It was last December when Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) and Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) fought in a tough battle in Miami, where both touched the canvas and after 36 minutes of an all- out. war, a new champion was crowned.
(Credit: Top Rank)
Rafael Espinoza achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a world champion by capturing the WBO featherweight championship, throwing nearly 1,000 punches in the match. He was resilient, determined and tenacious, overcoming a foot injury he suffered in the 5th round when he was taken down. Here it is, December once again, and we’re days away from what should be an epic rematch.
Both are looking to improve from the first game, Espinoza because of his foot injury and Ramirez because of personal problems that affected his performance. Robeisy’s father was ill during the match and was affected by his father’s condition during the training camp. He promised to do better this time and take back his title. Their match will co-headline the Emanuel Navarrette vs. Oscar Valdez card this Saturday, December 7th in Phoenix, Arizona.
Robeisy Ramirez was overcome by a relentless volume attack that he could not stop. Espinoza threw 121 punches in the 12th round, showing that he has great resistance and endurance, being able to throw so many punches until the end of the match. He was able to land 45 power punches in the round, knocking out Ramirez and dropping him late in the round.
If Espinoza can improve on this performance, it will create defensive challenges for Ramirez. He has to be careful not to blow his attack like he did in the first match and not throw reckless punches. He needs to be more controlled and precise with his punches.
He has a 6 inch reach advantage and should use it effectively fighting at long range. If he can control the distance, it will allow him to be much more accurate with his punches and ultimately make it harder for Ramirez to counter.
Espinoza is not defensively sound and takes unnecessary punishments due to his thirst for blood; he tends to stay in the pocket longer than he should. Ramirez has power, and if he sees an opening, he’ll take it. He will look to capitalize on every opportunity given to him, as he did in the first match when he scored the knockout in the 5th round.
Robeisy has an Olympic pedigree and, when he chooses, he can box brilliantly. When he fought the tall and lanky Satoshi Shimizu, who stood at 5’11 and had a 3.5 reach advantage over him, he closed the distance and penetrated his guard by leading with an effective jab up and follow through with combined punches.
Defensively, he used a high guard, parry and slipped punches, and moved out of range effectively. He didn’t do those things against Espinoza in the first match; he must do them in the revenge to be successful. Rafael has greater punch resistance, longer reach, and is generally much more skilled than Shimizu.
If Ramirez repeats the mistake of the first match, choosing to stay in the pocket and slug out with Espinoza, he may be overwhelmed with the volume, he must box smartly using the in-and-out movement as he did with Shimizu . . Both boxers said that they were not at their best in the first match, they recognize their mistakes and try to improve which should make this a very interesting match.
Source: Compubox
