Gilberto Ramirez vs. Joe Smith | DAZN - October 7, 2023

[Ruthless-RKO]

Gilberto Ramirez-Joe Smith Nearly Done Deal For 10/7; DAZN To Stream Cruiserweight Fight

Two former world champions coming off losses and long layoffs have agreed to fight each other next.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that Gilberto Ramirez and Joe Smith Jr. will meet October 7 in Las Vegas. DAZN will stream their cruiserweight bout from The Chelsea, a cozy venue inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The deal for Ramirez-Smith isn’t finalized in part because the two sides have yet to settle on a catch weight somewhere below the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. That detail is not expected to hold up their deal, however, because both Ramirez and Smith are on board with a contract weight somewhere in the 190s.

The bout between Ramirez, 32, and Smith, 33, was first mentioned in a Tweet by Big Fight Weekend’s Dan Rafael.

Mexico’s Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), who is represented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, will fight for the first time since Dmitry Bivol beat him in their 12-round fight for Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title last November 5 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Russia’s Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) thoroughly outboxed Ramirez and won by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111.

Ramirez, a former WBO super middleweight champ, was supposed to return to the ring March 18 against Gabriel Rosado at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California. Their scheduled 12-round, 175-pound main event was scrapped the day they were supposed to weigh in, though, because Ramirez was grossly overweight, reportedly more than seven pounds above their contracted limit.

Smith, meanwhile, will fight for the first time since Russian knockout artist Artur Beterbiev stopped him in the second round of their light heavyweight title unification fight 14 months ago in New York. The Montreal-based Beterbiev overwhelmed Smith with his vaunted power, dropped him three times and stopped Smith while he was still standing at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater.

Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) retained his IBF and WBC 175-pound championships that night and took the WBO light heavyweight title from Smith (28-4, 22 KOs). Smith – a Mastic, New York native promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing – had won four fights in a row before Beterbiev beat him.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is great matchmaking

[gregregegg]

Great fight, dunno about them as cruisers, once again we need a 187 div… might have a hard cut to 175 but are small compared to okole or cruiser usyk/gassiev

[apollo creed]

decent fight.

[margaret thatcher]

good fight! zurdo obviously more skilled but also lazy at times, if joe gets his work rate rolling could be a tough night

[Lackeos]

That's a perfectly close match-up. I support this. This would be a good build-up to eventually fighting Bivol, Beterbiev, Alvarez, or Gvozdyk. I would mention Callum Smith, but he's already scheduled to lose to Beterbiev in January.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

Former world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) will make his debut in the cruiserweight division and measure up against former light heavyweight world champion Joe “Common Man” Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs) of Long Island, New York on Saturday, October 7.

The 12-round clash, presented in association with Star Boxing, will take place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and live around the world on DAZN.

The former WBO super middleweight world champion, Ramirez will be looking to make a statement and demonstrate he has the bravado to become a two-division titleholder. With nearly 15-years of professional experience, he embarked on a career that would see him defeating the likes of Maxim Vlasov, Jessie “Hard Work” Hart and “King” Arthur Abraham, whom he defeated to become the WBO super middleweight world champion. His sole blemish on his record comes from a valiant performance against Dmitrii Bivol last November 2022. Ramirez is now ready to return to the ring and contend against the heavy hitters of the division.

“I am ready to take over the cruiserweight division and prove to myself that I can add another championship belt to my resume,” said Ramirez. “I want to thank all of my fans, Golden Boy, DAZN, the WBA, and my entire team that have supported me through this season of change. We are ready to face a hungry opponent in Joe Smith Jr. who is used to being an underdog. I know both of us wanted this fight at light heavyweight a few years back, but I’m glad we can make it now. See you all in Las Vegas!”

The iron-willed, former light heavyweight world champion Smith is known to prove his critics wrong, becoming the WBO light heavyweight world champion after giving an unyielding boxing performance when he fought Maxim Vlasov in April 2021. He went on to successfully defend his title against Steve Geffrard in January 2022 and then succumbed to Artur Beterbiev in a massive unification fight on June 18. In addition, Smith has one of the best resumes in boxing that includes victories over former undisputed champion and boxing legend, Bernard Hopkins, former world champion, Eleider Alvarez, and title contenders Jessie Hart and Andrzej Fonfara. Having begun his career in 2009, he has earned the respect of the “common man” and will also be going up to cruiserweight for the first time to face Ramirez.

“It feels great to return to the ring in a big way on October 7 against ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez,” said Joe Smith Jr. “I was having a rough time this year, then we tragically lost my brother Alex on top of it all. I miss him and know he will be with me when I step into that ring. He was always proud of me and he would be happy to see me back. I can’t wait to show the world the Common Man is back and hope my performance can bring some happiness and inspiration back to my family.”

“‘For almost 15 years, ‘Zurdo’ beat everyone who stepped into the ring, becoming a world champion and the most feared man in the Super Middleweight division in the process,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. “But coming off a loss and with a new weight division to conquer, there is a renewed fire in Zurdo’s eyes. I expect an impressive outing and a first step towards a cruiserweight world championship.”

“We are thrilled to announce the return of Star Boxing’s ‘Common Man,’ Joe Smith Jr. at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas live on DAZN,” said Star Boxing’s CEO Joe DeGuardia. “He and his family have had a rough year, but in quintessential Joe Smith fashion, while there were many fights out there for him, he wanted the biggest and toughest challenge available. It will once again be Champion vs Champion as two former world champs go head to head in this intriguing fight. This has all the makings of must see action and I personally look forward to watching Joe back in the ring on October 7th.”

"What an exciting fight this will be between two former world champions,” said Joseph Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group. “Zurdo wanted a tough test, and this one-his first at cruiserweight-vs Smith Jr. is going to be a very difficult fight for him. You will not want to miss it! Tune in October 7th live from the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, broadcast only on DAZN.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Gilberto Ramirez explains reason for move to cruiserweight, discusses Joe Smith Jr bout

Mexican southpaw Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez 44-1 (30) will resume his career in the cruiserweight division after outgrowing the light heavyweight division.

The former WBO super middleweight champion moved up to campaign at 175-pounds four years ago and unsuccessfully challenge WBA boss Dmitry Bivol 21-0 (11) for his belt in Abu Dhabi last November, losing on points.

Now the 32-year-old, who stands at almost six-foot-three, sees his future at 200-pounds.

His next fight will be against former WBO light heavyweight champion Joe ‘The Common Man’ Smith Jr 28-4 (22), who will also be making his cruiserweight debut, in a 190-pound catchweight bout.

The pair will meet at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 7, live on DAZN.

“This fight marks my move up to the cruiserweight division. This decision is based on a combination of factors that my team and I carefully considered,” Ramirez said.

“One of the main reasons is my natural growth and development as an athlete. As I’ve progressed during my career, I’ve gained muscle mass and strength, making it more suitable for me to compete in the cruiserweight division.

“Additionally, we believe that this move will provide exciting new challenges and opportunities for me. The cruiserweight division is known for its competitive and diverse talent pool and I’m eager to test my skills against opponents with different styles and strengths.

“This transition also aligns with my long-term goals in the sport and I’m confident that I’ll be able to make a positive impact in this new weight class.

“I’ve worked closely with my coaches and trainers to ensure a smooth transition in terms of training, strategy and overall preparation.

“While it is a new chapter in my career, I’m embracing the change and looking forward to proving myself at cruiserweight.”

Rather than take a tune-up fight in his new weight class Ramirez will take on the well-crendtialled Smith, who has defeated Bernard Hopkins, Andrzej Fonfara and Eleider Alvarez, among the more notables names on his ledger.

The dangerous New Yorker from Long Island has stopped 22 of the 28 opponents he has defeated to date.

“I have nothing but respect for Joe,” Ramirez said. “He is a hard hitter and former world champion. But when I made this move to cruiserweight, I specifically asked my promoter for the toughest guys in the division to create a path to a world title fight.

“I’m a fighter and there has never been a fight I’ve dodged or turned down in my career and this is no different.

“Of course, any fight at this level will definitely shape the future and the next possible steps. I know how hard the stakes are and I want to prove to myself that I can be a world champion in this division.”

[Cent0089]

I like this fight. Cheering for Joe Smith

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | John Ramirez Pumped For WBA Eliminator

Ten months after accepting a World Boxing Association (WBA) offer to fight in a title eliminator, super flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 9 KOs) will finally get his opportunity October 7th in Las Vegas against Panamanian boxer Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs).

The winner of the 12-round fight between No. 2-rated Ramirez and No. 7 Batista will become the No. 1, mandatory challenger for new WBA super flyweight world champion Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs), of Japan, who dethroned defending world champion Joshua Franco this past June by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113.

Ramirez vs. Batista will be fighting in the co-featured event on a Golden Boy-promoted card to be headlined by his friend and mentor, former world super middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), who takes on former world light heavyweight titleholder Joe “The Common Man” Smith, Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs).

All the action will be streamed live on DAZN from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan.

Ramirez was initially matched against then No. 3 rated Sirichai Thaiyen (64-4, 42 KOs), of Thailand, who has since dropped to No. 8 in the WBA rankings.

The 26-year-old Ramirez, fighting out of the mean streets of South-Central Los Angeles, has had his patience rewarded, and the entertaining fighter of Belizean and Honduran descent vows to take full advantage of this long overdue opportunity.

“It feels like I’m getting closer to my destination (to be world champion),” Ramirez said about the delay in his title elimination fight. “I didn’t have to fight my last two fights (he could have waited for the eliminator), but I risked it all. I’m in a good position (WBA #2) and would have lost my position if I had lost either of those fights. We went with it and now I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity.

“This will be my first time fighting in Las Vegas. I call it my destiny, The last time I was there, I watched David Benevidez fight (Caleb) Plant. It (Las Vegas’ boxing atmosphere) was inspiring. I still have a chip on my shoulder, because people don’t know who I am, and I’m not getting respect.”

In his most recent fight this past May, the 26-year-old Batista dropped down one weight class, unsuccessfully challenging World Boxing Council (WBA) Flyweight Champion Julio Cesar Martinez (19-2), who registered an 11th round technical knockout victory. Batista’s most notable victory to date is a ninth-round TKO of Antonio Guzman in 2018 for the International Boxing Association (IBA) super flyweight world title.

In addition to fighting in Las Vegas for his first time, “Scrappy” will also be in his first scheduled 12-round bout, in addition to fighting on the same card as “Zurdo” Ramirez.

“It’s a 12, we’re big boys,” Ramirez emphasized,” and I’m back together with ‘Zurdo’ on the same card. It’s an honor to share the ring with him again and I’m going to do the best I can do. I’m more comfortable now. We have the same competitive spirit and even though he’s in the main event, in a positive way, it’ll make me try to do better than him on October 7th.

“I’m not planning for this fight to go 12 rounds. My last two fights were decisions, but I’m looking for a knockout….I’m going to destroy this kid!”

[watsupdoc87]

Common man haha smith's the Irish bomber. If smith's still got It I fancy him for the upset. Was wondering recently if he'd retired or not. Will be good to see him out again

[margaret thatcher]

zurdo would look bad arse with one of those thicc mexican handle bar mustaches

[armageto]

Common man haha smith's the Irish bomber. If smith's still got It I fancy him for the upset. Was wondering recently if he'd retired or not. Will be good to see him out again

Smith has been inactive recently because his brother was murdered, is my assumption.

[Evander]

Good match up.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Undercard Information

John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) will co-headline the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Joe Smith card with a 10-round, WBA Super Flyweight Final Eliminator fight against Panama City, Panama’s Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs).

The winner of the scrap will move on to fight for a world title. The highly anticipated fight night is presented in collaboration with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, will take place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and live around the world on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PT.

Bektemir “The Bully” Melikuziev (12-1, 9 KOs) of Shoimbek, Uzbekistan, who also proudly represents Indio, California, will face Upper Marlboro, Maryland’s Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (28-4-1, 13 KOs). “The Bully” is returning after a successful rematch against boxing veteran Gabriel Rosado in April 2023 that saw him become the WBA Intercontinental Super Middleweight Titleholder which he will defend on October 7.

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (11-1, 8 KOs) of Carolton, Texas will face a soon-to-be-announced opponent in a six-round cruiserweight fight. Kalkreuth’s last fight in July left fan’s jaws on the floor after a vicious knockout and a backflip to celebrate.

On the preliminary undercard Golden Boy’s favorites are scheduled to return against soon-to-be announced opponents. Fort Lauderdale’s Eric Tudor (9-0, 6 KOs) will participate in an eight-round super welterweight fight. After an explosive, second round knockout on September 7, recently signed Daniel “Ikaika” Luna (3-0, 3 KOs) will hope to repeat history with a four-round super lightweight fight.

Also part of the preliminaries, in an eight-round junior middleweight fight is Star Boxing’s Jahyae “Golden Child" Brown (13-1, 9 KO’s), who will face off against Youngstown, Ohio’s Victor Toney (7-2-1, 6 KO’s). Also on the undercard is Star Boxing’s undefeated, New Jersey prospect, Rajon “Picasso” Chance (8-0-1, 6 KO’s), who will measure up in an eight-round featherweight fight against Orlando Perez Zapata (13-0, 9 KO’s) of Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic.

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘I feel great at cruiserweight’: Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez talks moving up in weight, Joe Smith Jr challenge

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will look to bounce back from a loss to Dmitry Bivol last year and terribly missing weight for a scrapped fight earlier this year when he moves up to the cruiserweight division on Saturday, Oct. 7, facing Joe Smith Jr in a DAZN main event.

The 32-year-old Ramirez (44-1, 30 KO) has won a world title at 168 and was in the mix at 175, but he blew weight so badly for the planned March fight with Gabriel Rosado that it didn’t even go ahead.

The move up to cruiserweight — and he’s looking plenty beefy in training camp — should mean that he has no issues on the scale in a couple weeks.

“I feel great at cruiserweight, this is typically the weight I’ve walked around my entire life,” he said at a workout this week. “I feel much stronger in this class and most importantly I feel healthy.”

Ramirez, who was widely out-pointed by Bivol in Nov. 2022, admits that his first career loss did sting, and that he’s looking to put that behind him.

“Dealing with the Bivol loss was really tough,” he said. “It hurt my soul and it hurt my ego as a warrior. Now that I have been able to move past it, I want to come back even stronger and I want to win. I want to feel like I can do it.”

The 34-year-old Smith (28-4, 22 KO) is a former 175 lb titleholder moving up in weight himself, coming off of a spirited but doomed TKO-2 loss to Artur Beterbiev in June 2022, where Beterbiev unified three light heavyweight titles in New York.

“Zurdo” says he has respect for Smith and is aware of the danger he brings to the fight.

“I’ve been watching Joe Smith Jr for many years now; probably his whole career,” Ramirez stated. “He is a great fighter and it’s exciting for me to face him because he is a former world champion, he has faced many former champions and great top opponents.”

The show will also feature Golden Boy house favorite John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KO) in a WBA 115 lb eliminator against Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KO), who is coming off of a flyweight title loss to Julio Cesar Martinez in May, so that’s a curious choice of WBA ordering, but it is boxing, and we all know what we’re doing here.

“This final eliminator is just another fight, something that I have been working for and it has finally came into fruition,” ‘Scrappy’ said.

“It’s all about staying ready so you don’t need to get ready. My path to a world championship is fight to fight, opponent to opponent. Right now, my focus is the man in front of me. He is Panamanian, has tremendous experience, he is hungry, and he is looking for that opportunity to make a statement. So I am not taking him lightly. When the competition is good, I perform better.”

[gilgamesh]

I like this matchmaking a lot. Ramirez a talented, but protected fighter vs Joe Smith who's been anything but protected. Smith isn't an Elite Technical Boxer, just a steady attacking, good old fashioned tough son of a bitch.

He'll give Zurdo all he wants, and maybe more than he wants.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[watsupdoc87]

Fight Week!!

Sup mate is it East Coast or west?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

Sup mate is it East Coast or west?

Las Vegas

[watsupdoc87]

When I lived in Europe vegus fights were a pudendum cos I had to stay up to 6/7am. Now in Vietnam get to watch them at 10/11 in the morning, nice change. But if I wanna watch the UK cards now I have to stay up till 4/5am unfortunately. Swings in roundabouts haha

[Ruthless-RKO]

When I lived in Europe vegus fights were a pudendum cos I had to stay up to 6/7am. Now in Vietnam get to watch them at 10/11 in the morning, nice change. But if I wanna watch the UK cards now I have to stay up till 4/5am unfortunately. Swings in roundabouts haha

What would be the best place to live? East coast maybe?

UK cards start around 2pm

US cards are primetimes, regardless of it they are west coast.

[watsupdoc87]

When I lived in Europe vegus fights were a pudendum cos I had to stay up to 6/7am. Now in Vietnam get to watch them at 10/11 in the morning, nice change. But if I wanna watch the UK cards now I have to stay up till 4/5am unfortunately. Swings in roundabouts haha

What would be the best place to live? East coast maybe?

UK cards start around 2pm

US cards are primetimes, regardless of it they are west coast.

Best place to live to watch all the big fights in us and uk would probably be somewhere like new york i guess

[Fightdoctor]

I'm leaning towards Blue Collar Joe by KO. Zurdo has a higher workrate but lacks head movement and come straight ahead/no angles. Meanwhile Common Man is a very basic fighter but he has absolute dynamite in his straight right (he rocked Beterbiev before being destroyed). With Ramirez come-forward, high output style I think Joe will have the opportunity to land that big right.