Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez has his marching orders.
The lately topped WBA cruiserweight titlist was summoned to subsequent face necessary challenger Yuniel Dorticos, a former two-time titleholder. Either side have been notified on July 1 to enter a 30-day negotiation interval to achieve phrases.
Ramirez is a promotional free agent however will seemingly proceed to work with Golden Boy Promotions, with whom he signed in 2021. Dorticos is co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and The Heavyweight Manufacturing facility.
The ordered battle comes three months after Mexico’s Ramirez (46-1, 30 knockouts) dethroned long-reigning however grossly inactive Arsen Goulamirian. Ramirez defeated the California-based Armenian through twelve-round determination on March 30 in Inglewood, California.
It marked the beginning of a second divisional title reign for Ramirez, a 33-year-old southpaw who beforehand held the WBO tremendous middleweight belt. He got here up effectively brief in a Nov. 2022 problem of WBA 175-pound titlist Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs). Two wins have adopted since a transfer as much as cruiserweight, the place Ramirez is ranked No. 4 by The Ring.
Miami’s Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) beforehand held the WBA ‘Common’ and ‘Tremendous cruiserweight titles in addition to the IBF strap.
The 38-year-old Cuban knockout artist misplaced each belts in the course of the World Boxing Tremendous Sequence (WBSS) cruiserweight tournaments. He was stopped within the 12th spherical by Murat Gassiev of their Feb. 2018 WBSS semifinal and unification bout between unbeaten titlists.
Dorticos superior to the WBSS remaining in the course of the second season, however dropped a twelve-round determination to Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs). Simply three fights have adopted, all ending in early knockouts. Dorticos ended an eighteen-month inactive stretch with a first-round stoppage of Alan Campa on June 8 in Hollywood, Florida.
Per WBA rule C.13, neither boxer can enter one other battle till the phrases are glad by all events for this contest. Equally, Ramirez is obligated to honor his necessary as a newly-crowned titlist in accordance with WBA rule C.12.
