After signature knockdown, San Antonio boxer Ramon Cardenas eager to take next step

Trips to grocery store are no longer routine for Ramon Cardenas.

But they are becoming predictable.

Ever since San Antonio's super bantamweight contender - ranked No. 2 by both the WBA and WBC - knocked down Japan's unbeaten, four-division champion Naoya Inoue during their 2025 showdown in Las Vegas, Cardenas can't go to any HEB these days without someone stopping him.

"I get recognized 100 percent more often now because of that fight," he said. "They all want a picture and tell me, ‘Man, you almost had him!'"

Not that Cardenas isn't grateful for the attention, but he has loftier goals - like another shot at Inoue, or a title fight against someone else.

Saturday night, he hopes to make a significant move in that direction when he takes on Colombia's Leonardo Carrillo (20-1-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round bout on the main card of a ProBoxTV show in Los Angeles.

"I think I showed in that (Inoue) fight I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win," Cardenas (27-2, 15 KOs) said. "It showed I can pack a punch, and I'm someone people are going to have to contend with."

Inoue found that out just over a year ago at T-Mobile Arena, when he floored boxing's reigning pound-for-pound king, with a left hook in the second round.

Riding a 14-fight win streak at the time, Cardenas had the Japanese sensation staggered and in retreat. The round before, Cardenas bloodied the champs nose. In the end, Inoue recovered and stopped Cardenas in the eighth round. But the boxing world took notice.

The 29-year-old Cardenas, a late replacement in the fight, made a statement in defeat.

Cardenas said he was able to floor his heavily favored opponent with a move he learned in the gym. During the move, Cardenas said he shifts his body left and then right three times before delivering the blow.

"That little move - that trick - I always do it," Cardenas told BoxingScene.com. "It's not something that came out of the blue. It's a trick I learned along the way. But it's not a boxing move.

"Coaches can teach you how to throw a correct 1-2, but for me, I move left, then fake right, fake left, fake right again and then, boom, I hit him." 

Franco comeback begins: Former world super flyweight champion Joshua Franco, of San Antonio, who retired from boxing three years ago citing mental health issues, is scheduled to return to the ring Saturday night in Guadalajara, Mexico. Franco (18-2-3, 8 KOs) takes on Santiago Barajas (9-1-2, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout at 122 pounds.

San Antonio fight card in works: WBC junior lightweight champion O'Shaquie Foster of Houston will meet Emanuel Navarrete in a 130-pound unification bout Oct. 24 at the Frost Bank Center, according to media reports.

The fight, promoted by Top Rank, originally scheduled for the Alamodome, is expected to be officially announced in the coming days.

This article originally published at After signature knockdown, San Antonio boxer Ramon Cardenas eager to take next step.