Cuban southpaw Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez won a pair of Olympic gold medals for his homeland. For his next bout, Ramirez (billed at 8-1 but 22-3 is the more accurate record based on pro fights in the World Series of Boxing) will cross the pond to battle Ireland's Eric Donovan (14-1, 8 KOs) in a ten-round featherweight contest on Saturday, Feb. 26th, at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Ramirez-Donovan will serve as the co-feature to the four-belt, world junior  welterweight championship showdown between Scotland's world champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor and undefeated 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 won all his bouts since a surprising defeat in August 2019. In 2020, he won four fights inside the MGM Grand Bubble, including a shutout over Adan Gonzales, the man who edged him the prior year. 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 26th on ESPN+ will be the platform from which I show the world that I am ready to contend for a world title.”

 

“On February 26th, 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.”