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.
Ramirez, 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.”