Robbie “Robbie” Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) got back on winning track with a seventh-round knockout of Brandon “Leon” Benitez (21-3, 9 KOs) in a featherweight bout on Saturday night at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida.
Ramirez, a former WBO featherweight champion, landed a left uppercut that knocked Benitez down in the seventh round, and the bout was stopped at 2 minutes, 46 seconds into the round.
Benitez overwhelmed by Ramirez's skill
Benitez was not strong enough against Robeis, unable to break through the Cuban talent's stalwart defence, and by the middle of the match, with Benitez's face bloodied and not showing much damage, things were looking grim.
With the win, the two-time Olympic gold medalist will next face WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza, who defeated Robbie via majority decision after a hard-fought 12 rounds last December.
Ramirez reflects on knockout victory
“There's no better trainer than Ismael Salas. He told me in the last round, 'Just touch him, move him, get him when you get the chance,' and that's exactly what happened,” Robbie Ramirez told Top Rank Boxing after reflecting on his seventh-round knockout win over Brandon Leon Benitez on Saturday night.
By the start of the seventh round, Benitez was exhausted and only able to withstand the attacks of Robeis, who landed nearly every blow he threw against the Mexican.
“When the punch came, I saw an opening and I took it. It wasn't the first time I've landed a punch like that, but when I see him go down like that, job done. I came here to do what I was supposed to do,” Robbie said of the seventh-round knockout uppercut.
Even before the seventh round began, Robbie had been doing his thing against an easy fighter, landing some scary punches on Benitez from the fourth through the sixth rounds.
“My goal is to unify the belts, but I have to win them first. If a rematch with Rafael Espinoza happens, that's order number one and then I'll have a chance to unify them,” Robbie said.
If Robbie Cy wants to face Espinoza again, a rematch is possible. It's up to Robbie Cy and you can't blame him if he turns it down again. At 6'1″, Espinoza is really tall and a nightmare opponent for anyone.
“Shushu [Carrington] “He's a friend of mine, I just said hi and if he's on my opponents list I'd be happy to take the fight,” Robbie said.
