Cuba crowned a new world champion tonight.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs) captured the vacant WBO featherweight world title with a unanimous decision victory over former junior featherweight world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe (24-3, 15 KOs) Saturday evening at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
After an opening feel out round, the 29-year-old wobbled Dogboe with a counter left hand that began a relentless attack. The two then exchanged bombs in the following round, while Dogboe began landing body shots in the fourth.
By the sixth round, however, Ramirez established control and landed consecutive left hands on Dogboe. From then on, Ramirez’s footwork and feints began to keep Dogboe at bay, while additional left hands kept finding a home.
Ramirez scored a knockdown in the final round, though Dogboe disputed the call as a slip. Nevertheless, Ramirez, who is trained by Ismael Salas, won going away champion by scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 119-108.
Ramirez said, “I’m living a new stage in my life. This is a new history that I’m writing, and I did everything I had to do. As an Olympian, I won two Olympic gold medals, and now I can call myself a champion.”
“All the respect to a warrior like Isaac Dogboe. He has my admiration, and all it took was me listening to this genius, Ismael Salas, because I did that, and he led me to victory.
“I believe things happened for a reason. If it wasn’t for that loss in my pro debut, I would have never ended up with Ismael Salas. Yordenis Ugas never would’ve told me, ‘You have to move to Vegas, you have to change your life,’ and I never would have gotten this team together to be where I am today.”
Dogboe said, “Let’s run it back. That’s all I have to say. He’s a great fighter.”
Joet Gonzalez Beats Jose Enrique Vivas
Featherweight contender Joet Gonzalez (26-3, 15 KOs) needed another win tonight to keep his hopes alive for another world title opportunity, and Jose Enrique Vivas wasn’t going to make things easy for him. Indeed, the 29-year-old native of Glendora, California, had to work in each second of every round of tonight’s ten-rounder to earn the unanimous decision.
Gonzalez and Vivas (22-3, 11 KOs) spent the entire fight in the center of the ring, exchanging short hooks, overhand rights and uppercuts at close range. In the later rounds, Gonzalez began using his jab and created some distance, but not for long.
Gonzalez prevailed by scores of 98-92 2x and 99-91, preserving his chances of earning a third title shot. He fell short by decision in previous title challenges to Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete.
Junior Middleweights: Jahi Tucker (10-0, 5 KOs) went toe-to-toe for eight rounds against the much bigger and stronger Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (8-2, 6 KOs) before winning via unanimous decision. Sekhniashvili pressed the action early and forced Tucker to fight on the outside, where ate many shots as he tried to find his composure. Tucker found his rhythm and swept the later rounds. Scores: 77-74 3x.
Heavyweights: Jeremiah Milton (9-0, 6 KOs) delivered his first hometown performance in eight months with a wide points victory against Brazil’s Fabio Maldonado (29-7, 28 KOs). Maldonado, an experienced MMA fighter, made the fight awkward and often closed the distance with his head, for which he was deducted a point in the sixth round. Scores: 78-72 and 80-70 2x.
Junior Welterweights: U.S. Olympian Tiger Johnson (8-0, 5 KOs) demonstrated his counterpunching ability with an eight-round unanimous decision victory over Alfonso Olvera (12-8-3, 4 KOs). Johnson, who was rocked in the opening round, nearly sent Olvera to the canvas with a right hand in the sixth round. Scores: 80-72 3x.
Light Heavyweights: Cleveland light heavyweight standout Dante Benjamin Jr. (6-0, 4 KOs) dropped Jasper McCargo III (4-4-2, 2 KOs) four times before knocking him out late in the second. Time of stoppage: 2:58.
Lightweights: Emiliano Fernando Vargas (4-0, 3 KOs) defeated Edgar Uvalle (2-4-2, 2 KOs) via second-round knockout. Vargas, with his father and trainer Fernando Vargas in his corner, gradually wore Uvalle down with hooks and right hands to the head and body. Time of stoppage: 1:21.
Lightweights: Cleveland’s Abdu
Junior Welterweights: Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco (9-0, 5 KOs) dominated Ricardo Quiroz (12-2, 6 KOs) over six rounds of action to win by unanimous decision. Scores: 60-54 3x.
