Gilberto Ramirez returns to the ring on December 18th against Alfonso Lopez

By Boxing News - 12/10/2020 - Comments

The long-awaited return of undefeated Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (40-0, 26 KOs) will be Friday night, December 18, when he challenges North American Boxing Federation (NABF) light heavyweight Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs), live on pay per view from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

“Battle of Rio Grande” will be available for live viewing on digital, cable, and satellite, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, on pay per view for a suggested retail price of only $24.99. FITE TV will stream worldwide on the FITE app and website (www.FITE.tv). Integrated Sports Media will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH in the United States and Canada on Shaw and SaskTel.

The main event fighters, Ramirez and Lopez, are co-promoters of “Battle of Rio Grande” under their promotional company names, respectively, Zurdo Promotions and El Tigre Promotions.

The 29-year-old Ramirez, fighting out of Mazatlán, Mexico, became the first Mexican super middleweight champion of the world in 2016, when he defeated defending World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Arthur Abraham (44-4) by way of a 12-round unanimous decision. Ramirez successfully defended his world title against 33-4-1 Maksym Bursak (DEC12), 22-0 Jesse Hart (WDEC12), 25-0-1 Habif Ahmed (TKO6), 23-0 Roamer Alexis Angulo (DEC12), and 25-1 Hart (DEC12) in a rematch.

Ramirez’s last fight, his first as a light heavyweight, was last April in Los Angeles, in which “Zurdo” stopped 29-6-1 Tommy Karpency in four rounds. Ramirez then became a promotional free agent.

Lopez will be fighting close to his home in Huntsville, Texas. “El Tigre” will be riding a 10-fight win streak into the ring for the Dec. 18th 12-round main event. He hasn’t fought in 13 months, registering a 10-round decision over 19-9-1 Denis Grachev in Lopez’s first defense of the NABF title he captured in his previous fight with a fourth-round stoppage of 21-3 Alex Theran.

“I’m looking forward to hosting my first fight and appreciate all the support and love I’ve received from everybody,” Ramirez said. I want to give special thanks to FITE.TV, El Tigre Promotions, Be Def Sports, and the state of Texas for being great partners in this event. I know it’s been a long road to return, but I feel great having full control of my career and being able to fight whenever, wherever, and however I want. As always, I appreciate my trainers – Julian Chua, Joel Flores, and Chris Wong – keeping me in shape since my last fight, and I feel better than ever to step back in the ring. I’ll see you guys on December 18th in Texas!”

World-rated heavyweight Michael “The Bounty” Hunter, of Las Vegas, will take on battle-tested veteran Chauncy “Hillyard Hammer” Welliver (57-13-5, 23 KOs), the former World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas champion.

Hunter is rated among the top 10 in all four major sanctioning bodies — #4 International Boxing Federation (IBF), #7 WBO, #10 WBC, and World Boxing Association – in addition to being ranked # 8 by The Ring independent magazine.

Hunter’s last action was a 12-round split draw a year ago in Saudi Arabia with Alexander Povetkin (35-2), the former world heavyweight champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist. A decorated U.S. amateur boxer, Hunter’s lone loss as a professional was a 12-round unanimous decision in 2017 to another Olympic gold medalist (2012), defending champion Oleksandr Usyk (11-0), for the WBO World cruiserweight title.

Image: Gilberto Ramirez returns to the ring on December 18th against Alfonso Lopez

Broadcast team announced for “Battle of Rio Grande” PPV

Zurdo Promotions has announced stellar broadcast teams and ring announcer working its December 18th “Battle of Rio Grande” pay-per-view card, headlined by the ring return of 40-0 (26 KOs) Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, airing live from Galveston Island Convention Center in Galveston, Texas.

Veteran combat sports blow-by-blow announcer Sean Wheelock will captain the English-speaking broadcast team with former pro wrestler turned combat sports color analyst Matt Striker, and former NFL placekicker and respected ringside reporter Benny Ricardo will conduct pre-and-post fighter interviews. Ricardo will be joined in the same role on the Spanish language broadcast including blow-by-blow announcer Ernesto Armador and color analyst Mario Abel Cazares (12-0, 5 KOs), the undefeated light heavyweight who defeated Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. this past September, and defeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in the amateurs. Colorful Jeff Houston will serve as ring announcer.

“Thanks to Mike Weber and the FITE team,” said Ramirez, also head of Zurdo Promotions. “I’m looking forward to working with all the announcers and commentators that we have on this show. All of them have tremendous experience from multiple backgrounds in the NFL, NBA, MMA, and even Bare Knuckle (which looks like fun and I would consider doing in the future), and I’m excited they’re part of it.”

“I’ve heard and know some of them very well and would love to learn from them to become a commentator or an announcer myself in the future.”

Ramirez, a former world super middleweight champion, will challenge North American Boxing Federation (NABF) light heavyweight titlist Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (32-3, 25 KOs) in the 10-round main event, and world-rated heavyweight and 2012 U.S. Olympian, Michael “The Bounty” Hunter (18-1-1, 12 KOs), meets West Virginia’s Shawn Laughery (10-3, 6 KOs in the 10-round co-featured event.

“Battle of Rio Grande” will be available for live viewing on digital, cable and satellite, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, on pay per view for a suggested retail price of only $24.99. FITE will stream worldwide on the FITE mobile apps, all major OTT apps and website (www.FITE.tv), and Integrated Sports Media will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, and DISH in the United States, as well as in Canada on Shaw and SaskTel.

Additional fights will soon be announced.

Card subject to change.