Now the holder of two cruiserweight world titles, Mexican warrior Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez needs extra. Final night time, in a very nice struggle the place each males gave their all, Ramirez gained a 12-round shoot-out, with defending WBO champ Chris Billam-Smith actually baring his soul as he dug in and confirmed unimaginable coronary heart and braveness as he took flush punch after flush punch to make it to the ultimate bell.
In the long run, Ramirez, who entered the ring because the defending WBA cruiserweight champ, added the WBO strap to his rising assortment by way of scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 116-113. Now 47-1(30), the only real loss approaching factors to Dmitry Bivol down at 175 kilos, Ramirez has massive plans for the long run. “C.B.S,” as Billam-Smith is understood, fought his coronary heart out; he warred with a nasty lower hampering his imaginative and prescient, and he’ll little doubt attempt to come once more. The gutsy British warrior is now 20-2(13).
Ramirez, in his prime now at age 33, referred to as for a unification struggle after warring with Billam-Smith, and this, after all, means a struggle with IBF and Ring Journal cruiserweight boss Jai Opetaia. All we struggle followers can say about such a proposition is sure, please! Who wins, and the way if/when these two 200-pounders rumble? Ramirez was ruthless final night time, shelling out loads of harm on Billam-Smith, with solely the defending WBO champion’s astonishing mixture of chin and coronary heart holding him in there.
Can Ramirez land as a lot harm on Opetaia, and in that case, can the Australian warrior take it? Then once more, Opetaia, 26-0(20) can crack himself and he too has good expertise and a strong want to win. If, or when, Ramirez and Opetaia get it on, it may show to be Struggle of the Yr materials. First, Opetaia has a compulsory protection in opposition to Huseyin Cinkara of Germany. However after that, assuming he wins, Opetai may very well be swapping leather-based with “Zurdo.” And what a genuinely 50-50 struggle this one actually is.
In one other doable transfer, Ramirez speaks of the potential for shifting as much as heavyweight in the future, and the tall Mexican expresses nice curiosity in a struggle with Oleksandr Usyk. It’s not clear what Usyk would possibly do after his rematch with Tyson Fury, win, lose, or draw, however Usyk did say not too way back that he would possibly drop again all the way down to cruiserweight after doing all he must do at heavyweight. We will see.
However for now, Ramirez goals to unify the cruiserweight division, and this can preserve the burden division in good condition so far as good motion fights go. Ramirez may additionally struggle reigning WBC champ Norair Mikaeljan. It’s that showdown between Ramirez and Opetai that actually will get us excited, although.
