By Matt Lieberman: Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez will be taking on middleweight journeyman Gabe Rosado in their much-criticized 12 round headliner Golden Boy Promotions show next Saturday, March 18th, on DAZN at the Walter Pyramid, in Long Beach, California. The card starts at 9:00 p.m. ET, live on DAZN.
Golden Boy is trying to keep both of their struggling fighters happy by putting them in a main event slot to give them a payday on DAZN. Both Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) and Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs) is coming off defeats.
In Rasado’s case, he’s lost his last three fights and has won since his upset third round knockout victory over a reckless Bektemir Melikuziev. It’s not usual for the 37-year-old journeyman Rosado to lose because he’s been losing his entire 17-year professional career.
Still, he’s lost his last three fights and really doesn’t belong fighting in the main event against a light heavyweight the size of Gilberto Ramirez, arguably more of a cruiserweight at this stage of his career.
Ramirez vs. Rosado, how to watch?
Fans can watch Ramirez vs. Rosado this Saturday, March 18th, on DAZN at 9:00 p.m. ET. at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California.
“I watched it. I don’t take anything from Bivol, but I think I can do better,” said Ramirez to Southern California Boxing when asked if he’d watched his fight against Dmitry Bivol. “I didn’t feel 100%. I will become the champion again.
“I think the strategy was more for boxing. I want to go forward and give a good show for the people,” said Ramirez about what he learned from his loss to Bivol. “It was more of a strategy to get into boxing, but now I feel like I’m a new Zurdo.
“I lost, and I was deep in the water and by myself, thinking about the losses because I never lost in the pros. It was a learning experience for me, and I’m happy about that because I will be stronger.
“I’m planning on doing that, and I’m doing that,” said Ramirez when asked if he plans on throwing more punches against Rosado. “I’m going to do what I do best and throw a lot of punches and going forward.
“This is a good fight. Mexico vs. Puerto Rico is always a war. Rosado isn’t an easy fight because he’s been fighting with the top fighters. He has a lot of heart. I know him. We sparred with each other, and I think it’ll be a good show for the people.
“I can stop him. I know him, and he knows me too. It’s good. We know we’re going to give a good show for the people. My promoter chose him,” said Ramirez when asked why he was fighting Rosado. “It’s business, and we had to take care.
What time does Ramirez – Rosado start?
Ramirez-Rosado card starts at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT this Saturday, March 18th.
“I don’t know, but it was pretty much, and he did really well,” said Ramirez when asked how much sparring he’s done with Rosado. “I’m looking to put on a great show and win the fight. I think we’re going to be for the history.
“I think he did well in both fights, and he’s a good champion,” said Zurdo when asked if Dmitry Bivol did better against him or in his fight with Canelo Alvarez. “Of course, I want a rematch. I want the championship belts, and I want to become champion again. It’s only him and Beterbiev.
“There’s Callum Smith, Joshua Buatsi, and Anthony Yarde. I’m looking for those fights. Three fights. I want to be busy; I want to be more active this and the next year.
“We’re always working on different strategies in the gym and looking at different fighters too. It’s boxing, and everything changes. We have to learn every day and every time. Of course, that’s a fight that I’ve wanted, and that’s people that have been asking for a fight too. He wanted, so let’s make it happen,” said Ramirez when asked if he wanted to fight Joshua Buatsi next after Rosado.
“That’s a fight that people deserve, and we have to give the fans those good fights. Yeah, of course, I’m willing to fight anywhere,” said Ramirez when asked if he was open to fighting in the UK.
“It wasn’t difficult because I come from Mexico and I came here, and it wasn’t my house. Now, it’s my house, and it’s the same for me. It’s two people in the ring with a referee. I’m going for Bivol,” said Ramirez when asked who wins between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev at 175.
Zurdo wants to make a statement
“Winning all the fights they put in front of me and making a statement for the championship belt,” said Ramirez on what he needs to do for him to come back from his loss to Bivol.
“It’s for me because I want to prove myself. I want to be really famous because I want to prove to myself that I’m the best and I’m training. That’s where I get my motivation.
“My strength, hunger, and my desire to win the fight. Not only this one but all of them. I’m looking to win this fight, but I know he’s a tough opponent,” said Ramirez when asked if he was looking to knockout Rosado.
“He’s coming forward and because we know each other, and he has heart. It won’t be an easy fight. We did [sparred] many times because I used to train at Wildcard, and I met him there. I think over 100,” said Ramirez about how many rounds he’s sparred with Rosado.
“This is boxing. It’s a beautiful sport. It’s a contact sport. It’s given me everything that I have. Not only for me, but it’s business. We have to take care of business and fight each other, but out of the ring, we’re friends. It’ll be a large crowd.
“People know me more here, and he’s from Puerto Rico, but he lives here too. My base is here in LA, and people know me more. It’s great for me.
“More people know me. I used to train in Long Beach too t the Hill Street boxing gym, and I know people from there too. I know many people that will go to the fight, and it’s exciting. A lot of Mexican people are here in LA.
Rehydrating to 205 lbs makes ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez a prime candidate for fighting at cruiserweight. It’s easy to understand why Ramirez continues boiling down to 175, well below his frame’s size. There’s no money in the cruiserweight division, and those guys can all punch, and the chances of Ramirez winning a world title in that weight class are zero.
Ramirez-Rosado needs a good showing
For DAZN, they got to hope the Ramirez vs. Rosado fight proves to be entertaining and entices the many subscribers that are bailing by canceling their memberships due to the recent price hikes.
The subscribers want to compelling match-ups, and Ramirez-Rosado, on paper, doesn’t cut the mustard to keep fans from canceling with DAZN.
Even with Ramrez having lost his last fight against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision last November, he should at least be fighting fringe-level contenders at 175, not middleweight journeyman having lost their last three fights.
Granted, Ramirez is a fighter with an inflated 44-1 record and likely doesn’t rank in the top 10 at 175, but he’s at least a contender, albeit a poor one, but he’s way too big for Rosado.
Ramirez was a decent paper champion at 168 from 2016 to 2019, but he’s lost a lot of what little hand speed he once had as he’s aged. He’s so slow now and an easy mark for any notable fighter at 175.
Ramirez’s promoters at Golden Boy have ensured he wasn’t weeded out already at 175 by matching him carefully against weak opposition until they put him in with Bivol for a payday last November.
It appears that Golden Boy are going to rinse & repeat, matching Ramirez against another group of fodder-level opposition to get him another undeserving title shot. It might take a couple of years for Ramirez to get a second title chance, but this will probably be how he will be matched until he gets another shot.
In the chief support bout, former super featherweight champion Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz fights Mercito Gesta. It’s not much of a fight, but a lot better than the main event.
