RAMA, ON – Former IBF Junior Featherweight World Champion, “The Canadian Kid” Steve Molitor is officially on the comeback trail, and will return to the ring to face Mexico’s Heriberto Ruiz on June 26, at Casino Rama.

Prior to the main event at Rumble at Rama VII, in which Ruiz topped Panamanian Mauricio Martinez via unanimous decision for the vacant IBF Intercontinental championship, Orion Sports Management President Allan Tremblay announced that the winner of Martinez-Ruiz would in fact be Molitor’s next foe.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity,” said Molitor, who lost his world title last November to now unified WBA/IBF champion Celestino Caballero via fourth round TKO.

“And I’m very grateful to Casino Rama for continuing to give me a platform to perform, and to Allan Tremblay for putting me in a position to win back my IBF belt.”

For Tremblay, Molitor’s promoter, his star client’s return to the ring is all about desire, and positioning.

“I always wanted Steve back in the ring, not just hungry, but starving,” Tremblay said.

“I also wanted him to come back at the top end of the division so he’d be right back in the mix. And there’s no denying that (insert name) is as tough as they come. The winner will either go into an eliminator, or straight into a title shot.”

In undercard action from Friday’s Rumble at Rama VII, Canadian Heavyweight Champion, Greg “The Steel Pole” Kielsa (9-0, 4 KO’s) retained his title with a devastating 8th round KO of Winnipeg’s Arthur Cook.

A picture perfect left flattened Cook, who rose on wobbly legs before suddenly  collapsing face first in the ring with an apparent right leg injury. Cook was on the canvas for several minutes receiving medical attention but eventually left the ring under his own power, his right leg bandaged from top to bottom.

Official time was 1:16 of the 8th round.

Kitchener, Ontario’s Jason Douglas ran his record to 6-1, with 3 KO’s with a fifth round TKO over Guadalajara, Mexico’s Hugo Lomeli Gonzalez.

Sudbury’s Phil Boudreault suffered the first loss of his pro career after an ankle injury at 1:50 of the fifth round gave the TKO win to Hamilton’s Justin Fountain, who improves to 4-1-2, with 2 KO’s.

Boudreault falls to 5-1.

Buffalo, New York’s Felix Mercedes improved to 2-0, 1 KO’s with a bruising four round majority decision over a very game Paul Watson, of Brantford, Ontario.

With the loss, Watson record falls to 2-3.