On Saturday, November 16, Gilberto Ramírez continued his rise in the world of boxing by defeating Chris Billam-Smith in Saudi Arabia. Ramírez secured a unanimous decision victory after 12 intense rounds. The judges’ scorecards read 116-112 (twice) and 116-113 in his favor, crowning his effort with another historic achievement.
This win not only represented another victory in his career but also a step toward making history.
Ramírez, who previously became the first Mexican super middleweight world champion and later the first Mexican cruiserweight world champion, added the WBO title to the WBA belt he already held. With this accomplishment, he becomes the first unified Mexican champion in the cruiserweight division.
Now, with his new title, Gilberto Ramírez has set his sights on a new challenge: to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
The Mexican boxer has expressed his admiration for Oleksandr Usyk, who is the only fighter in recent history to achieve this status in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Gilberto Ramírez highlighted his desire to face Usyk, one of his idols in boxing.
“If he wants, I’m more than ready and happy to fight him. Because he’s one of my idols and I want to face him too. Because what he’s been doing in boxing is great,” said Ramírez.
The Mexican champion also took the opportunity to highlight his growth inside the ring.
“Everyone saw I’m a strong man and I’m growing. I want to be a heavyweight champion too, and everything is possible. Look at Usyk, what he did, and he’s not bigger than me, and I think I can do it too,” added Ramírez.
Despite his ambition to face Usyk, it seems that Ramírez’s next opponents in the cruiserweight division will be Jai Opetaia, IBF champion, or Noel Mikaelian, WBC titleholder in the division.
However, Ramírez remains firm in his goal of unifying the cruiserweight titles. “I want to unify, I want to be undisputed, and that’s a goal for me,” he emphasized.
Oscar De La Hoya, Ramírez’s promoter, also shared his excitement regarding the Mexican boxer’s future.
In a recent interview, De La Hoya commented that a fight between Ramírez and Usyk could place the Mexican among the big names in boxing.
Ramírez, for his part, has not ruled out the possibility of fighting in different weight classes to make his showdown with Usyk happen.
Meanwhile, Usyk, the current heavyweight champion with three belts, is scheduled to face Tyson Fury in a rematch on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The boxing world’s attention will be on this fight as Gilberto Ramírez continues to pursue his dream of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion.
“He’s one of my idols, I would want to face him” 🤝
Zurdo Ramirez on if he would face Oleksandr Usyk 👀#ZurdoBillamSmith x #LatinoNight | #RiyadhSeasonpic.twitter.com/h6riwe5P4Y
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) November 17, 2024
Boxing Social is now on WhatsApp! Join our channel by clicking here and getting all the latest boxing news direct to your phone.