Raizd announced the deal on Instagram on Monday, posting: “Official: Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramirez signs with RAIZD BOXING. World-class addition. Former WBO World Featherweight Champion. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. Welcome to the team, Robeisy.”

For a startup that is still building its name, this is a robust impulse. For everyone else, it encourages questions. There has been no evident move from Zuffa Boxing, Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions or other major teams that often pursue recognizable talent.

When a two-time Gold Medalist hits the open market and the Massive Four don’t pull the trigger. Raizd Boxing is basically a ghost ship right now. They are so modern that they haven’t even held their first event yet.

As for why the giants have stayed away, it probably comes down to a combination of time, shelf life and the ongoing business changes many of these companies are making.

At 126 pounds, 32 is on the older side. Promoters are notoriously wary of small-time fighters who have just had a career-changing break. Perhaps they would prefer to wait and see if he has anything left before signing him to an high-priced multi-fight contract.

While Dana White is finally taking action, Zuffa is aggressively targeting younger, buzz-worthy talent like Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins. Ramirez is 32 years aged and had a brutal knockout loss to Rafael Espinoza in December. Zuffa could see him as a veteran of damaged goods rather than a fundamental piece of their launch.

Ramirez may not have the same shine he had when he fled Cuba or when he beat Shakur Stevenson in the amateurs, but fighters with that kind of experience rarely hit the open market.

His recent form likely played a role. Ramirez is 14-3 with nine knockouts and has lost two of his last three fights, with both losses coming to Rafael Espinoza, including a stoppage in the rematch. At 32 years aged, he is no longer a long-term project that can be slowly developed.

Still, there is a clear advantage if handled properly. Ramirez remains a talented southpaw with the pedigree, experience and enough reputational value to quickly become relevant again at featherweight or above. If it combines wins, larger promoters may regret letting startup Raizd make the first move.

Hall of Famer Tim Bradley believes the welterweight clash between Conor Benn and WBC world champion Ryan Garcia will end decisively.

The two are in talks that could happen later this year, and Garcia also mentioned the possibility of a rematch with WBA world champion Rolando Romero.

In their first meeting in May 2025, Romero won a unanimous decision after defeating his fighter in the second round.

However, Garcia has since secured the WBC 147-pound title after dethroning Mario Barrios whom he dropped and passed unanimously in February.

This marks the 27-year-old’s first victory since 2023, when he edged Oscar Duarte in the eighth round before his controversial fight with Devin Haney.

Despite a majority decision advantage over Haney, that result was declared a no-contest in April 2024 after “King Ry” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine.

Benn also failed a 2022 drug test ahead of his canceled fight against Chris Eubank Jr, whom he ultimately defeated in a middleweight rematch last November.

This followed a points defeat to Eubank in April 2025, although earlier this month Benn remained in the win column, ahead of Regis Prograis, who subsequently announced his retirement.

However, despite his last fight at 150 pounds, the 29-year-old now wants to capitalize on his No. 1 ranking in the WBC and fight Garcia.

I’m talking to ESNEWSformer two-division world champion Bradley gave Benn little more than a prayer against Garcia.

“Ryan knocks him out.”

As the top contender for the WBC welterweight title, Benn is expected to be ordered to fight Garcia in the not-too-distant future, even if ongoing negotiations fail.

Abel Mendoza’s undefeated streak will resume on May 16, and the fight against Javier Rodriguez will lead the Texan to 44-0.

The number is rising – the credibility is not.

On paper, the trajectory is clear and he is on track to have one of the most vital resumes in sports. But the deeper into the rabbit hole Mendoza goes, the more questions this recording begins to raise.

Mendoza is seven fights shy of Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 mark that defined the perfect newfangled boxing record.

However, as has been the case throughout his career, the details of this unique character tell a more complicated story.

World Boxing News has previously documented discrepancies in Mendoza’s record as fights were reviewed and added over time, including Colombia’s July 2025 result that officially moved him to 43-0.

The figure is now standing after being briefly removed, but tracking its depth has been with him the entire time.

Record vs reality

After signing a recent endorsement deal, Mendoza promised to step up. It must be admitted that Rodriguez is unique compared to some of the events he has attended in Colombia.

Premier Boxing Champions saw enough in Mendoza to bring him onto their roster. He was expected to make a evident leap in class, not just a marginal one.

When a boxer partners with PBC and Al Haymon, one of the top promoters in the United States, and then promises tougher tests, it’s difficult to consider this the Texan’s 44th fight.

Over the past few months, Mendoza has been calling out Isaac Cruz and targeting fights with Ryan Garcia and Rolando Romero. The expectations were clear – but that’s not it.

But when it comes to naming opponents, it’s the same consistent story for Mendoza. Therefore, this latest venture does not provide the expected progress.

Score 43-0

Exceeding Terence Crawford’s 43-0 mark, which Mendoza achieved last year and can better next month at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, should have come with some sort of warning label.

The number itself has significance when compared to when Crawford retired, but context shows how much it actually means in the frigid lithe of day.

Crawford’s tally to 43-0 came against elite competition in multiple weight classes, which resulted in an undisputed success. In contrast, Mendoza’s track was built on activity and volume, often against the backdrop of padded slab opposition.

Several opponents came into this heat with lost records or constrained experience, which reinforced this pattern.

This vulnerability largely explains the reaction to the latest adversary.

The enemy is under the microscope

As it turns out, Rodriguez, who ironically shares the same “Pitbull” name as Cruz, arrives in impoverished shape after struggling through a six-year career that stalled in 2017.

He returned seven years later but failed to impress, and Mendoza would be only his third fight in nine years.

Rodriguez enters with a 17-3-3 record, but his inactivity and lack of progress leave grave questions about what he brings to the competition.

Less like a Pitbull and more like a Miniature Bull Terrier when it comes to its place in the grand scheme of the sport.

Finishes 50-0

Mendoza is getting closer to Mayweather’s 50-0 mark, but without the kind of decisive fights that gave the record any significance.

Previous WBN analysis has already shown how threats to Mayweather’s benchmark have come and gone, with fighters like Jaime Munguia and Gilberto Ramirez underperforming in the promotions and others failing to maintain the activity required to reach that number.

Mendoza is now in a different category – one where records continue to climb but questions remain.

Going 44-0 keeps him on track mathematically. Credibility is still not satisfactory.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.