TORONTO, ON – A reenergized former IBF Junior Featherweight world champion, “The Canadian Kid” Steve Molitor  (28-1, 11 KO’s), is ready to re-stake his place at the top of the division when he faces fellow leading contender Heriberto Ruiz (41-7-2, 23 KO’s) in the main event of a stacked Rumble at Rama VIII card, June 26th at Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario.

This will be Molitor’s first fight since losing his world title last November to Celestine Caballero.

“Ruiz is a tough guy, who has proven himself in the past, and is coming to win,” Molitor said at a press conference Monday in Toronto.”

“But this is my chance to show my fans and the rest of the boxing world that I’m ready to return to where I was before the Caballero fight.”

Molitor’s fight with Ruiz will also mark the first time the former world champion will step between the ropes with his new trainer, Billy Martin.

After two fights with Montreal-based Stephane Larouche at the helm in his corner, Molitor decided to train closer to home, enlisting the services of Brampton, Ontario’s Martin.

“I’ve trained on the side with Billy before, and I know we work well together,” Molitor said of his new chief second.

“And as a new father this is a chance to stay close to home and train for a fight at the same time.”

Allan Tremblay, President of Orion Sports Management, stressed too that the switch from the perpetually busy Larouche, who is also the General Manager for Montreal-based promoters Interbox, to Martin had nothing to with any performance issues on the part of Larouche.

“Listen, Steve is a new father, and as everybody who has children knows, an expanding family means you want, and need, to be closer to home.”

“We asked Stephane to work with Steve in the Toronto area, but Stephane also has title fights for his other world champions (WBC Light Heavyweight champion Adrian Diaconu, and IBF Super Middleweight champ Lucian Bute) just before and after Steve fights, so it just wasn’t going to work this time. But Stephane is a great trainer, and we still plan on maintaining a relationship with him.”

As intriguing and potentially explosive as Molitor-Ruiz is, it’s only the tip of the iceberg on what promises to be an action-packed Rumble at Rama VIII card.

In the evening’s co-feature, Canadian Heavyweight champion Greg “The Steel Pole” Kielsa (9-0, 4 KO’s) continues his march to global heavyweight fame when he steps into the ring in a non-title match-up against American Byron Lee Polley (23-9-1, 11 KO’s).

Also featured will be highly touted junior middleweight prospect Austin Trout (17-0, 13 KO’s), of Las Cruces, New Mexico going up against Brampton’s Shawn Garnett (11-5-2, 3 KO’s), plus four other exciting bouts, including a junior middleweight battle between Hamilton, Ontario’s Justin Fountain (4-1, 2 KO’s) and Culiacan, Mexico’s Ivan Flores (6-3, 4 KO’s), the pro debut of Milton, Ontario’s Pedro DeMelo, and the second pro fight of former Canadian amateur champion Natalie Forget.

“This is the type of card that has become synonymous with the Rumble at Rama series, and that has made Casino Rama the home of world class boxing in Ontario,” said Jeff Craik, Casino Rama Vice President – Marketing.

“Plus, we’re so excited to have Steve Molitor back in the ring. He’s a Canadian superstar, and we can’t wait to see him work his way back to a world title.”