(Photo above by Vincent Ethier)

JHON OROBIO
Age: 21
Born: Cali, Colombia
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Weight class: Junior welterweight
Height:  5-foot-6 (172 cm)
Amateur record: Around 90 fights
Turned pro: 2023
Pro record: 10-0 (9 knockouts)
Trainer: Marc Ramsay
Manager: None
Promoter: Eye of The Tiger
Instagram: @el_tigre_orobio

Best night of pro career and why: Orobio believes his second-round stoppage over the vastly more experienced Cristian Palma (33-14-2) on May 2 was his best performance yet.

“Being in front of a fighter with many professional fights and doing the job well makes me feel good because I know I’m on the right track,” Orobio told The Ring. “Although [Palma] is not a super boxer, he has experience of getting in the ring many times, and that counts. I respect my opponents.”

Eye of The Tiger President Camille Estephan recalled the moment he saw Orobio’s fierce side surface in the fight.

“[Palma] hit Jhon low on purpose because Jhon was giving him so many problems,” recalled Estephan. “[Jhon] was given time to recover, and [trainer] Marc [Ramsay] looked at me and said, ‘He’s going to kill him!’

[Jhon] stepped it up and quickly got the guy out of there.”

Worst night of pro career and why: As with many fighters making the transition from amateur to professional, Orobio has had to adjust his style to focus less on scoring points and more on effective aggression. He has learned quickly, though. 

Despite scoring a first-round knockout over Alejandro Medina De La Rosa in his pro debut, Orobio believes he could have been better. He chalks it up to inexperience.

“[It was] my first fight as a professional boxer,” he said. “Now I see many changes [from being an amateur to turning pro]. When I made my first fight as a professional, I felt like I was in an amateur fight.”

What’s Next: Orobio has kept extremely busy, fighting 10 times since turning professional 16 months ago and five times in 2024 already. He’s currently visiting Colombia to see family but will return later this summer. 

Why he’s a prospect: He won provincial and national amateur championships, fought in the Pan-Am Games in 2021 and won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2021.

Orobio is a well-rounded fighter who mixes crunching power and speed. He’s technically sound and has taken to the pros like a duck to water.

Orobio took out Cristian Rodrigo Gonzalez in the second round of their March 2024 fight. (Photo by Vincent Ethier)

Since settling in Montreal, “El Tigre” has regularly sparred with unbeaten lightweight Luis Santana (12-0, 6 KOs) and rising welterweight Christopher Guerrero (11-0, 6 KOs).

Ramsay, who is the Eye of The Tiger development director and head coach, previously scouted and brought Colombians Oscar Rivas and Eleider Alvarez to Montreal and helped mold both into major world titleholders. After due diligence and liking what he heard and saw, the affable trainer thinks the potential is there for Orobio to follow the same path as his countrymen.

“I saw him first at an amateur fight and he won bronze at the World Junior Championship. I saw him at the Continental Championship knocking out his first opponent and doing a very good performance with the actual world amateur champion, Alexey De La Cruz, and he was only 18,” said Ramsay. “I had some talks with people in Colombia, and at one point he told me he had interest in turning pro. He moved to Montreal and does everything he has to do in the gym – very disciplined.”

Since joining the team, Orobio has developed physically with the benefit of strength and conditioning training at Ramsay’s world-class facility.

“He moved up three weight categories; he came here at 126, to 130, to 135, and now we’re probably going to 140,” said Ramsay. “He never did strength and conditioning before, and now I can see his body reaction. He’s getting stronger and more powerful.”

High confidence in Orobio’s potential is shared by the EOTT president.

“We believe in him very much,” said Estephan. “He’s a true champion; you see it with his habits, his discipline. Sometimes when you immigrate to a new country, there’s difficulties. He’s been very, very good, because he listens. Because of his character and his talent, we believe this kid could become a really big name in boxing.

“Because of his character and his talent, we believe this kid could become a really big name in boxing.”
– Camille Estephan

“We’re going to keep him busy, keep developing him; he’s developing very well. His [competitive drive] is extremely high and I love that. He has grit and I’m very high on him.”

Why he’s a suspect: There is plenty to like about Orobio right now, but as with most young fighters, he needs to focus and improve in all departments as he matures and moves through the levels. 

For instance, it’s important he doesn’t fall in love with his power and continues to hone other areas of his game.

Orobio’s pro debut was a first-round knockout of Alejandro Medina de la Rosa in March 2023. (Photo by Vincent Ethier)

“The main thing is there are a lot more rounds,” said Orobio when asked the difference between the amateurs and pros. “We work more on strength and being more intelligent and learning to find the knockout.” 

Ramsay is trying to teach Orobio the nuances of the sport and help make him a more well-rounded and cerebral fighter.

“For the moment, we are focusing on his physical development and on how he manages his energy over six and eight rounds,” said Ramsay. “As an amateur boxer, he was like a sprinter – now he has to learn to do marathons.”

Storylines: Orobio was born on the Colombian coast in La Tola Narino but grew up over 130 miles north in Cali, where former world champions Jonathan Romero and the aforementioned Oscar Rivas also hail from.

He is one of five children raised by his grandparents.

“Of course it was hard; my parents weren’t around too much, and seeing them work hard and struggle forced me to find a way to help them out and make it easier for them,” Orobio said. “There was suffering, but there is a drive that comes from helping out.”

His first sport was soccer and fighting was initially relegated to the streets, but Orobio came across boxing at 11 years old.

“I trained in soccer and there was a boxing coach, Manuel Gustavo Mosquera, that really pushed me into boxing,” he recalled. “On the soccer field, I was a little bit aggressive and I used to fight a lot, and my coach was like, ‘Put on the gloves and see what happens.’ I tried it out and did very well and I saw I had good aptitude, and the soccer coach said, ‘You can have him, it’s fine!’”

Asked about his boxing idols, Orobio gave a surprising but savvy answer.

“It’s me. [laughs] I need to also put faith in myself,” he said before turning his attention to a familiar figure. “The first boxer I had the chance to study and made me fall in love with it was Muhammad Ali.”

Away from boxing, the young father likes to explore.

“I just like to discover new things and learn new things,” he said. “Even as a child, we used to take off early in the morning and go for long walks, and that’s something I still like doing.

“What I’d like to do as I have more opportunities is keep traveling and discovering more of the world.”

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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