Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez wants to unify the cruiserweight division titles. The Mexican fighter made his intentions clear after his recent victory over Chris Billam-Smith in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ramirez defeated Billam-Smith by unanimous decision over the weekend, adding the WBO cruiserweight title to his collection. The judges scored the bout 116-112, 116-112, and 116-113 in favor of the Mexican boxer.
With this win, Ramirez improved his record to 46-1 and now holds both the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. He's eager to face Australian Jai Opetaia, who currently holds the IBF and The Ring cruiserweight belts.
In an interview with IFL TV, Ramirez said:
"Yes, of course, that's the fight that I want. I want all the belts."
Ramirez's confidence is sky-high after his recent performances. He told Boxing King Media:
"I dunno if it's 50/50, I think I have a big chance to beat everyone in this division. Everyone saw what we did in the ring and now everyone is talking about me. We've beaten two champions already in this division and now people think I'm the real deal but I know that I'm the best cruiserweight in this division."
The Mexican fighter's journey in the cruiserweight division has been impressive. After moving up from light heavyweight, Ramirez has won all three of his fights in the new weight class. Earlier this year, he claimed the WBA cruiserweight title by defeating Arsen Goulamirian.
Julian Chua, Ramirez's trainer, supports his fighter's ambitions. He stated:
"It doesn't matter if it's Jai, it doesn't matter who it is. If they have a belt, we want to fight him."
While Ramirez is calling for a unification bout, Opetaia has other commitments on the horizon. The undefeated Australian (26-0) is expected to make a mandatory defense of his titles against German fighter Huseyin Cinkara (22-0, 18 KOs) in early January. The fight will likely take place in Australia, with an official announcement expected soon.
Opetaia won his titles in July 2022 with a victory over Mairis Briedis. The potential clash between Ramirez and Opetaia would be a significant step towards crowning an undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division.
