By: Sean Crose
The 11-1 Robeisy Ramirez squared off against the 24-2 Isaac Dogboe Saturday night for the vacant WBO featherweight title. The fight, which was the main event of a late ESPN+ broadcast, went down in Tulsa and was a Top Rank Promotion. Before Ramirez and Dogboe did battle, however, the 25-3 Joet Gonzalez faced the 22-2 Jose Enrique Vivas in a scheduled featherweight 10 rounder. The first round was a fast paced affair with Vivas applying pressure and both men throwing leather. The second was fought largely in close. Gonzalez did well, but it was Vivas who did better by getting his shots off faster.
By the third it was obvious that Vivas was simply the better in-fighter of the two men, as he kept working his man back. Gonzalez, however, started to have his moments as the round wore on. If he could tire the relentless Vivas out, he might have a chance. The fourth was all high speed intensity, like lightening in a bottle as both men zapped each other in close and at a high speed. Vivas started to lower his output just a bit in the fifth and Gonzalez took advantage of the situation by tossing and landing hard punches.
The sixth took on such a blistering pace that one had to wonder how many more shots each fighter could take. This was a fight which was consistently in overdrive. The pace finally slowed down at bit in the seventh, though the bout still remained a high octane affair. Vivas applied pressure well in the eighth while Gonzalez threw clean, powerful shots. Gonzalez continued to zing Vivas in the ninth, but Vivas only knew one way, and that was forward. Both men were clearly out of gas in the tenth and final round, but they continued to battel on in close quarters.
Ultimately, the judges all ruled the fight in favor of Gonzalez by cards which were frankly too wide.
It was time for the main event. The first round was something of a feeling out process. Ramirez landed hard on Dogboe in the second. To his credit, Dogboe was able to quickly compose himself. He then went on the attack in the third, though Ramirez appeared unperturbed. A fight broke out in the fourth, with Ramirez throwing wide shots and Dogboe landing well. Dogboe pressed the action in the fifth. Ramirez was wobbled when he was hit off balance early in the sixth. Dogboe then got nailed by a strong Ramirez shot later in the round.
Ramirez landed hard and well on his man in the seventh, while Dogboe pursued but was largely unable to make an impact. Ramirez appeared to be comfortable with the way the fight was going in the eighth. Was he active enough, though? Ramirez was simply the sharper shooter of the two men in the ninth. The tenth was much like many of the previous rounds – Dogboe pressed the action while Ramirez picked his shots. Dogboe continued charging at his opponent in the eleventh, though Ramirez threw effectively. The twelfth and final round had an off balance Dogboe hit the mat due to a Ramirez shot. Dogboe got up, but it may well have sealed the deal for Ramirez. Dogboe had fought impressively, but he didn’t land nearly as well as he wanted to.
The judges ended up awarding the victory to Ramirez via unanimous decision.
