Dmitry Bivol‘s professional boxing career took a 180-degree turn after a surprise win over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas. It is known that the Russian now has plenty of rivals who want to face him, and one of them is the Mexican Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez, who will first have to overcome the tough test presented by the German Dominic Boesel.
Still up in the air is the possibility that Canelo Alvarez will exercise the rematch clause that was supposedly included in the contract for his fight against Dmitry Bivol. At least in the last few days, there has been no message from Canelo, as Bivol let it be known in an interview.
As lucrative as the fight against Canelo Alvarez could be, Dmitry Bivol has also opened up to the media about the fight he would like to make, and it has nothing to do with Guadalajara’s native. The challenge Bivol is really looking for is to become Undisputed World Light Heavyweight Champion and for that he would have to face the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr. clash on June 18.
Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez, the Mexican avenger targeting Dmitry Bivol
Much of the criticism of Canelo Alvarez’s loss to Dmitry Bivol was for fighting in a weight class that is not his own. That’s when the name Gilberto Ramirez emerges as a possibility for Mexico to avenge the Russian’s victory over Alvarez on May 7.
Ramirez is one of Mexico’s most solid fighters who has not been given the media coverage he deserves. Canelo Alvarez was not the first World Super middleweight Champion from Mexico; that was Zurdo who in 2016 claimed the WBO World title at 168 pounds by defeating the tricky German Arthur Abraham.
The current record of 30-year-old Gilberto Ramirez, born in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, is frankly spectacular: 43-0-0, 29 KOs. After five successful defenses of his super middleweight title, he decided to move up to 175 pounds, the same weight class that has Dmitry Bivol as the main man.
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, Mexico’s first World Super middleweight Champion. (Harry How/Getty Images)
The advantage Ramirez boasts over Canelo Alvarez is innate: while Saul is 5’8, short for the light heavyweight division, Gilberto is 6’2, which allows him to compete with tall, strong guys like Bivol, Beterbiev and Smith Jr.
In fact, Zurdo Ramirez, who has 4 wins at 175 pounds, including one over Sullivan Barrera, one-time opponent of Dmitry Bivol, was the one who was shaping up to be the mandatory challenger for Bivol’s WBA World Light heavyweight title, until Canelo Alvarez crossed the path of both.
Thus, if Gilberto Ramirez defeats Dominic Boesel (32-2-0, 12 KOs) at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, he would be the WBA’s designated opponent to face Dmitry Bivol, which would open the door for him to make his comment about what would happen if he and Bivol clashed in a ring a reality.
“When that fight happens (vs Dmitry Bivol), I assure you that I am the only Mexican who can beat him, and not only that, I believe that after what we saw, I can knock him out.“, stated Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez to several media.
