25-year-old Ramon Barraza Celedon stood in the ring with his hands raised in June, celebrating a brutal second-round knockout over Luis Angel Hernandez Garcia in Jamay, Mexico. His record now stood at 22–1, the kind of number that makes people whisper about a boxer’s future. Outside the ropes, life looked just as promising—he had secured a spot in the 2026 call of the State Citizen Security Force (FESC) and even advanced to the second stage of selection. 

But life, unlike boxing, doesn’t warn you before it lands the punch. And when it did, irony proved to be the cruelest opponent of all. The same security force he had become destined to join proved to be the key reason for his downfall. The incident has not only shaken the Mexican boxing scene, but also proved that you never know who’s really behind the mask of illusion. Barraza, known in the ring as ‘Temible,’ was arrested with a massive shipment of narcotics. 

How was Ramon Barraza caught?

According to details shared by Solo Boxeo and reported by Boxaldia, 25-year-old rising star Ramon Barraza Celedon was traveling by car in Tijuana, Baja California, when agents from the State Citizen Security Force (FESC) intercepted his vehicle. What began as a routine operation quickly turned shocking, thanks to what was found.

Inside the car, officers discovered roughly 10 kilograms or 22 pounds of synthetic narcotics. To make matters worse, the vehicle itself had previously been reported stolen by force. The operation was supported by the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) and the Tijuana Municipal Police, who promptly handed Barraza over to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

The FGR will now lead the investigation and determine the charges he will face. While the official accusations remain pending, the arrest casts a long shadow over his future – one that may forever alter the course of a once-promising boxing career. Interestingly, he was supposed to face Cuba’s decorated amateur Kevin Brown on September 19th, but was replaced by Juan Meza Angulo, presumably because of the arrest.

Regardless, for those who don’t know, was Barraza really that great a boxer, who ruined his career?

Barraza’s promising boxing career

The 25-year-old started his boxing career back in April 2016, and quickly secured five knockout wins, with four of them coming in the very first round. In the following years, Barraza secured nine more wins, looking to become the next big fighter to come out of Mexico. However, in March 2019, he suffered his first career loss to Edgar Daniel Ahumada. 

Despite the setback, Barraza bounced back with eight back-to-back wins, with the last one coming mere months ago against Luis Angel Hernandez Garcia. He had an impressive knockout ratio of 72.73% with 16 knockouts over 22 fights in 9 years. But with his arrest, it remains unclear what the future holds for the young star—success in the ring or years in jail. 

Having said that, further details from Barraza’s arrest are expected to be released in the coming days. For now, though, things look bleak for the 25-year-old boxing star. This comes days after another Mexican boxer was found murdered. What do you think of the arrest?