'Zurdo' pounds out Gonzalez in 10th round of barnburner to earn title shot vs. Bivol
Estrada, Roach, Esparza dominate in undercard victories
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Light heavyweight contender Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez’s months-long chase of world titleholder Dmitry Bivol came to an end on Saturday night with Ramirez forcing the issue.
“Now it’s time for a big challenge. Bivol, baby, you can’t run,” Ramirez proclaimed after he stopped big-hearted Yunieski Gonzalez in the 10th round of their WBA world title elimination fight that headlined the Golden Boy Promotions card on DAZN at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
Ramirez had his hands full with Gonzalez, who poured everything he had into the tremendously exciting and action-packed fight.
After a slow start in the first round, Ramirez won the rest of the rounds and was on the verge of finishing the brave Gonzalez multiple times. But just when it looked like the stoppage was imminent, Gonzalez would make a brief comeback to stay in the fight until he had had nothing left.
Referee Rafael Ramos docked a point from Gonzalez in the third round for putting Ramirez in a headlock and Gonzalez’s night never got any better.
In the fourth round, a round of the year candidate, they went toe to toe for most of the three minutes and Ramirez nearly stopped Gonzalez. Ramirez continued to lay a beating on Gonzalez in the fifth round and it was surprising he was able to make it to the bell.
Round after round former super middleweight world titlist Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs), 30, a southpaw from Mexico, pounded away but Gonzalez also got in a few solid shots to get Ramirez’s attention.
Gonzalez took a lot of punishment but refused to give in until Ramirez forced him to the ropes early in the 10th round and, as he was teeing off on a virtually defenseless Gonzalez, referee Rafael Ramos intervened at 1 minute, 23 seconds, seemingly to the relief of Gonzalez, who hugged Ramos and lifted him off the ground during the embrace.
“I tried to land body shots but he was prepared,” Ramirez said. “I tried to knock him out. I knew it would come. I had to change my attacks and focus on hitting him upstairs so I could get the victory. My (right) hand is a little hurt, my knuckle, but you have to pay the price, right?”
Ramirez led 90-80, 90-80 and 89-81 at the time of the knockout.
“He is a great fighter. I knew he was going to be tough because he showed no fear in his eyes,” Ramirez said. “He had nothing to lose, and I knew he was going to come with everything he had. Thank you, Yunieski Gonzalez for taking the fight.”
Gonzalez (21-4, 17 KOs), 36, a Cuban defector fighting out of Miami, was courageous throughout the bout and emotional afterward and on the verge of tears.
“As soon as I found out that I was going to fight him I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” Gonzalez said through an interpreter. “My respect to him and his team. He has everything it takes to be a world champion again. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m a warrior. I came here and I delivered a great fight to the public and that’s all I can do. A great fight like this you could win or lose but I gave a great fight and I made sure the fans were happy with it.
“I am really disappointed in myself. I always knew Zurdo would be difficult, a tough fighter. But I expected more from myself. This is not the best performance from me. I’m going to back work on myself and get better.”
Ramirez was a big favorite to win and earn the title shot he has wanted against Bivol, whom he feels has avoided him. Their teams began discussing a deal in March under which each man would fight once and then they would face each other in the fall.
Bivol, fighting for Matchroom Boxing, looked very pedestrian in a surprisingly competitive decision win over Craig Richards in May while Ramirez looked tremendous in a fourth-round destruction of perennial contender Sullivan Barrera in July. Ramirez was in all in to challenge Bivol next, but Bivol and his team instead declined to fight and Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), 30, instead defended his title for the eighth time in a one-sided decision over Russian countryman Umar Salamov on Dec. 11 in Russia.
Now Ramirez is his mandatory challenger, meaning Bivol will have to face him or risk being stripped of his title.
“That’s the fight that I want. Check mate,” Ramirez said. “Let’s do it. I am ready for the next challenge. I want Bivol. He can’t run anymore. I am coming for him.”
The undercard
Seniesa "Super Bad" Estrada (22-0, 9 KOs), 29, of Los Angeles, retained her WBA women’s strawweight title for the third first time by fourth-round knockout of Maria Santizo (9-1, 5 KOs), 36, of Guatemala. Estrada dropped her in the third and fourth rounds, the second knockdown coming on a hard left hand that prompted referee Mark Calo-oy to immediately stop the fight at 1 minute, 31 seconds.
Junior lightweight contender Lamont Roach, Jr. (22-1-1, 9 KOs), 26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, won a vacant regional belt via one-sided decision over former world titlist Rene Alvarado (32-11, 21 KOs), 32, of Nicaragua. The judges had it 100-90, 98-92 and 98-92 for Roach, who won his third fight in a row since a competitive decision loss challenging then-world titlist Jamel Herring in November 2019. Alvarado lost his third fight in a row by decision, the previous two in world title bouts against Roger Gutierrez.
“I feel good about this victory. I just beat a man who was a world champion two fights ago,” Roach said. “This is the type of victory that I need to show that I am ready for a world title fight. Rene Alvarado is a warrior, a tough guy who I couldn’t knock down, but I feel we did our job today. I want the (WBA) champion next, Roger Gutierrez.”
Marlen Esparza (11-1, 1 KOs) retained her WBC women’s flyweight title for the first time by dominating unanimous decision — 100-88, 99-90, 95-94 — over former two-time titlist Anabel Ortiz (31-5, 4 KOs) of Mexico City, Mexico. Referee Angel Mendez Ramos credited Esparza, 32, of Houston, with knockdowns in the second and fifth rounds although both appeared to be slips or pushes.
Ramirez-Gonzalez photo: Kevin Estrada/Golden Boy
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