Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza and Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez delighted fans with a Fight of the Year contender last December, and the pair are looking to pick up where their dramatic 12th round left off in their December 7 rematch at Phoenix’s Footprint Center.

Espinoza (25-0, 21 KO) defeated Ramirez by majority decision to win the WBO featherweight world title on ESPN’s Upset of the Year. Ever since ring time announcer Mark Shunock said “AND NEW”, a rematch seemed inevitable.

However, both men returned in June with different dance partners. Espinoza stopped Sergio Chirino in just four rounds in his first title defense, and Ramirez (14-2, 9 KO) returned a week later to defeat Brandon Benitez with a stunning uppercut in the seventh round.

Espinoza, a Mexican phenomenon over 180 centimeters high, wants to prove that his first victory was not a coincidence. Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, is determined to reclaim his throne after personal struggles affected his performance in their first meeting.

Espinoza trained at home in Guadalajara, and Ramirez was at camp in Las Vegas. Here’s what they had to say ahead of Part II.

Rafael Espinoza

“I know it will be a war. It will also assist me that I can fight any version of Ramirez. I will be ready, whether he wants to fight at close quarters or at range. As I said before the first fight, I won’t leave without the title.”

“I’m preparing for the best version of Ramirez because I know he’s the one I’ll face on fight night. And that’s exactly what I want. I want him to be in top shape so that there will be no doubts or excuses when I win.

“My self-confidence has increased. My mentality, approach to training and commitment have changed. I’m three times more committed than in the first fight and I think I showed it in the match against Chirino. I want to prove it again against Ramirez.

I know I have to be completely focused in this fight. I made a mistake the first time and it cost me a lot. That’s why we focus on 100% concentration because it’s effortless to lose focus once you get comfortable in the ring. I can’t afford to lose focus even for a second. That will be the key difference in this fight.”

“My top priority is to beat Ramirez on December 7. Then we’ll see who I can unite with. For now, I’m only focused on beating Ramirez.

Robeisy Ramirez

“In the camp, my father became seriously ill. He almost died. It influenced me a lot. My father is in Cuba and I can’t go back. I couldn’t visit him in the hospital. It affected me a lot.”

“It wasn’t the best version of me in the first fight. Despite this, I was still able to put on a great show. So I have no doubt that the second fight will be better.”

“He didn’t surprise me in the first fight. We all know what Mexican warriors are like. They never give up. However, considering my personal problems, I was not in the best shape. Nevertheless, if the judges feel he deserved the decision, then fine.

“I describe myself as a fighter who gets back up every time he gets knocked down. I have the mentality of a champion and I will be a champion again.”

“Everyone knows I’m a fighter. I also have a Cuban boxing school. But as the Mexicans say, I also have the courage to stand in the middle of the ring and go to war.

“A win would put me where I belong. We’ll have to see how this fight develops, but unification fights and fights against the best in the division are always on the cards.

The Emanuel Navarrete-Oscar Valdez II junior lightweight world title bout and the Espinoza-Ramirez co-feature will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. Sky Sports will be broadcast in the UK and Ireland.

Tickets promoted by Top Rank are now on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Sylvester Stallone faced backlash for believing that Mike Tyson delivered an Oscar-worthy performance in his November 15 comeback fight.

According to Hollywood icon and star Rocky Stallone, a longtime friend of Tyson’s, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” spared Jake Paul’s life in Texas. According to Stallone, Tyson did not give up and could have knocked out the YouTuber whenever he felt like it.

Stallone said: “I want to tidy up my personal record. Business is business. Sometimes you have to do something complex and make sacrifices to assist your family.

“I have known this incredible athlete since he was 19 years elderly, and we saw him deliver one of the greatest Oscar-winning performances of all time!

“Please, Jake, be grateful. He spared your life, trust me.

“Keep fighting Mike. There will never be a man like you, a gladiator like you, and a soul like you. Keep fighting, champion of champions!

“I remember running into him once and thinking I had been hit by a runaway bulldozer.”

Paul took it upon himself to deliver a brutal response to one of the most beloved boxing Hall of Famers ever involved in the sport.

“As a child, I always admired you, but now you are spreading lies against my name. Gloomy to see you fall. Maybe it’s all because of the plastic surgery,” the former Disney child actor fumed.

Responses to Paul’s statement regarding Stallone’s comments were largely one-sided, as followers supported the actor to the extreme.

One stated: “Everyone saw Mike scare you in the first round and that’s what happened [s***ting] This. Then you hugged him and said some stupid thing in his ear. Suddenly Mike stops, punches the air, moves slower, and bites his gloves.

“You had your gloves down and you were ready to take it in the first and second round. You didn’t protect your face and Mike just left it. Most know the truth.

Another added: “My cousin Richie Giachetti trained Mike for about ten years!! Sly is 1000% right!”

Criticizing another boxing legend for beating one of their own in the ring after getting him to fight at the age of 58 is a mistake on the influencer’s part and will not be helpful to Paul’s continued presence in squaring the circle.

Stallone enjoys pride as a sports god, and Paul could learn a lot about being respected as he continues to face adversity following his lackluster career efforts.

The gold rush will continue in 2025 for the Eye of the Tiger and its athletes. To start the year off right, Olympian and NABF Super Lightweight Champion Arthur “The Wolf” Biyarslanov will face the biggest test of his career against French fighter Mohamed “The Problem” Mimoune on February 6 at the Cabaret of the Montreal Casino.

The event will also be broadcast – starting at 6:30 p.m. – on Punchinggrace.com and ESPN+.

“I repeat, Arthur will not reject any opponent! Mimoune is a brave boxer who never backs down from a challenge. He is an athletic southerner whose boxing style is based on speed and reflexes. This is a very good challenge for Arthur, but we expect that 2025 will be an significant year for him and he will have to start powerful,” commented EOTTM’s coach, Samuel Décarie-Drolet.

Arthur Biyarslanov (17-0, 14 KO) had a spectacular debut in EOTTM in 2024. After his first victory in March, the Rio Olympian won the NABF super lightweight title in June. In September and October, he successfully defended his title for the first and second time, reaching the top twenty of the WBC world rankings.

For Mohamed Mimoune (24-6, 5 KO) this will be an excellent opportunity to return to the top. A former IBO world champion, he also won the French and European championships. In fact, 5 of his 24 wins came against undefeated boxers, including several away from home, whether in the UK, Spain or the US. Always competitive, he was never stopped, even against elite boxers such as former world champion Viktor Postol and former EOTTM protégé Batyr Jukembayev. In brief, this is a tough challenge that Biyarslanov must overcome in order to rise to the top.

In every sense of the word, the second main event will feature an impressive matchup. In the fight presented in cooperation with Top Rank, two-time Olympic super heavyweight champion Bakhodir Jalolov (14-0, 14 KO) will enter the ring for the first time since his triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris. His opponent will be French champion David Spilmont (16-8-1, 11 KO).

“I am very excited about the next chapter in my professional career. Now that I have represented my country at the 2024 Olympics, I plan to continue my quest to become heavyweight champion in 2025. And for me, this adventure will resume on February 6 in Montreal,” commented Bakhodir Jalolov, two-time gold medalist from Uzbekistan.

There will be another high-profile fight on the card. WBA international delicate heavyweight champion Albert Ramirez (19-0, 16 KO) will return to Quebec against an opponent to be announced soon. Let us recall that in August last year, the EOTTM protégé crushed former world title contender Adam Deines in Venezuela. After this triumph, Ramirez is one step away from fighting for the world title, which is 4th in the IBF rankings, 3rd in the WBC and 2nd in the WBA and WBO rankings.

“We have high hopes for Biyarslanov and Ramirez in 2025. In my opinion, they are maybe one or two wins away from the biggest fights. In February, we plan to start the year well to finish it on top,” said EOTTM president Camille Estephan, emphasizing that many of his boxers were ready for a higher level of opposition in 2025.

EOTTM’s rising stars will also fight on February 6, with Avery Martin Duval (12-0-1, 7 KO), Wilkens Mathieu (12-0, 8 KO) and Moreno Fendero (8-0, 6 KO) taking part in the scheduled 8 -round fights.

Tickets for the Gold Rush event on February 6 at the Cabaret of the Montreal Casino are on sale now at Ticketmaster.ca.