Via Dan Ambrose: The WBA today confirmed that Dmitry Bivol must defend against his mandatory Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez next, and they have denied a request to face Joshua Buatsi in a voluntary defense.
Interestingly, the World Boxing Association added that negotiations for the Bivol vs. Ramirez must be finished by August 10 to avoid being ripped off. Assuming that today is the 10th, it looks like the contest will go to purse auction.
For US boxing fans, they don’t mind watching Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) vs undefeated former WBO 168-lb champion Zurdo Ramirez (44-0.30 KOs) next rather than boxing. British artist Joshua Buatsi.
Eddie Hearn’s idea as a MatchroomBoxing promoter had Bivol slip in a voluntary defense of Buatsi before fighting his obligatory Ramirez.
You could argue that Hearn is trying to help Buatsi, whose career has failed to flourish despite his success at the 2016 Olympics.
“The WBA Championships Committee approved the mandatory showdown between light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and his mandatory challenger Gilberto Ramirez,” said WBA.
“After receiving a request for special permission to fight Joshua Buatsi from the champion and after doing extensive research on the same, WBA denied that permission.
“So Bivol and Ramirez will have until August 10 (as originally planned) to reach an agreement, or the fight will go to a Purse bid.”
Zurdo Ramirez is a lot easier for Bivol than Buatsi, as he’s extremely slow at this stage of his career and not a fighter who held the 168-lb WBO belt from 2016 to 2018. .
Ramirez, 31, is a boxer who is clearly fighting his natural weight class. In his final bout with Dominic Boesel, Ramirez rehydrated to 203 lbs after gaining weight at 174.
Ramirez looked very slow as he watched Boesel around the ring, shooting shots that looked as if they were being filmed in slow motion. Whatever mobility and hand speed Gilberto ever had is completely gone by this point in his career.
So the only way Ramirez has any chance against Bivol is if he puts himself on the rope and invites him in.
Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotion said Ramirez will take revenge on Bivol on behalf of Canelo Alvarez. Canelo was defeated by Bivol last May in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Ramirez was the one in the wrong in his job of beating Bivol.
