It was supposed to be a cakewalk for Robeisy Ramirez — an easy professional debut for the two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist from Cuba.
Someone didn’t pass that message to Denver’s Adan Gonzales.
Gonzales, 22, stunned the boxing world Saturday at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia; first by knocking down Ramirez with a left hook early in the first round, then holding on to win the featherweight bout via split decision.
“He’s just another man,” Gonzales (5-2-2) said in an interview after the fight. “… In the first round, he felt it. He felt it right away and I didn’t come to play at all. I’m here to stay. You’re going to see some more of me soon.”
Ramirez (0-1) won gold in the flyweight division at the 2012 London Games and then took home the top prize at bantamweight at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. He defected from Cuba in 2018 and signed a this past May.
