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The first Mexican boxer to capture a super middleweight world title, Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, has promised to provide a surprise very shortly on his return to the ring.
Ramirez hopes to return by July 25, and stressed that he is targeting 175-pound world champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
It’s been more than 400 days since Ramirez last fought, but he feels re-energized, both physically and mentally, with taking all of the time off.
Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) moved up to light heavyweight in April 2019, and stopped Tommy Karpency in four rounds.
After that bout, he went through promotional issues with Top Rank and rejected several offers that were presented to him and his team.
“I think that soon I will surprise everyone again. I’m going to go for the fighters who have the belts I want, Bivol, Beterbiev, Kovalev, I’m going with everything,” Ramirez said to ESPN Deportes.
“I am preparing, I wanted to fight on July 25 and if possible, with a champion. I would like to face (Dmitry) Bivol or the WBC champion, Artur Beterbiev, it is a fight that everyone asks, and I do as well. I have been inactive for a year and very eager to fight again for all the people who give me love.”
And although Beterbiev’s power (15-0, 15 KO’s) is astonishing, he explained that Bivol (17-0, 11 KO’s) is a more complete fighter.
“I think Bivol is more dangerous, he is more complete, I have sparred with him. Beterbiev…. I have been studying him a lot, he comes forward a lot more. It is true, Beterbiev has an excellent punch, but he has not faced a fighter like ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez,” Ramirez said.
However, he did not rule out other fights with Mexican boxers like Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez.
“They are the fights everyone asks for, the fights they want to see, I as a fan would like to see those fights, they say they are the best and I want to show that I am the best. I am eager to return to the ring, I have been inactive, but I have not stopped working in the gym, it has helped me a lot to have this time off, I have thought about myself, what I want, where I want to go,” Ramirez explained.