By: Sean Crose
WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza battled former foil Robeisy Ramirez Saturday night in Phoenix. The scheduled 12 rounder was a rematch of their 2023 battle. Espinoza won that match, as well as Ramirez’ title – but Ramirez had been more than game – and was now more than eager to get his second crack at Espinoza on Saturday. Although far shorter than his lanky opponent Ramirez looked to have gotten the better of things in the opening round. Being sure to keep away from the long arms of Espinoza, Ramirez was able to get inside with his southpaw jab in the second – though Espinoza was able to find his man later in the round.
It was Ramirez, however, who was able to land well on Espinoza in the third. The defending champion had his moments in the fourth, but it was clear he wasn’t having an easy time with his opponent – at least not at that point of the fight. Still he was able to land well on Ramirez in the fifth. Plus, Ramirez was expending a lot of energy as he moved about the ring. Yet no one could have predicated what would happen next.
For in the opening seconds of the sixth, Ramirez suddenly gave up the fight he was still, up to point, likely winning.
A slow motion replay showed that Ramirez stopped the bout after taking a sharp straight right from Espinoza. Ramirez claimed his eye had been harmed by an Espinoza elbow earlier, and the straight right in the sixth was more than he could handle. “In the fourth round he hit me with a couple of elbows,” Ramirez said after the fight had ended. “I had to make a decision for my own health…I had double vision…I just could not see out of my right eye.” After the interview, the former champion was taken to the hospital.
“Look I landed a clean shot that right hand and he felt that power,” Espinoza stated afterward. “I want to be a legend and that’s why I’m willing to face anybody,” he added. Without doubt, it was a very strange ending for a boxing match. It’s easy to accuse a fighter of quitting when you’re not the fighter in the ring. Perhaps it was the fact that no one saw such an abrupt and surprising ending coming that made Ramirez’ actions so shocking. Either way, Espinoza retained his WBO title, despite the fact that he may well have been behind when the fight came to it’s weird conclusion.