Robeisy Ramirez will defend his WBO featherweight world title against a fellow two-time Olympian, in Japan, on July 25.
Promoter Top Rank said on Thursday that Ramirez will battle Japan’s Satoshi Shimizu Tuesday on Tuesday, July 25, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. The main event for that card features Naoya Inoue fighting Stephen Fulton, the WBC and WBO super bantamweight title-holder.
Now, it remains to be seen if Inoue is the same “Monster” at 122 pounds that he was at 118.
Fulton-Inoue, Ramirez-Shimizu and undercard bouts will stream live in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Robeisy Ramirez Started Off Rough, Kept On Grinding
Robeisy Ramirez, age 29, said in a press release, “Next stop, Japan! I am happy to announce my quick return to the ring in what will be the first defense of my WBO world championship. Fighting is what I do best, titles are meant to be defended, and there’s no stopping ‘El Tren!'”
Ramirez holds a 12-1, 7 KOs record. In his last outing, he handled Isaac Dogboe, picking up the vacant WBO strap. See below:
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, out of Cuba, had a crap start to his pro career. On August 10, 2019, Ramirez lost his pro debut, to then 4-2-2 Adan Gonzalez. Since then, he rebounded, taking Ws in every start since.
The 5-5 technician Robeisy Ramirez joined forces with trainer Ismael Salas not long ago, and it seems to be a fine fit. The aggression he showed against the former junior featherweight world champion Isaac Dogboe marks him a fan friendly fighter.
On the other hand, Shimizu owns a 11-1, 10 KOs record. He is a 37-year-old southpaw making his first try at a world title. Before turning pro, he fought for Japan at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Additionally, check out this piece from RING to learn more about the underdog challenger.
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.
