Robeisy Ramirez, the former Cuban amateur prodigy who captured Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, has signed a multi-year contract with Top Rank and will make his long-awaited professional debut later this year. The 25-year-old Ramirez left the Cuban national team last year while attending a training camp in Mexico, ultimately defecting from his homeland.
A southpaw boxer-puncher now living in Gulfport, Florida, he will train with Rob Mendez and turn pro as a featherweight, the same weight class as former Olympic foes and current promotional stablemates Shakur Stevenson and Michael Conlan.
“What a gift to sign a two-time Olympic gold medalist like Robeisy Ramirez,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “The last two-time gold medalist that we signed out of the amateurs, Vasiliy Lomachenko, has become a big star. We anticipate the same from Robesiy. He is truly a special talent, and he has what it takes to get to the top of the featherweight division in short order.”