Former Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation featherweight champion Satoshi Shimizu of Ohashi Boxing Gym will challenge World Boxing Organization featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba for the latter’s title on July 25 in Tokyo, Shimizu said on Apr. 27 at the gym.

The scheduled 12-round fight at Ariake Arena will be held as the chief supporting card for the postponed title match between World Boxing Council and WBO super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton of the United States and Shimizu’s stablemate and challenger Naoya ‘’the Monster’’ Inoue.

It will be the 37-year-old Shimizu’s first crack at a world title after turning pro in September 2016.
Shimizu, ranked 12th in the division, won the featherweight bronze medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

He told reporters at the gym, ‘’Ever since I turned pro at the age of 30, I have gone through a lot of things, including the COVID-19 brouhaha. Though I lost once, I am happy that I will be able to challenge a world title because I have trained diligently. I turned pro so that I can become a world champion. I will do my best in my training in the next three months.’’

The 29-year-old Ramirez, who captured the vacant WBO featherweight title by decisioning Isaac Dogboe of Ghana on Apr. 1 in the United States, won the gold medal in the flyweight division at the London Olympics and also won the gold medal in the bantamweight division at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

The left-handed Ramirez has a professional record of 12 wins, including seven knockouts, against a loss (in his debut). For his part, Shimizu, also southpaw, has an 11-1 win-loss tally with 10 KOs.
Shimizu is 179 cm tall while Ramirez is 165 cm in height.

In this connection, Shimizu said, ‘’While he is quick in movement, he throws wild punches. I think he has a lot of weak points, and I want to take advantage of them.’’

Ohashi said, ‘’I think Shimizu can improve his chances of winning the title thanks to the difference of the punching power.’’

If Shimizu wins the title, he will become the oldest Japanese to win a world title at the age of 37 years old and four months, far surpassing the present record of 35 years and nine months held by Hozumi Hasegawa when he won the WBC world super bantamweight title in September 2016.