Press Release | Robeisy Ramirez vs. Donovan added
Ramirez-Eric Donovan featherweight tilt will serve as co-feature to the Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall undisputed junior welterweight title fight at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland
Cuban southpaw sensation Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez won a pair of Olympic gold medals for his homeland. He is now determined to add some professional hardware to his collection.
Ramirez (8-1, 4 KOs) will cross the pond to battle Irish veteran Eric Donovan (14-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight battle Saturday, Feb. 26, at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ramirez-Donovan will serve as the co-feature to the highly anticipated junior welterweight showdown between Scottish undisputed world champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor and undefeated WBO No. 1 contender Jack “El Gato” Catterall.
Taylor-Catterall, Ramirez-Donovan, and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.
Ramirez has been training in Las Vegas under Ismael Salas and has been flawless since a stunning defeat in his August 2019 pro debut. In 2020, he won four fights inside the MGM Grand Bubble, including a shutout over Adan Gonzales, the man who edged him in his debut. He is coming off a career-best victory last October over the previously unbeaten Orlando Gonzalez. This is what Ramirez had to say at Salas Boxing Academy, less than three weeks before his bout with Donovan.
“I’m happy to return as a professional boxer to the UK, the place where it all started for me as an 18-year-old winning my first Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games.”
“Two Olympic gold medals and what many consider a storied amateur career will mean nothing to me unless I achieve greatness as a professional. In many ways, I see this fight as an opportunity for the world to get to know Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramirez and for me to take a big leap in my quest to become a world champion.”
“There’s this longstanding stereotype of the Cuban fighter as highly skilled, yet boring. That is not my case. There’s a reason why they call me ‘The Train.’ I come forward.”
“I’m fast, strong, and I have the ring IQ to beat anyone in the featherweight division. February 26 on ESPN+ will be the platform from which I show the world that I am ready to contend for a world title.”
“On February 26, I will fight representing Cuba, my homeland, and the United States, the place that welcomed me and gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams as a professional boxer.”
Robeisy Ramirez battles Eric Donovan on Feb.26th on Taylor vs. Catterall card
Two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez will cross the pond to battle Irish veteran Eric Donovan in a 10-round featherweight battle Saturday, Feb. 26 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ramirez-Donovan highlights a loaded undercard before the highly anticipated junior welterweight showdown between Scottish undisputed world champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor and undefeated WBO No. 1 contender Jack “El Gato” Catterall.
The entire Taylor-Catterall card will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.
“Ever since that shocking loss in his professional debut, Robeisy Ramirez has shown why he was one of the top fighters from the 2016 Rio Olympics,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Robeisy fought all over the world during his amateur career, and we are thrilled that he will be able to showcase his skills for the Scottish fans.”
Ramirez (8-1, 4 KOs) is no stranger to fighting on British soil. At the 2012 London Olympics, he stunned the flyweight field as a 16-1 underdog to win gold. Ramirez won a second gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and defected from Cuba in July 2018.
Following a split decision defeat to Adan Gonzales in his August 2019 pro debut, Ramirez has won eight straight fights, including a shutout decision win over Gonzales in their 2020 rematch. Ramirez shined on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard last October, dominating the previously unbeaten Orlando Gonzalez over 10 rounds. Donovan (14-1, 8 KOs), a one-time Irish amateur star from Athy, has won two fights since an August 2020 TKO loss to Zelfa Barrett.
Ramirez said, “Ever since I won my first Olympic gold medal in London, I’ve wanted to fight again in this part of the world. Scottish fans are incredibly passionate, and I can’t wait to put on a great show for them in front of a sold-out arena. My opponent is a tough Irishman, and I will be at my very best to come out victorious.”
In other undercard action on ESPN+:
• Nick ‘The Glasgow Warrior’ Campbell (4-0, 4 KO’s) and Jay ‘The Ghost’ McFarlane (12-5, 5 KO’s) will collide in a highly anticipated showdown for the vacant Scottish heavyweight title.
• A pair of Top Rank-signed prospects will make their respective professional debuts in six-rounders. Featherweight Kurt Walker won bronze at the 2017 European Championships, silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and gold at the 2018 EU Championships and 2019 European Games. Walker, who represented Ireland last summer at the Tokyo Olympics, lost to Top Rank stablemate Duke Ragan in a hotly contested quarterfinal bout. Junior middleweight Kieran Molloy, from Galway Ireland, won 11 national amateur titles and earned a bronze medal at the 2018 EU Championships in Valladolid, Spain.
• Top Rank-signed welterweight sensation Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan (7-0, 5 KOs), from Limerick, Ireland, returns to action in a six-rounder. Donovan is coming off last August’s first-round knockout over Jose Luis Castillo.
• BOXXER Series junior welterweight winner Cori Gibbs (16-0, 3 KOs) will begin his new promotional deal in an eight-rounder.
Rising female star Ebonie Jones (1-0) has her second pro fight against Effy Kathopouli over six rounds at junior featherweight. Portsmouth’s Jones, a former Team GB standout amateur and HGV driver in the British Army, made her pro debut last October with a points win over Vaida Masiokaite.
• Edinburgh cruiserweight ace Scott Forrest sets out on his professional journey when he makes his pro debut in a six-round contest. Born in South Africa, Forrest relocated to Forth, Scotland, as a five-year-old. He competed at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and has sparred former heavyweight champion
