By Keith Idec
April 2, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Shakur Stevenson and Robeisy Ramirez have become friends while training alongside one another at Top Rank’s gym in Las Vegas.
Stevenson still would like to avenge his controversial loss to Ramirez in the bantamweight gold medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. They’re two divisions apart these days, but Stevenson could see Ramirez competing at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds at some point.
“I’m friends with Robeisy,” Stevenson told BoxingScene.com. “He’s cool. He’s like real friendly with me, but I would love to get my get back. Honestly, when I first seen him come to America [in 2019], I got hyped because I wanted me and him to fight each other. I was thinking that was gonna be the big fight for me. But right now, we two weight classes apart. If he ever gets up to 135, then it’ll probably happen. But if not, then I don’t know. We’ll see.” The Cuban-born Ramirez captured a featherweight world title on Saturday night. Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs) outboxed Ghana’s Isaac Dogboe (24-3, 15 KOs) to win the WBO’s vacant 126-pound championship in a 12-round ESPN televised main event from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“He’s been looking good,” Stevenson said. “The pro debut was just the first time in the pros and he didn’t look like himself. Now you see him doing what he’s supposed to do and beating these guys. He definitely looks good at 126.”
The 29-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist is 12-0 since he infamously lost his pro debut to Adan Gonzales in August 2019 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Denver’s Gonzales (then 4-2-2) upset Ramirez by split decision in that four-round bout, but Ramirez avenged his lone loss by shutting out Gonzales on all three scorecards in their six-rounder four fights later.
Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) is scheduled to headline his own ESPN televised event this Saturday night. The 25-year-old Stevenson is scheduled to oppose unbeaten Japanese contender Shuichiro Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round WBC lightweight elimination match at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Stevenson’s hometown.
Though their division limits are nine pounds apart, the time Stevenson spent training in the same gym with Ramirez recently made him think they could eventually square off as professionals. “I mean, honestly, I wouldn’t look past it,” Stevenson said. “I was just in the gym with him and he told them his weight. And when he told them his weight, me and him were only a couple pounds apart. So, I listened to what he said and he’s not that far in weight from me. As far as weight classes, the 126-pounders are damn near the same size as me. It can happen. I see it happening.”
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