Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramírez will lock horns with former 122-pound title holder Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe in a twelve-round showdown for the vacant interim WBO featherweight title on Saturday, April 1st, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Oklahoma. [The current WBO featherweight champion is Emanuel Navarrete, who is fighting for the vacant WBO super featherweight title next month, so the winner of Ramirez-Dogboe could easily be elevated to full WBO champion status] In the eight-round co-feature, Puerto Rican youngster Xander Zayas looks to extend his unbeaten record against nine-year veteran Ronald “Diablo” Cruz. Ramirez-Dogboe and Zayas-Cruz headlines a packed card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Holden Productions, tickets are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.
“We have seen Robeisy Ramirez grow from a decorated Olympian to a young man on the verge of stardom. Isaac Dogboe is no pushover and represents the toughest test of Ramirez’s career. I expect an exciting, dramatic fight for the great fans in Tulsa,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “2023 will be a huge year for Xander Zayas, a superstar in the making who I believe will be Puerto Rico’s next champion.”
Ramirez (25-3 including the World Series of Boxing) from Cienfuegos, Cuba, went from losing in August 2019 to one of the division’s contenders in 2023. Ramirez had a breakthrough in 2022, knocking out Irishman Eric Donovan, then previously unbeaten Abraham Nova, and Argentina's Jose Matias Romero. Ramirez has knocked out five of his past six foes, a power surge he hopes carries over to The Sooner State. He is considered one of the greatest boxers ever to emerge from the famed Cuban amateur system and seeks to author a career-best victory in Tulsa.
"I have been boxing for more than 20 years and have been a fighter every step of the way,” Ramirez said. “I never forgot where I came from, but I refuse to define myself by past accomplishments. Even after winning my second Olympic gold medal, I endured hardships. I embraced the challenges ahead of me and know that my greatest tests and most significant accomplishments in boxing are still ahead of me.
"On April 1st, I will enter the ring with the hunger that has brought me here and the hunger that comes with knowing that there is still much to achieve. This is just the beginning for Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramírez.”
Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs) had a rapid championship rise at junior featherweight, but lost his momentum with back-to-back defeats to Emanuel Navarrete. He overhauled his camp following the Navarrete losses, linking up with decorated trainer Barry Hunter at Headbangers Boxing Gym in Washington, D.C. The Dogboe/Hunter partnership has resulted in four consecutive victories, including majority decisions over Adam Lopez and Christopher Diaz. He earned a shot at the interim title with last July’s split decision over Joet Gonzalez, a toe-to-toe battle in Hinckley, Minnesota, that ranked among the year’s best action fights. Dogboe, from Anyako, Ghana, represented his homeland at the 2012 London Olympics and spent much of his childhood in London.
“Nearly five years ago, I became the WBO junior featherweight champion of the world, to the shock of many people. On April 1, I will be crowned a two-time, two-division champion,” Dogboe said. “Ramirez is a good fighter, and I commend him for his achievements. I've waited patiently for this opportunity, and I want to thank Bob Arum and the Top Rank family for being good to me over the years. My team and I are preparing for this life-changing opportunity. God Bless all the boxing fans and boxing enthusiasts for their continuous support."
