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NEW YORK – Robeisy Ramirez seems sure that people will finally stop asking about losing his first professional fight.
Ramirez’s confidence stems from delivering the most impressive performance of his three-year pro career Saturday night, a highlight-reel, fifth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Abraham Nova. The Cuban southpaw emphatically ended what had been a fan-friendly featherweight bout by blasting Nova with a straight left hand that knocked Nova cold and left him beneath a bottom rope in a co-feature ESPN aired from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater.
“I think after tonight nobody’s gonna remember my pro debut,” Ramirez told BoxingScene.com. “It was a bad start, but that’s not gonna be the mark of my career. They’re always talking about the same stuff, but I don’t feel like that’s something that’s gonna mark my career. Based on a great performance, people won’t ask me about my pro debut.”
The 28-year-old Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, shockingly lost his pro debut to unheralded Adan Gonzales in August 2019. Though Ramirez avenged that four-round, split-decision defeat with a six-round, unanimous-decision victory over Gonzales in July 2020, the featherweight contender has continually been asked about the setback that tarnished the start of his professional career.
Ramirez has won 10 straight fights since his loss to Denver’s Gonzales (5-4-2, 2 KOs), but he hadn’t produced a victory as memorable as this vicious knockout of an undefeated contender Saturday night.
“It was a clear message that Robeisy’s here to fight with the best and fight with all the champions,” Ramirez said. “I’m here to fight with the best, so hopefully [promoter Top Rank] and my team get together and make a world title fight next. If not, a mandatory or an eliminator.”
Ramirez (10-1, 6 KOs) is ranked 12th among the WBO’s 126-pound contenders for champion Emanuel Navarrete (35-1, 29 KOs). Nova (21-1, 15 KOs) is ranked fourth by the WBO, thus Ramirez should move up at least several spots after beating him.
Nova told BoxingScene.com before he faced Ramirez that he envisioned “blowing this kid out.” The Albany, New York native questioned Ramirez’s level of opposition as a professional, but Ramirez proved him wrong.
“He was talking a lot, but that’s his way of projecting himself on social media,” Ramirez said. “I told him, ‘You have been talking for two months, so [Saturday night] was the real deal.’ But it doesn’t really make no difference. I knew what I was gonna do.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.