Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Defeats Chris Billam-Smith to Become Unified World Cruiserweight Champion

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez has captured another belt…

The 33-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a two division world champion southpaw, cruised to a comfortable, unanimous decision over Chris Billam-Smith  on Saturday to become the unified world cruiserweight champion.

Gilberto "Zurdo" RamirezRamirez, a former world super middleweight champion, had boxed only twice before at 200 pounds, but he was technically too good for Billam-Smith at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ramirez earned scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 116-113 in a first defense of his WBA title while also capturing Billam-Smith’s WBO belt in a Riyadh Season “Latino Night” card.

Others will have viewed Ramirez a winner by a wider margin as Billam-Smith never looked like he’d ruin the promotion’s aim to be a celebration of Latino boxing talent.

Ramirez was too accurate and his movement too slick for Billam-Smith to get a foothold in the fight.

Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs), from Sinaloa, Mexico, made history by becoming Mexico’s first world champion at cruiserweight and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy, has more ambitious plans for him.

Another unification is possible for Ramirez in 2025 against Australia’s IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia, who is No. 1 at cruiserweight in the latest ESPN’s rankings.

De La Hoya has talked about Ramirez becoming an undisputed champion, holding all four titles, and taking on reigning WBC-WBA-WBO world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk if the Ukrainian returns to cruiserweight next year.

“Of course, I want to unify all the belts and that’s a big goal for me,” Ramirez said.

Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs), 34, from Bournemouth, England, suffered his second career defeat after showing immense courage to come firing back in the later rounds.

He made a sharp start to his third defense of the WBO belt as Ramirez briefly struggled with the Englishman’s intensity. Ramirez improved in Round 2, and he finished Round 3 with a decent left hook as he then took control of the fight.

The Mexican’s blows began to flow more freely and in Round 4 Ramirez landed his best punch yet, a right hand that briefly unsettled Billam-Smith and opened a cut on his left eyelid.

Ramirez, who won the WBA belt by unanimous decision versus Arsen Goulamirian in his previous fight in March, was also effective when the fight was at close range, and he threaded some punches through Billam-Smith’s guard in Round 6.

The ringside doctor was called to look at Billam-Smith’s cut before the start of Round 7. Billam-Smith was looking a sorry figure as Ramirez continued to land solid blows.

Billam-Smith rallied in Rounds 9 and 10, but he was caught by some stinging shots in the last two rounds as Ramirez left the Briton’s face covered in blood.

“Consistency was what won it for Zurdo tonight,” Billam-Smith said.

“He throws three or four shots and then moves. He’s consistent.”

Jaime Munguia Signs Multi-Fight Co-Promotional Deal with Top Rank, Fighting Erik Bazinyan First

Jaime Munguia is a man on Top (Rank)

The 27-year-old Mexican professional boxer has signed a multi-fight co-promotional deal with Top Rank, with his first fight set against Erik Bazinyan on September 20 in the Phoenix area, per ESPN.

Jaime Munguia Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) suffered his first loss in May, a spirited decision setback against boxing’s top star, Canelo Alvarez.

Munguia’s past 16 fights were co-promoted by Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions (the past 13 were streamed on DAZN).

Now, Munguia will fight exclusively on ESPN under the Top Rank banner with Mexican promoter Zanfer involved.

“Jaime will make an announcement soon,” Zanfer CEO Fernando Beltran told ESPN on Tuesday. “We’re happy with everything we have accomplished with everyone. … If we look for options or platforms or whatever, that’s not for me to say.”

Munguia’s first fight with Golden Boy was in May 2018, a fourth-round TKO victory over Sadam Ali to win the WBO junior middleweight title. He went on to make four title defenses before he moved up to 160 pounds as Golden Boy built him into an attraction.

Munguia’s past three bouts have taken place at 168 pounds, including his decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in ESPN’s 2023 Fight of the Year.

And while Munguia was knocked down in the loss to Alvarez, he more than held his own in his first fight on the elite level. Munguia watched a tumultuous lead-up to fight night as De La Hoya, a Hall of Fame boxer, verbally sparred with his former fighter, Alvarez, on the dais.

Munguia is rated No. 4 at super middleweight by ESPN. Christian Mbilli, the action fighter who fights out of Quebec, is No. 3. Mbilli, too, is promoted by Top Rank; he fights Derevyancheko on August 17 in Quebec City. A Munguia-Mbili fight would be highly anticipated if it materializes next year.

Bazinyan (32-0-1, 23 KOs) also resides in Quebec. The 29-year-old is ESPN’s No. 9 super middleweight. Bazinyan is coming off a draw to Shakeel Phinn in May.

Seniesa Estrada Fighting Yokasta Valle Next Month to Crown First Undisputed Strawweight Champion

Seniesa Estrada is preparing to fight for all the marbles…

The 31-year-old Mexican American professional boxer will fight Yokasta Valle to crown the first undisputed strawweight champion in women’s boxing history on March 29 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Seniesa EstradaThe fight will be the co-main event on the card featuring the Oscar ValdezLiam Wilson junior lightweight bout.

Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs), of East Los Angeles, won the WBA belt by defeating Anabel Ortiz in March 2021. After moving up four months later to fight for the WBO junior flyweight title in a victory over Tenkai Tsunami, Estrada made two successful defenses before adding the WBC title in a victory over Tina Rupprecht in March. She defended the two titles in a unanimous decision win over Leonela Paola Yudica in July.

Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) won the IBF belt in August 2019 against Joana Pastrana, and after five defenses, she unified the WBO belt with a unanimous decision win over Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen in September 2022. This will be Valle’s fifth defense of her unified titles.

Estrada, ESPN’s No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, was promoted by Golden Boy until she left to sign a multiyear deal with Top Rank in July 2022, saying at the time, “I wanted more money, what I felt I deserved.”

Valle, the No. 2-ranked fighter in the division behind Estrada, is promoted by Golden Boy and has been on Estrada’s radar since the days when they had the same promoter.

“It’s not personal for her, but it’s personal for me for many reasons,” Estrada said during a news conference Wednesday to announce the fight. “I’m competitive. I’m hungry to become undisputed. This is the fight that I’ve been trying to make and wanting to make since I was with Golden Boy Promotions around the time they first signed me.”

Costa Rica’s Valle noted she has been working hard for this moment, fighting in different divisions to become one day undisputed, and added that the rivalry is not personal, it’s just business.

“I just want to be a champion,” Valle said. “I want to be undisputed. Seniesa has two titles. That’s what I’m looking for. Not her. Simply the world titles is what I’m looking for. That’s what I’ve been working towards for many years.”

Marlen Esparza to Fight Gabriela Fundora in Undisputed Flyweight Championship Bout

Marlen Esparza has secured her next opponent…

The 34-year-old Mexican American boxer and flyweight women’s unified champion and fellow Latina boxing champion Gabriela Fundora will meet for the undisputed flyweight championship on January 6 in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.

Marlen EsparzaThe fight will be on the undercard of Vergil Ortiz Jr.‘s 154-pound debut against Fredrick Lawson, a show promoted by Golden Boy.

Esparza (14-1, 1 KO), of Houston, a bronze medalist for the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic Games and ESPN’s No. 1 ranked flyweight, won the WBC belt with a victory over Anabel Ortiz in December 2021. Esparza knocked down Ortiz twice en route to a unanimous decision win by scorecards of 100-88, 99-90 and 95-94.

Esparza added the WBA title four months later with a one-sided decision victory over Naoko Fujioka (100-90, 100-90 and 97-93), and after one successful defense against Eva Guzman in August 2022, Esparza unified the WBO belt in a tough fight against Gabriela Celeste Alaniz, whom she beat by majority decision (99-91, 97-93 and 95-95) this past July.

Fundora (12-0, 5 KOs), of Coachella, California, is the younger sister of former junior middleweight interim titlist Sebastian Fundora.

Gabriela Fundora, ranked No. 2 by ESPN in the division, has been very active in 2023, fighting three times, including a fifth-round TKO victory over Arely Mucino in October to win the IBF title.

Ryan Garcia to Fight Oscar Duarte in December Junior Welterweight Bout

Ryan Garcia is heading back to the mat…

The 25-year-old Mexican American boxing star will return to the ring in a junior welterweight fight against Oscar Duarte on December 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has announced.

Ryan GarciaThe fight will be streamed on DAZN, and it comes one week before Devin Haney challenges Regis Prograis for the WBC junior welterweight title on DAZN PPV.

Garcia will be competing for the first time since he was TKO‘d by Gervonta Davis — the first loss of Garcia’s pro career — in the seventh round of their April fight.

That bout took place at a 136-pound catchweight, but Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) now will campaign at 140 pounds, the same category as his last two fights before the “Tank” Davis bout took place.

The matchup with Duarte will also be Garcia’s first with Derrick James, who was ESPN‘s 2022 Trainer of the Year, leading his corner.

“Here you have a guy [Duarte] who’s coming off 11 KOs in a row,” De Le Hoya said. “There’s a guy who’s a power puncher who’s going to come forward and make Ryan fight. It’s the proper fight after a knockout loss to Gervonta.”

Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, is still seeking his first world title.

Later this month, he’ll enter mediation with Golden Boy Promotions as the sides attempt to resolve a dispute. Among the issues: Garcia claims his promotional deal to compete on pay-per-view platforms besides DAZN wasn’t honored.

According to Garcia’s demand letter sent to Golden Boy in June, the fighter was advised that his April superfight against Davis “could not happen unless it was broadcast on DAZN because of an exclusive agreement Golden Boy had separately negotiated with DAZN.”

The PPV fight against Davis was broadcast by Showtime — a broadcast partner of PBC (Davis’ promoter). DAZN also carried the fight on its streaming service and was paid a $1.25 million fee to step aside as the exclusive broadcaster, of which $120,000 Garcia personally paid to DAZN, per the letter.

Despite the disagreement and pending mediation, Garcia and De La Hoya were able to finalize this fight against Duarte to keep Garcia’s career moving.

“It’s business as usual,” De La Hoya told ESPN last month. “We have a couple of pending issues that should not impede any type of progress moving forward. I truly feel that we’re going to get this behind us and then move on with his career.”

Duarte, meanwhile, presents a chance for Garcia to bounce back from his first career loss and build some momentum heading into a pivotal 2024. Duarte (26-1-1, 21 KOs) has won 11 fights since his only career loss, all by KO.

The 27-year-old Mexican fighter, who competes at 135 pounds, will make a major jump in class for the Garcia bout.

Garcia’s career-best win remains a seventh-round TKO of Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in January 2021, when Garcia survived a knockdown.

With an impressive showing over Duarte, Garcia appears poised for more marquee fights after the big business he delivered with Davis in April. Garcia said on social media that he earned $30 million for that fight.

“We’re looking to do a major, major fight with Ryan, possibly around Super Bowl weekend,” De La Hoya said. “I would love to talk to Bob [Arum] to see what’s going on with him and Teofimo [Lopez], but there’s other options as well.”

WBO Orders Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford to Fight Alexis Rocha in Mandatory Defense Bout

Alexis “Lex” Rocha will have get his title chance…

The WBO has ordered its welterweight champion, Terence Crawford, to start negotiations for a mandatory defense against the 25-year-old Latino boxer, who is ranked No. 3 by the organization.

Alexis Rocha,In a letter sent to both sides Monday, the WBO stated that the parties have 20 days to “reach an agreement” for the bout. If no agreement is reached, the fight will go to a purse bid.

“Terence Crawford’s mandatory defense window has expired, he needs to do his mandatory [fight], since he hasn’t done one since he fought against Shawn Porter [in November 2021]. Crawford fought [David] Avanesyan, but that wasn’t a mandatory defense,” Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, the WBO president, told ESPN on Tuesday.

Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs), a promotional free agent after leaving Top Rank when his contract expired following the Porter fight, defeated Avanesyan by sixth-round KO on December 10. Crawford has fought only two times since he defeated Kell Brook by fourth-round TKO in November 2020.

Rocha (22-1, 14 KOs), promoted by Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy, stopped George Ashie in the seventh round on January 28. He has accumulated six straight victories — four by stoppage — since suffering the only defeat of his career, a unanimous decision to Rashidi Ellis in October 2020. His best win was a ninth-round KO victory over then undefeated Blair Cobbs in March 2022.

With Vergil Ortiz Jr., the WBO No. 1 challenger, scheduled to face Eimantas Stanionis on April 29, and Keith Thurman, No. 2, attached to a possible fight against unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. at junior middleweight, Rocha was the next opponent in line for Crawford.

“Rocha is our NABO champion and he’s a great fighter. Don’t believe for a second that he’s a soft opponent [for Crawford],” Valcarcel said. “People talk, but Rocha is a tremendous fighter, he’s young and he’s learning fast. Crawford is a super-gifted athlete, but in boxing nothing is written in stone.”

Crawford and Spence have been circling for years to fight for the undisputed championship — one of the best and biggest fights boxing can offer — but that mega-event never materialized and with Spence moving up in weight, chances are, we won’t see Crawford-Spence anytime soon.

ESPN was unable to obtain a comment from either Golden Boy or Crawford on Tuesday morning.

Fight Between Ryan Garcia & Gervonta Davis Officially Confirmed

It’s official… Ryan Garcia will battle Gervonta Davis.

The 136-pound catchweight fight between 24-year-old Mexican American boxer and Davis is now finalized.

Ryan GarciaBoth boxers announced on social media that they’ll meet April 22 in Las Vegas.

Finalizing the broadcast agreement between Showtime and DAZN was all that was left, and that’s now been done. The fight will be broadcast on Showtime PPV.

The fight had been planned for April 15, but was pushed back one week to allow more time for promotion as negotiations dragged out, sources said.

The fight between the two stars is perhaps the biggest commercial event boxing can deliver. A dispute over the rematch clause had threatened to derail the fight, but that issue was resolved earlier this month after PBC agreed that Golden Boy would serve as the lead promoter for a second bout if Garcia wins.

Only Davis can exercise the rematch clause in the event he loses, per sources.

Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate their right to an immediate return bout.

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn slightly more for the first fight, according to sources, and is the betting favorite. Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.

Earlier this month, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is set for May 5, which means any potential punishment won’t interfere with his ability to compete in April.

Davis was arraigned Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection with a Dec. 27 misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm. His next hearing is set for March 31, per Broward County court records. Davis pleaded not guilty after allegedly hitting the mother of his 1-year-old daughter with a “closed-hand type slap,” according to police, who said she suffered a small abrasion on the inside of her upper lip. She asked the court to dismiss charges in an affidavit filed Jan. 24.

Both Davis and Garcia announced on Instagram in mid-November that they would meet in a long-awaited fight in 2023, but it took months to reach an agreement on terms.

Davis, a 28-year-old from Baltimore, is one of the biggest needle-movers in boxing. “Tank” has 4.2 million Instagram followers and routinely fights before a host of celebrities. ESPN’s No. 3 lightweight, Davis won a junior lightweight title with a seventh-round KO of Jose Pedraza in 2017.

Before he defeated Hector Luis Garcia, Davis scored wins over Isaac Cruz and Rolly Romero in 135-pound bouts.

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a star, too, with over 9 million followers on Instagram.

Regarded for his lightning-quick hands, he scored a career-best win in January 2021 after he survived a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round. He didn’t fight for the rest of 2021 after he withdrew from a bout with Javier Fortuna to address his mental health followed by wrist surgery that scrapped a match with Joseph Diaz Jr. Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, returned last year with wins over Emmanuel Tagoe and  Fortuna at 140 pounds. Garcia, who formerly campaigned at 135 pounds, vowed to remain at 140 but will drop four pounds for the catchweight bout.

Garcia had been set to fight Mercito Gesta in January, but bypassed the planned tuneup bout to head directly into the high-stakes showdown with Davis.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s Bout with Eimantas Stanionis Rescheduled for April

Vergil Ortiz Jr. will have to wait six more weeks for his next bout…

The 24-year-old Mexican-American boxer and Eimantas Stanionis will meet in a rescheduled welterweight bout on April 29 in Texas, according to ESPN.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.The 147-pound matchup was set for March 18, but postponed after Stanionis underwent an emergency appendectomy in his native Lithuania earlier this month.

Oritz’s promoter, Golden Boy, won the rights to the WBA “regular” welterweight title fight at last month’s purse bid with a commitment of $2.3 million and will stream the fight on DAZN.

Golden Boy will kick in additional money to make Ortiz, who is a far bigger star than Stanionis in the U.S., whole. The Lithuanian boxer won the secondary title with a split-decision victory over Radzhab Butaev in April and is entitled to 75% of the winning bid, while Ortiz will earn much more than the $575,000 he’s set to make via the purse bid.

The bout shapes up as a coin-flip matchup between two pressure fighters in one of boxing’s best weight classes.

Ortiz (19-0, 19 KOs) is rated No. 4 by ESPN at welterweight. He broke through last year with a pair of stoppage wins over Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Ortiz, who fights out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, was set to fight Michael McKinson in March, but it was postponed after Ortiz was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis is a breakdown of muscle tissue that releases the damaging protein myoglobin into the blood, which can lead to kidney damage. Ortiz went on to score a ninth-round TKO of McKinson in August and will now step way up in class.

Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 6 boxer at 147 pounds. He also owns a win over Thomas Dulorme.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Fight Eimantas Stanionis in March

Vergil Ortiz Jr. has received his marching orders…

The 147-pound bout between the 24-year-old Mexican-American boxer and Eimantas Stanionis has been scheduled for March 18 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to ESPN.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.Oritz’s promoter, Golden Boy, won the rights to the WBA “regular” welterweight title fight at last month’s purse bid with a commitment of $2.3 million, and will stream the fight on DAZN.

Now, Oscar De La Hoya‘s promotional outfit is placing the fight in Ortiz’s home state, where he’s headlined many times.

Golden Boy will also kick in additional money to make Ortiz, who is a far bigger star than Stanionis in the U.S., whole. The Lithuanian boxer won the secondary title with a split-decision victory over Radzhab Butaev in April and is entitled to 75% of the winning bid, while Ortiz will receive far more than the $575,000 he’s set to make via the purse bid.

The bout shapes up as a coin-flip matchup between two pressure fighters in one of boxing’s best weight classes.

Ortiz (19-0, 19 KOs) is rated No. 4 by ESPN at welterweight. The 24-year-old broke through last year with a pair of stoppage wins over Maurice Hooker and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

Ortiz was set to fight Michael McKinson in March, but the fight was postponed after Ortiz was hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis is a breakdown of muscle tissue that releases the damaging protein myoglobin into the blood, which can lead to kidney damage.

Ortiz went on to score a ninth-round TKO of McKinson in August and will now step way up in class.

Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 6 boxer at 147 pounds. The 28-year-old also owns a win over Thomas Dulorme. He’s promoted by Probellum but has competed under the PBC banner for most of his career.

Seniesa Estrada Signs Multiyear Deal with Boxing Promotional Company Top Rank

Seniesa Estrada is switching promotional teams…

The 30-year-old Mexican American boxer, the WBA strawweight and WBO junior flyweight champion, has left Golden Boy and signed a multiyear deal with Top Rank.

Seniesa EstradaEstrada is the second female fighter to sign with Top Rank, joining Mikaela Mayer, who signed a three-year contract extension earlier this year.

“It’s awesome,” Estrada told ESPN. “It’s like, I’m excited to get back in the ring.”

Estrada’s first Top Rank fight will be later this year, with the possibility of being in November. She said her contract is similar in finances to that of Mayer, who signed a deal for seven figures over the length of the agreement.

Estrada said she and Mayer talked a lot about the financial side of their contracts — a first for Estrada in speaking with another fighter — and it gave her comfort in what she was asking for.

Mayer and Estrada have become friendly in recent months — Mayer even convinced Estrada to join Twitter in April — and now the two will be the main women’s faces for the same boxing promotion.

Money, Estrada said, was part of this. Golden Boy had been her initial high-level promoter and she had done well there, reaching a 22-0 record with nine knockouts — including a seven-second knockout of Miranda Adkins on July 24, 2020 that was the fastest in women’s boxing history.

Estrada, originally from East Los Angeles, had been an active fighter for much of her pro career other than longer breaks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Estrada had hoped to be in the ring earlier this year — she was going to fight in August — but terms couldn’t be agreed upon.

Estrada said part of the reason for her departure from Golden Boy was “I wanted more money, what I felt I deserved.”

Estrada said she also spoke with Eddie Hearn at Matchroom Boxing when she sought a new promoter and almost went with the United Kingdom-based boxing promotion.

Hearn had given her a competitive offer, Estrada said, and the chance to main event and co-main event on DAZN cards. But Estrada said the Top Rank offer made more sense for her — in part because of the platform her fights would be on due to the deal between Top Rank and ESPN.

“Just the whole platform wise and exposure wise would be so much better for me so besides them giving me what I was happy with,” Estrada said. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to that. I’m excited about it.”

Estrada is also the rare women’s fighter who has fought a three-minute round fight as a professional — her technical decision win over Marlen Esparza on November 2, 2019 was a 10-round, three-minute-per-round contest that was stopped after the ninth round due to a cut Esparza suffered as part of an accidental head butt.

Estrada said Top Rank has told her she will often be the main event or co-main event on cards she is on. She also offers the promotion another chance to build fights in Los Angeles, where the No. 6 pound-for-pound fighter in ESPN’s ratings is a draw both because of her Mexican American heritage and because she grew up in and still lives in the area. The 5-foot-2 Estrada has fought 17 of her fights in California.

“That’s definitely something that they want, so I’m happy with that,” Estrada said. “Especially in L.A., they want to put on more shows here in L.A. and knowing that I’m from here, they are hoping I can be able to sell.

“…In L.A., definitely, yeah. I would like to get the chance to show that. That would be great.”