It might be unfair, but most pundits are viewing Saturday’s contest from Tulsa, Oklahoma, broadcast on ESPN+, for the vacant WBO featherweight world title between two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist, Robeisy Ramirez, and former super bantamweight world champion Isaac Dogboe as the moment Ramirez becomes the best fighter in the division. Some might argue against this with accolades, but in terms of pure talent, it is hard to think of a better fighter in that division - and on Saturday Ramirez will get the opportunity to show his abilities, on the card promoted by Top Rank Inc.
In the build-up to Brian Mendoza’s bout which is scheduled for Saturday, April 8th, in Carson, California, on Showtime Championship Boxing against junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora, Mendoza took time to talk about what it is like training beside Ramirez at Ismael Salas’ gym in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ramirez though has had to adapt to the pro game as he lost his professional debut shockingly to Adan Gonzales, thus becoming the butt of all jokes for people who love to point out that amateur boxing is so much different than professional boxing. Since his lone career defeat, Ramirez has moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, started to train with Ismael Salas, and riffled off eleven straight wins, with each bout seemingly to more brutal than the last.
“When he first turned pro he still had the amateur style, he was throwing more punches, he still had the [ring IQ], but now that man is a professional fighter,” stated Mendoza with a level of respect you can only earn by being in the gym with a fighter. “That is what you are seeing in his last couple of fights as he is getting stoppages, just destroying guys, and he is a professional fighter now.”
Ramirez will face a man seeking redemption himself, a former super bantamweight world champion in Isaac Dogboe, who was brutally beaten twice by Emanuel Navarrete. Since his stoppage loss to Navarrete in May of 2019, Dogboe has enlisted Barry Hunter to train him to go on a four-fight win streak with his last three wins over Adam Lopez, Christopher Diaz, and Joet Gonzalez seeing him heavily doubted going into those contests. This bout will be nothing new as Ramirez is a healthy favorite leading into this bout.
“He is a scary dude, because he is literally walking toward you with his hands down, and you can’t hit him,” said Mendoza. “Like that old cliche, ‘I have forgotten more than you will ever learn’. I have learned moves from [Ramirez] in sparring and I will use it in sparring, [and Ramirez will forget that he taught it to me], it is really like that. He really has that much natural knowledge in his head, it is all stored in [his head] like a computer.
