Zurdo Ramirez Seeking a World Title Shot After Successful Return
Former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1, 30KO) made an impressive debut in the cruiserweight division against Joe “Common Man” Smith Jr. (28-5, 22KO), signaling a fresh start in his career. Now, he’s hungry for a shot at a world title.
Following a devastating first career defeat to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and a weight mishap against Gabriel Rosado, doubts began to surface about Ramirez’s mental toughness. Even his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, labeled the fight with Smith Jr. as a must-win.
However, Zurdo proved his mettle with a masterful performance that led to a unanimous decision victory over Smith. During the post-fight interview, he didn’t mince words when asked about his next steps.
“World champion, world champion. I’m back, Zurdo Ramirez is back.”
With his resurgence, Zurdo now faces a range of options for a title fight. One possibility is WBC champion Badou Jack, who recently claimed the title by defeating Ilunga Junior Makabu on February 26. Additionally, there’s WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith, though a rematch with former champion Lawrence Okolie seems imminent.
Another contender is IBF champion Jai Opetaia. He is fresh from a commanding performance with a fourth-round stoppage of #5 ranked Jordan Thompson on September 30.
Considering the Smith fight was a WBA eliminator, WBA Super champion Arsen Goulamirian could be an astute choice. The 36-year-old Armenian holds the record for the division’s longest reigning champion after twice being elevated to Super champion in 2019.
Although Goulamirian is less known to many boxing fans due to limited exposure outside his adopted home of France, he has displayed his prowess with a recent victory over undefeated challenger Aleksei Egorov on November 19, 2022.
With Ramirez riding a wave of confidence and pursuing his goal of becoming a two-division champion, the cruiserweight division could witness some exciting title fights in the near future.
