ROBEISY RAMIREZ will not entertain any distractions about possible future fights while he prepares for his date in Japan against Satoshi Shimizu.

The 29-year-old Cuban southpaw will defend his WBO featherweight strap for the first time on the Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue undercard on July 25.

Ramirez, who lost on his professional debut, has won 12 consecutive fights taking the scalps of Eric Donovan, Abraham Nova, and Isaac Dogboe in the process.

The featherweight division is one of the most talented in the sport with a top 10 filled with everything you would want from what the best has to offer.

Ramirez and Luis Alberto Lopez are both promoted by Top Rank and it’s difficult to ignore a scenario where the two may fight one another at some point in the near future. Lopez holds the IBF version after defeating Josh Warrington in December last year before devasting the hopes of Michael Conlan several weeks ago in Belfast.

Boxing News asked Ramirez, via his translator, about the possibility of fighting Lopez.

“I said I came here to fight the best whether that’s ‘Venado’ Lopez, Leigh Wood, whoever. I want to be in good fights. We will have time after July 25 to think about this and about the next steps but no I haven’t had the opportunity to talk about that yet.”

On the same night Lopez beat Conlan across the water in Manchester Leigh Wood avenged his loss in March to Mauricio Lara with one of the best performances of his career.

“Well, I simply think with Leigh Wood he gave a more concentrated fight starting with the weight,” Ramirez said about Wood-Lara 2.

“We saw that Lara had difficulties with the weight and then [with] Conlan and Lopez it was a great fight. Lopez landed the better punches, and he was dominating him in terms of strength. Those are good fights in my division. There are a lot of good boxers there, high quality boxers so there could be a lot of good fights between us, and I think that’s good for me.”

Ramirez is a massive odds-on favourite to beat the 37-year-old Shimizu 11-1 (10) next week. Even though he is expected to win and win well Ramirez is focused only on the task at hand. What could happen in the future can wait.

“I always focus on today and right now July 25 against Shimuzu in Japan. The day after we can talk about Lopez, Wood, Lara, anyone. We will talk about what comes.”

“I have no problems fighting anyone, but I do try to focus on what I have pending and that’s July 25. Make sure I come out victorious and then we will see what we do after.”