LAS VEGAS (July 11, 2023) – Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez promises to deliver fireworks as he prepares to defend his WBO featherweight world title on enemy turf.
Ramirez will face Japanese contender Satoshi “Diamond Left” Shimizu on Tuesday, July 25, at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Ramirez-Shimizu will serve as the co-feature to the world title showdown between WBC/WBO junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton and pound-for-pound king Naoya “Monster” Inoue.
Fulton-Inoue, Ramirez-Shimizu and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist, took the fast track to becoming a world champion. In 2022, the 29-year-old stopped Irish veteran Eric Donovan in February, starched then-unbeaten contender Abraham Nova in June, and defeated Jose Matias Romero via ninth-round TKO in October. He defeated former world champ Isaac Dogboe on April 1 to capture the vacant WBO featherweight crown. Ramirez, who trains in Las Vegas with Ismael Salas, will now finish training camp in Japan. Shimizu (11-1, 10 KOs) is a 37-year-old southpaw making his first attempt at a world title. The two-time Olympian and 2012 bronze medalist is coming off a second-round stoppage win over Landy Cris Leon last December.
Following a recent training session, this is what Ramirez had to say about his first world title defense:
“Just a few months ago, I fulfilled my cherished goal of becoming world featherweight champion. The time has now come for the first defense of my title, and I couldn’t be happier or more honored for it to be in Tokyo, Japan, in front of a sold-out arena and as chief support to the much-anticipated unification clash between Fulton and Inoue.”
“Becoming world champion was a big leap in my quest to be considered the world’s top featherweight and eventually becoming a consensus pound-for-pound fighter. My battle against the tough and experienced Shimizu will be another important stop in my journey.”
“I’m looking forward not only to the fight, but also experiencing all that this beautiful country has to offer with its passionate boxing fans, it’s vibrant culture and rich history, among so many other things. See you all at the Ariake Arena on July 25, and get ready for another great show from El Tren!”