Training Injury Forces Xander Zayas
To Withdraw From April 1 ESPN+ Co-Feature!
(March 9th) Puerto Rican junior middleweight prospect Xander Zayas has been forced to withdraw from his April 1 fight against Ronald “Diablo” Cruz at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa due to a training injury. Zayas is expected to return to the ring in June.
Zayas vs Cruz was scheduled to be the co-feature to the WBO featherweight world title clash between Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez and Isaac Dogboe.
The new co-feature will see two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez taking on Mexico’s Jose Enrique Vivas in a 10-round featherweight tilt.
Ramirez-Dogboe, Zayas-Cruz and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Gonzalez (25-3, 15 KOs) debuted in the pro ranks in 2012 and was 23-0 before facing Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBO featherweight title in 2019. He dominated veteran Miguel Marriaga before losing his second attempt at the WBO strap in a 2021 Fight of the Year contender against Emanuel Navarrete. Gonzalez stopped Joe Santisima via ninth-round TKO last March before dropping a split decision to Dogboe in July. Vivas (22-2, 11 KOs) is coming off last May’s split decision victory over Edy Valencia.
Promted by Top Rank Ramirez-Dogboe, Zayas-Cruz, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. Tickets starting at $49.50 are on sale now at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com.
Xander Zayas:
“I Will Become A Top Contender In 2023!”
(March 1st) – Xander Zayas, 15-0, 10Ko’s is one month away from his first fight of 2023. The Puerto Rican junior middleweight phenom will face nine-year veteran Ronald "Diablo" Cruz in the eight-round co-feature to the WBO featherweight world title clash between Robeisy Ramirez and Isaac Dogboe on Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Zayas signed with Top Rank at 16 and has been on the fast track to stardom ever since. In 2021, the 20-year-old prospect notched six wins, four of them via stoppage. The following year, Zayas decisioned Quincy LaVallais in March, captured the vacant NABO junior middleweight title in August by knocking out Elias Espadas, and defended that title against Alexis Salazar in December. Zayas’ road to contender status continues against Cruz, 18-2-1, 12, Ko’s, a Los Angeles native who has never been stopped and is coming off a close decision loss to Damian Sosa last August.
Following a recent training session, this is what Zayas had to say:
"I am working extremely hard in the gym because I want 2023 to be the year in which I position myself as one of the top contenders in the division."
"I know what I want, and I know what it will cost me to achieve it, but each of the sacrifices I make every day in the gym are paying off, and I do it with the intention of looking better every time I get into the ring. That motivates me. I strive to be better every single day because every time I step into the ring, I do it with the intention of raising the flag of my Island even higher."
"I respect my opponent, Ronald 'Diablo' Cruz. He is an experienced rival; he is a former WBC Latino regional champ. I know he is motivated and excited for this opportunity. He will bring out the best of me in the ring. Once the bell rings, I’m there to do a job."
Quotes & Photos: Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez
Set For First World Title Opportunity!
(February 22nd) Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez is ready for his first world title opportunity. The Cuban southpaw will face former world champion Isaac Dogboe for the vacant WBO featherweight world title on Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Ramirez (11-1, 7 KOs) has won 11 fights since losing in his pro debut in August 2019. The 29-year-old joined forces with Cuban trainer Ismael Salas, who has helped channel his talents into a more professional style. As a result, Ramirez scored three consecutive knockout wins in 2022. He stopped Irish veteran Eric Donovan and starched then-unbeaten contender Abraham Nova with a single straight left hand. Last October, he defeated Jose Matias Romero via ninth-round TKO. Ramirez will face the stiffest test of his career against the 28-year-old Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs), a Ghanaian former junior featherweight world champion who hopes to conquer a second weight class.
Following a recent training session, this is what Ramirez had to say about his first world title shot:
“Main event. World championship on the line. This is what I have always wanted and have asked for since I became a professional boxer. I see this fight as the perfect stage from which to present my credentials to the world and make the case that I am the best fighter in the featherweight division."
“For me, life has always been about continuously being hungry. Talent alone is not enough at this level. True success means continuing to evolve, moving ahead, and conquering hurdles and failures to become great. I’ve experienced true hardship in life, so moving up to the mountains for a few weeks won’t break me. It will only make me stronger, like all of the difficulties I endured on the road to where I am.”
“I am proud of my career as an amateur and being a product of the 'Cuban School of Boxing.’ But I have always added my own elements to the equation. I want to come forward and entertain, too. 'El Tren' is not just a nickname, it characterizes who I am as a fighter. At the end of the day, boxing is for the fans. And if they find my style agreeable, I will not shy away from the responsibility of leading the way for many others who want to break the mold of the highly skilled but boring Cuban boxer. On April 1, I will fulfill the goal of becoming world champion, but I am convinced that my greatest accomplishments in this sport are ahead of me.”
Emiliano Fernando Vargas & Rohan Polanco
Added To Robeisy Ramirez-Isaac Dogboe Card
At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa!
(February 9th) Two of Top Rank’s brightest young talents—lightweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas and undefeated Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco—are set to return on Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
Vargas, who is coming off a unanimous decision win against Francisco Duque last week, will face an opponent to be named in a four-round lightweight clash. Polanco, who was originally scheduled to fight in January, will make his Top Rank debut in a six-round junior welterweight fight against an opponent to be determined.
The two join an already stacked card headlined by the interim WBO featherweight title bout between Robeisy Ramirez and Issac Dogboe and the eight-round co-feature between undefeated Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas and Ronald “Diablo” Cruz.
Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs) was a seven-time national amateur champion before turning pro in May 2022 with a first-round stoppage over Mark Salgado. In October, “El General” signed a multi-year promotional contract with Top Rank and made his debut with the company with a highlight-reel knockout over Julio Martinez. Under the guidance of his father and trainer, Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas, the 18-year-old set his sights on becoming Prospect of the Year in 2023.
To check out Vargas’ latest interview on our new podcast series, Top Rank: Unbox’d - (click here).
Polanco (8-0, 5 KOs) turned pro before the Tokyo Olympics, earning wins in Mexico and in the Dominican Republic. After losing by split decision to Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov in his opening bout, Polanco continued his professional career with a third-round knockout win over Gabriel Fernando Punalef Calfin. “El Rayo” ended 2021 with a decision win over Jonathan Jose Eniz before going 2-0 in 2022. The 24-year-old was initially scheduled to return on the Efe Ajagba-Stephan Shaw undercard in January, but an injury sidelined his opponent.
Undercard bouts, also streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+, include:
In an eight-round grudge match, Jahi Tucker (9-0, 5 KOs) will make his junior middleweight debut against Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (8-1, 6 KOs). Tucker called for a fight against Zayas, but he must first face Zayas’ training partner, a former amateur standout from the nation of Georgia. Sekhniashvili returned from a 15-month layoff last November to stop the previously unbeaten David Rodriguez in three rounds.
"I am excited to be fighting on a Top Rank card again, this time against an undefeated fighter,” Sekhniashvili said. “I know Jahi is going to run and likes to use his mouth more than his hands. He will try to avoid me, but once I make contact, he will slow down instantly. I can't wait until April 1."
Tucker said, “Nikoloz is going to be easy work. After I get finished with him, I want to fight Xander.”
Two-time world title challenger Joet Gonzalez (25-3, 13 KOs), from Glendora, California returns against Mexican veteran Jose Enrique Vivas (22-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight firefight. Gonzalez looks to rebound from last July’s tight split decision defeat to Dogboe. Despite the Dobgoe setback, Gonzalez is still ranked in the top 10 of the WBC and WBO featherweight rankings. Vivas kept his title hopes alive last August with a split decision over Edy Valencia.
Junior welterweight phenom Tiger Johnson (7-0, 5 KOs), who represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics, fights in his first second scheduled eight-rounder against an opponent to be named. Johnson stopped Harry Gigliotti in five rounds at Hard Rock Tulsa last August.
Tulsa-born heavyweight prospect Jeremiah Milton (8-0, 6 KOs) returns home against an opponent to be named. Milton has fought in Tulsa three times a pro, securing two first-round knockouts and a second-round stoppage.
Cleveland-born lightweight Abdullah Mason (6-0, 5 KOs) makes his 2023 debut in a six-rounder. Mason fought at Hard Rock Tulsa last August, outlasting the game Angel Rebollar en route to a four-round decision win.
Light heavyweight prospect Dante Benjamin Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs), from Cleveland, aims to continue his knockout momentum in a six-rounder. Benjamin opened his 2023 campaign Jan. 14 with a first-round stoppage over Emmanueal Austin.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.3 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).
About Top Rank
Innovation has been the standard at Top Rank since it was established in 1966 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed, and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Top Rank has promoted some of the most memorable fights in the sport’s history, including 26 Ali events, Leonard vs. Hearns, Pryor vs. Arguello, Duran vs. Leonard, Hagler vs. Hearns, Leonard vs. Hagler, Foreman vs. Holyfield, Morales vs. Barrera, De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, and the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. In addition to the previously mentioned super fights, Top Rank possesses one of the largest sports libraries, which includes nearly 10,000 fights.
Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors, and television networks, Top Rank has been an architect of boxing’s global growth by staging high-profile events in landmark settings around the world, including Madison Square Garden, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Staples Center, Wembley Arena, Araneta Coliseum, The Venetian Macao, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, The “Fabulous” Forum, and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans and embracing 21st century technological advancements to distribute world-class fights and shoulder programming across a variety of platforms.
April 1:
Robeisy Ramirez-Isaac Dogboe Featherweight Showdow Xander Zayas - Ronald Cruz Headline Card
At Hard Rock Tulsa LIVE On ESPN+!
(January 26th) Two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy “El Tren” Ramírez will lock horns with Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe in a 12-round showdown for the vacant interim WBO featherweight world title Saturday, April 1, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
In the eight-round co-feature, Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas looks to extend his unbeaten record against nine-year veteran Ronald “Diablo” Cruz.
“We have seen Robeisy Ramirez grow from a decorated Olympian to a young man on the verge of stardom. Isaac Dogboe is no pushover and represents the toughest test of Ramirez’s career. I expect an exciting, dramatic fight for the great fans in Tulsa,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “2023 will be a huge year for Xander Zayas, a superstar in the making who I believe will be Puerto Rico’s next champion.”
Ramirez (11-1, 7 KOs), from Cienfuegos, Cuba, went from losing his pro debut in August 2019 to one of the division’s top contenders in 2023. Ranked No. 3 by the WBO, Ramirez had a breakthrough in 2022, knocking out Irishman Eric Donovan, the previously unbeaten Abraham Nova, and Argentinean contender Jose Matias Romero. Ramirez has knocked out five of his past six foes, a stunning power surge he hopes carries over to The Sooner State. He is considered one of the greatest boxers ever to emerge from the famed Cuban amateur system and seeks to author a career-best victory in Tulsa.
"I have been boxing for more than 20 years and have been a fighter every step of the way,” Ramirez said. “I never forgot where I came from, but I refuse to define myself by past accomplishments. Even after winning my second Olympic gold medal, I endured hardships. I embraced the challenges ahead of me and know that my greatest tests and most significant accomplishments in boxing are still ahead of me.
"On April 1, I will enter the ring with the hunger that has brought me here and the hunger that comes with knowing that there is still much to achieve. This is just the beginning for Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramírez.”
Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs) has a rapid championship rise at junior featherweight, but he lost his title and career momentum with back-to-back defeats to Emanuel Navarrete. He overhauled his camp following the Navarrete losses, linking up with decorated trainer Barry Hunter at Headbangers Boxing Gym in Washington, D.C. The Dogboe/Hunter partnership has resulted in four consecutive victories, including majority decisions over Adam Lopez and Christopher Diaz. He earned a shot at the interim title with last July’s split decision over Joet Gonzalez, a toe-to-toe battle in Hinckley, Minnesota, that ranked among the year’s best action fights. Dogboe, from Anyako, Ghana, represented his homeland at the 2012 London Olympics and spent much of his childhood in London.
“Nearly five years ago, I became the WBO junior featherweight champion of the world, to the shock of many people. On April 1, I will be crowned a two-time, two-division champion,” Dogboe said. “Ramirez is a good fighter, and I commend him for his achievements. I've waited patiently for this opportunity, and I want to thank Bob Arum and the Top Rank family for being good to me over the years. My team and I are preparing for this life-changing opportunity. God Bless all the boxing fans and boxing enthusiasts for their continuous support."
The 20-year-old Zayas (15-0, 10 KOs), from San Juan, has been ticketed for stardom since signing with Top Rank at 16. He broke through in 2021 with six victories, setting up a 2022 that saw him graduate to eight-rounders. Zayas shut out Louisiana’s Quincy LaVallais over eight rounds, knocked out the durable Elias Espadas in five, and made a “Heisman Night” statement in December with a near-shutout decision over Alexis Salazar. Zayas’ road to contention continues against Cruz (18-2-1, 12, KOs), a Los Angeles native who has never been knocked out as a pro. Cruz went 10 competitive rounds with Damian Sosa last August, dropping a unanimous decision.
Zayas said, “2023 is going to be big for my career. I'm going into the new year with all the power and the mindset needed to make a name for myself in the division. I'm locked in. Laser focused. It all starts on April 1 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm very excited to be on this card since I'll have the opportunity to showcase my skills as the co-feature on ESPN+. This time, I'll be fighting against a worthy Mexican opponent, and I'm planning to put on a show for all the boxing fans.”
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