Ramirez-Smith will have WBA mandatory challenger title on the line

A few days before the actual date, the importance of Saturday's fight between Gilberto Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) and Joe Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs). Zurdo, a former world champion in the super middleweight category (76.2 kg), moved up to light heavyweight (79.4 kg), but here too he had to carry too much weight. As a result, Ramirez decided to move up to cruiserweight.

The fight with Smith will take place within the official cruise weight limit (90.7 kg), and in the negotiated weight category, which will be 86.15 kilograms.

Despite the fact that this will be a debut for both boxers in the first heavyweight division, the WBA assigned him qualifying status for the position of a contender for the title of world champion. So the winner of Saturday's Ramirez-Smith fight will immediately become the mandatory challenger to the WBA throne of Arsen Gulamiryan (27-0, 18 KOs). The Frenchman with Armenian roots recently lost his television partner and will probably be happy to perform on rival territory for an appropriate fee.