Sinaloa fighter Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez had to work his way almost anonymously to receive an opportunity for a world championship fight. Coincidentally, the opportunity came against a fighter of the moment, Russian WBA semi-complete weight champion Dmitry Bivol, and the WBA decreed a mandatory fight between Bivol and “Zurdo” Ramirez.
But, in case the fight is not made, it could cause a severe problem for both Bivol and his promoter, Eddie Hearn. On the other hand, there is strong pressure from Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for an immediate rematch, after the Russian boxer surprisingly beat him in their May 6 fight in Las Vegas.
What does Eddie Hearn think?
According to Chris Mannix, journalist for Sports Illustrated, he revealed on his Twitter account the testimony of Eddie Hearn, owner of Matchroom Boxing and the main interested in organizing this fight:
“Eddie Hearn said he has discussed terms for a Dmitry Bivol vs Zurdo Ramirez fight with Golden Boy officials this week and is hopeful of reaching an agreement. Otherwise, Hearn said Matchroom will participate in the auction on Sunday,” the publication notes.
“Zurdo” Ramirez is represented by Oscar de la Hoya at Golden Boy and historically the two firms have not historically had a good relationship.
The mandatory semi-featured title fight between Zurdo Ramirez and Dmitry Bivol
On July 11, the WBA issued a statement confirming the mandatory 175 lbs. title fight between the Sinaloan and the Russian. In principle, the WBA established August 10, 2022 as the date to communicate the agreement between the parties involved. However, the date has passed and the uncertainty continues.
The WBA informed that the Russian champion requested a special permit to face Joshua Buatsi. However, his request was denied and the body reiterated its commitment to the fighter from Sinaloa, Mexico and set a new date of August 21 to communicate the details of the fight.
In the event that Eddie Hearn does not reach an agreement with Oscar de la Hoya, “the fight will go to “Purse Bid“, that is, an open fight that would allow other promoters to offer purse bids to take another fighter before Bivol.
This alternative was implemented by the bodies in charge of sanctioning the fights. In such an event, promoters registered with the WBA have the opportunity to bid from $400,000 along with written confirmation to win the right to organize the championship fight.
The fight desired by Dmitry Bivol
All these options go against the main desire of Bivol, who after defeating Canelo, wanted to face competitive boxers of his category, including a unification fight against his compatriot Artur Beterbiev.
However, the WBA wants to force him to comply with its provisions as reigning champion to make a mandatory defense at least every two years.
To define the mandatory opponent, the body held a qualifying tournament among its top-ranked fighters. Ramirez made a semifinal bout against German boxer Dominic Boesel, whom he knocked out in four rounds and became the best challenger in the division for the WBA.
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