Ramirez defends his WBO featherweight title against Satoshi Shimizu on Tuesday, July 25 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena and LIVE on ESPN+
Ramirez will face Japanese contender Satoshi “Diamond Left” Shimizu on Tuesday, July 25, at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Ramirez-Shimizu will serve as the co-feature to the world title showdown between WBC/WBO junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton and pound-for-pound king Naoya “Monster” Inoue.
Fulton-Inoue, Ramirez-Shimizu and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Ramirez (12-1, 7 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist, took the fast track to becoming a world champion. In 2022, the 29-year-old stopped Irish veteran Eric Donovan in February, starched then-unbeaten contender Abraham Nova in June, and defeated Jose Matias Romero via ninth-round TKO in October. He defeated former world champ Isaac Dogboe on April 1 to capture the vacant WBO featherweight crown. Ramirez, who trains in Las Vegas with Ismael Salas, will now finish training camp in Japan. Shimizu (11-1, 10 KOs) is a 37-year-old southpaw making his first attempt at a world title. The two-time Olympian and 2012 bronze medalist is coming off a second-round stoppage win over Landy Cris Leon last December.
Following a recent training session, this is what Ramirez had to say about his first world title defense:
“I’m looking forward not only to the fight, but also experiencing all that this beautiful country has to offer with its passionate boxing fans, it’s vibrant culture and rich history, among so many other things. See you all at the Ariake Arena on July 25, and get ready for another great show from El Tren!”