Talk about making a splash and introducing yourself on the biggest stage. Rafael Espinoza exactly did that last year. That too against a seasoned champion, who has a couple of Olympic golds to show for, too. But he showcased how boxing is a sport where records and respect lie outside the ring and you forge your destiny with punches. By the time the Mexican fighter was done with Robeisy Ramirez, he had shaken the boxing world. The reward? The glittering WBO gold strap. A year has passed since, and the two again stand across from each other.

Will Ramirez finally get his revenge? Or will Espinoza continue to separate himself from the rest of the featherweights? The fans will find answers to these when they witness them exchange blows and fight for the WBO title on December 7 in Phoenix. The fans are expecting carnage, like the last time, when punches didn’t stop until the last bell. But before the two produce another such night, let’s have a look at how the two boxers stack up.

Rafael Espinoza vs. Robeisy Ramirez: Tale of Tape

Espinoza, 30, exudes a typical Mexican fighter aura. You look at him, and you know that he will fight with a heart and won’t shy away from trading in the middle of the ring. This fan-friendly and aggressive style has enabled him to garner an unblemished record of 25-0 with 21 KOs. You could also make sense of his approach with his KO ratio of 84%, which centers around power and precision.

But what truly makes the Guadalajara native a menace inside the ring is his tall, lanky figure. You won’t find many 6’1″ (185 cm) tall fighters at 126, which allows him to stay outside and launch punches, packed with raw power behind those punches. How can you close the gap and fight inside him? That’s how the WBO champion has troubled many, and Ramirez was no different.

Ramirez, 30, came to the professional boxing world on the back of 2 consecutive gold medals at the Olympics and built his career on this solid bedrock. He is your typical Cuban fighter who has a refined technical approach to boxing. You can always expect him to outclass his opponents with his technical prowess and strong fundamentals. However, the former world champion also had a couple of hiccups on the road and has a record of 14-2 with 9 KOs to show. If there is one stats summing up his fighting style, you can look at his KO ratio of 64.29%.

But the Cienfuegos native carries a size and height disadvantage in the fight, as he prefers to control the distance by utilizing his body dimensions and swift footwork. It won’t be the case with Ramirez’s height of 5’6″ (168 cm) and a reach of 68″ (173 cm). It will also hinder his staple counterpunches, which had a devastating effect on his foes. That’s not it. He also has a weight disadvantage, as he weighed 124¾ lbs in his last fight compared to Espinoza’s 125½ lbs. But will the challenger experience brush aside these considerations and an upturn in fortunes in the rematch?

Prediction: Who wins it?

What exactly went down in their first encounter? Espinoza troubled Ramirez with his tall stature, but it was his volume hitting that helped him bag the fight. He threw almost 1000 punches in the fight, with the majority of those coming in the later rounds and even dropping Ramirez in the final round. Ramirez prefers fighting outside, controlling the distance, slipping through the offense, and landing his counters. But that’s not possible with Espinoza.

Does Ramirez possess skills to make it an encounter in close encounters? He could. But can he outbox and out-punch the champion there? There are some doubts. What’s more? Espinoza throws some deadly uppercuts. You can predict Espinoza fighting it a range but throwing punches in high volume, out-landing the challenger, without allowing him to get close to him. While Ramirez dropped him in their last encounter, so did Espinoza. We have Espinoza defending his title for a second time. You can’t count out Ramirez, though, because of his skills and temperament.

What do you make of this coming fight between Rafael Espinoza and Robeisy Ramirez? Who do you think will leave the arena with a win? Let us know in the comments below.