By Dan Ambrose: Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn believes Dmitry Bivol is facing one of the “toughest fights” of his career this Saturday night when he defends against former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event will be streamed on DAZN.
Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) will defend his WBA 175-lb title for the 11th time when he faces the unbeaten Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs).
It’s difficult to say for a certainty how tough a fight Ramirez will be for Bivol because the Mexican warrior hasn’t mixed it with the best as of yet during his carer.
We know Ramirez has performed well against the opposition he’s faced during his long career.
Bivol is coming off a big win over Canelo Alvarez last May in a fight that turned out to be a route. Canelo may have made a mistake in selecting Bivol as his opponent when he chose to fight for a title at 175.
The manager/trainer for Canelo, Eddy Reynoso, likely assumed that Bivol was the easier option for him than IBF/WBC/WBO champion Artur Beterbiev.
“Dmitry Bivol faces arguably one of the toughest fights of his career in Zurdo Ramirez,” said Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing. “A true 175-pounder and a former world super middleweight champion. He is undefeated as well, and he wants to create his own legacy in the sport.
“We can see on his record. 44-0 with zero losses. Zero is my challenge, this zero,” said Dmitry Bivol about Gilberto Ramirez’s unbeaten record.
“I believe he’s going to become a two-time world champion on November 5th. I have all the confidence,” said former two-division world champion Jessie Vargas about the 31-year-old Ramirez.
“He’s looking phenomenal, and he’s doing an extraordinary job. His entire team is doing an extraordinary job, and I think he’s really going to surprise a lot of people come November 5th.
“He wants to accomplish his dream of becoming a two-time world champion on November 5th, and I believe he has everything to do so,” said Vargas.
“We spend a lot of time together, and it’s great to have a pro boxer that’s a world champion here at the gym training with me and living with me,” said Zurdo Ramirez.
“I want so badly to become a two-time world champion, and I will soon on November 5th. It’ll be an honor for me and for my country.”
