific, legendary name: Cleto Reyes.
Professional boxing isn't just about how hard you hit. It’s about how that force is delivered. Most casual fans look at the trunks or the shoes, but the gear on the fists is what actually dictates the pace of a championship fight.
The Cleto Reyes Connection
Ramirez is a "puncher." That’s a specific designation in boxing circles. Because of his style, he almost exclusively favors Cleto Reyes gloves for his professional bouts. You’ve probably seen them—the sleek, often red or black leather with the distinctive logo. They are widely known as "puncher’s gloves."
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What does that actually mean? Basically, they use goat hair padding instead of the thick foam you’ll find in brands like Winning or Rival. This isn't just some old-school tradition. The horsehair (or goat hair) shifts upon impact. When Ramirez lands a hook, there is less material between his knuckles and the opponent's face. It’s a trade-off. You get more power transfer, but you risk your hands.
For a guy like Jose, who grew up in the Central Valley of California doing the hard work in the fields, he’s got that "farm strength." He trusts his hands to hold up. He once auctioned off his fight-worn Cleto Reyes gloves from the Josh Taylor undisputed clash to raise money for cancer research. That tells you two things: people value his gear as memorabilia, and he’s loyal to the brand that has seen him through his biggest wars.
Why Pro Gear Isn't Your Local Gym Gear
Don't go out and buy a pair of 10oz pro fight gloves for your Tuesday night heavy bag session. Seriously. You'll wreck your wrists.
The jose ramirez boxing gloves you see on TV are vastly different from the training gloves he uses in the gym. In camp, pros usually wear 16oz or 18oz gloves with heavy foam protection. This allows them to throw hundreds of punches a day without developing the micro-fractures that end careers.
- Pro Fight Gloves: 8oz or 10oz (depending on weight class), lace-up, minimal padding.
- Training Gloves: 14oz to 16oz, often Velcro (though Ramirez likely sticks to laces even in training for the wrist support), thick protective padding.
When Ramirez fought Viktor Postol or Maurice Hooker, he needed that 10oz Cleto Reyes pop. It’s about the "snap." You can hear it when he connects—it sounds like a whip cracking rather than a thud.
The Nike Factor
While his gloves are usually the Mexican-made classics, the rest of his kit is often high-performance Nike. He signed a deal with them early in his career. It’s a weird mix if you think about it: the ultra-modern Nike boots and apparel paired with the traditional, almost primitive technology of horsehair boxing gloves.
But it works.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Gear
People often think pros just pick whatever color looks cool. That’s rarely the case at the world-title level. The weight distribution of the glove is scrutinized by the commission and the opposing camp.
During the pre-fight rules meeting, the "glove ceremony" is a huge deal. Both camps inspect the gloves. If Josh Taylor’s team thought Jose’s gloves were too "broken in" or the padding was shifted too much toward the wrist, they would have rejected them. This is the chess match before the actual fight.
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Ramirez’s choice of Cleto Reyes is a psychological statement, too. It says: I am coming to hurt you. ## Actionable Takeaway for Your Own Training
If you want to emulate the Jose Ramirez style, don't just buy the brand. Buy for the purpose. Honestly, unless you are an elite-level competitor with "iron" hands, sticking to a more protective glove like a Rival RS11V or even a Cleto Reyes Training Glove (which has much more padding than the pro fight version) is the smarter move for longevity.
The real lesson from looking at Jose Ramirez's equipment is the importance of wrist support. Look at how high his hand wraps go and how tightly his gloves are laced. Power starts in the legs, but it's held together by the wrist.
To get the most out of your gear:
- Always use 180-inch hand wraps; the short ones are useless for real protection.
- If you use lace-up gloves for the support, get a "Lace n Loop" converter so you can put them on yourself.
- Replace your training gloves every 9 to 12 months if you're hitting the bag three times a week. The padding dies long before the leather does.
Keep your hands safe so you can keep punching. That’s the Jose Ramirez way.