Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez’s potential achievement of winning world titles in two weight classes, despite not being recognized as the best in either, highlights the perplexing nature of boxing’s championship system.
On Saturday (March 30), at the YouTube Theater in Ingelwood, a 32-year-old fighter named Ramirez will be challenging Arsen Goulamirian, a Frenchman born in Armenia, for the WBA cruiserweight title. Ramirez had previously held the WBO super-middleweight strap, winning the title in 2016 by defeating Arthur Abraham, who was on the decline. Additionally, two notable victories during his tenure were points wins over Jesse Hart in 2017 and 2018.
Ramirez, hailing from Mexico, possesses exceptional skills as a southpaw and has always appeared incredibly imposing for the 168lbs weight category. Moving up to the light-heavyweight division proved to be a perfect fit for him as he effortlessly defeated lesser-known opponents such as Tommy Karpency, Alfonso Lopez, Sullivan Barrera, Yunieski Gonzalez, and Dominic Boesel, ultimately earning himself a chance to compete against WBA belt-holder, Dmitry Bivol, in late 2022. Unfortunately, Ramirez, with a record of 45-1 (30), struggled to penetrate Bivol’s defense and ended up looking unrefined, resulting in a one-sided defeat as reflected by the scorecards.
Despite holding his title since 2018, Goulimirian has yet to defeat a legitimate leading contender and has been inactive since November 2022. On the other hand, Bivol is renowned as one of the sport’s most skilled technicians. Although Goulimirian’s record stands at an impressive 27-0 (19), it is evident that Bivol possesses superior technical abilities.
Despite his somewhat basic approach, it would be unwise to underestimate 36-year-old Goulamirian. He possesses a remarkable ability to deliver knockout punches, showcases impressive endurance, and executes purposeful hooks with precision from both sides. While he may not be considered the top cruiserweight globally, he is certainly not an easy opponent to defeat.
Ramirez should be cautious of becoming too confident and must make sure that his height and reach advantages are not surpassed by the opponent’s aggression and inherent strength. It is worth noting that despite being shorter, Goulamirian has experience as a cruiserweight for a long time, whereas Ramirez has only competed once in this division. It was five months ago when he successfully outpointed Joe Smith Jr., another emerging light-heavyweight, who had no trouble connecting punches on Zurdo.
There is still a chance for an unexpected upset, with Goulamirian potentially holding onto his title. The immense pressure from the larger and stronger champion could be overwhelming. However, the most probable outcome seems to be a victory by points for the more skilled boxer overall. Ramirez’s patience and extensive experience at the world level could be crucial as he lands jabs and straight lefts, targets the body at close range, and employs footwork to confuse Goulamirian.
THE VERDICT: A solid matchup that will tell us plenty about Ramirez the cruiserweight.
