WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez is seemingly looking past WBO champ Chris Billiam-Smith toward a fight against Oleksandr Usyk if he returns to the division in 2025.
Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) is interested in fighting for the former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk, and obviously, it’s a fight that would make him a lot of money if it happens.
Usyk doesn’t sound like he’s going to be coming back down to cruiserweight. In a recent interview, he said he wanted to stay at heavyweight for the big fights that are available to him. So, if Ramirez wants that fight, he’s going to need to keep eating fo fill out more.
Billiam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) and Ramirez will be fighting on November 16th on Latino Night at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
“Zurdo is coming into this fight after beating a long-reigning titleholder [WBA cruiserweight champion Arsen] Goulamirian. I think that’s going to make this fight a lot more competitive,” said Chris Mannix to DAZN Boxing about the Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Chris Billiam-Smith unification fight on November 16th.
“I’m excited because Zurdo is talking about Usyk, and Usyk is coming back down to cruiserweight. That’s pretty exciting,” said Oscar De La Hoya.
“What I like about Zurdo Ramirez is that normally when a fighter is coming up from the lower weight divisions up to the higher weight divisions, they get flat-footed. They want to punch harder,” said Sergio Mora. “It seems like Zurdo is getting more nifty on his feet.
“I think they’re doing a great job with their game plan and the strategy to follow that strategy all the way to the end. Size is not going to matter to him if he’s going to be using angles like that,” said Mora about Ramirez.
Chris Billiam-Smith isn’t a big fighter. Compared to Ramirez’s last opponent, Goulamirian, he’s average size, and he won’t be outmaneuvered the way that he was. This fight is going to be one by punching, not moving. If Ramirez is going to try and box for 12 rounds, he’s going to lose to Billiam-Smith because he’s going to be getting tagged by him.
“Malik Scott has done a great job with him to get a bottom-heavy, flat-footed fighter. What he did with Joe Smith moving side to side and using angles. It was a different version, and Joe couldn’t do anything,” said Oscar De La Hoya about Ramirez’s win over former light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr. last year on October 7th.
The new defensive style that Ramirez has adopted has worked for him against the limited guys he’s fought, but it may not be effective against Billiam-Smith. He’s fought movers before, and it will not be surprising to see Ramirez trying to outbox him with movement the way it was for Goulamirian and Smith Jr.
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