Zurdo unifies with win over Billam-Smith, more results from Riyadh

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez unified the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles as we speak in Riyadh, beating Chris Billam-Smith in a rugged foremost occasion that deserves main credit score on either side.

Ramirez took the battle on scores of 116-112, 116-112, and 116-113, a transparent win in a really aggressive battle the place Billam-Smith, as at all times, merely wouldn’t go away.

Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KO) noticed his 11-fight win streak come to an finish, however he was pushing to win the battle your complete means. As ordinary, Billam-Smith seemed to be fairly low on vitality by the center rounds, but in addition as ordinary, he gutted via that with an unimaginable dedication, this time additionally combating via a reasonably nasty reduce on his eyelid that needed to be impairing his imaginative and prescient at the least a bit.

He was additionally going through arguably a career-best opponent in Ramirez (47-1, 30 KO), who seems to have actually settled into his finest type as a cruiserweight, not chopping a lot weight earlier than fights and looking out robust and really able to hanging with the highest canine at this weight, and at this level, the one degree he hasn’t examined even simply two fights into his cruiserweight marketing campaign can be Jai Opetaia, who holds the IBF belt.

(The WBC title is held by Norair Mikaeljan, who’s linked to Don King and due to this fact that’s type of an inactive belt for the time being.)

Arnold Barboza Jr beats Jose Ramirez over distance

Ramirez (29-2, 18 KO) simply appeared like a a lot older 32 than his opponent, and Barboza (31-0, 11 KO) had a very nice bounce-back in type from his April present win over Sean McComb. If Barboza had grown bored going into that battle, it’d be type of comprehensible, however the excellent news can be that he took it as a wake-up name and acquired again to enterprise.

Barboza wasn’t wonderful right here or something, however he received this battle solidly and clearly. Scores have been 96-94, 96-94, and 97-93, and people are shut as you might moderately rating the battle, and I believed it was robust to seek out 4 rounds for Ramirez, who appeared trigger-shy a variety of the battle, wasn’t getting his photographs off confidently, and was caught on the finish of Barboza’s tempo-controlling jab too usually.

Barboza is now a locked contender at 140 in the meanwhile, and also you’d hope he lastly will get a title alternative quickly, however it’s a bizarre division with the belts proper now, too.

For Ramirez, we’ve seen this type of factor occur to him earlier than, even in wins. When opponents open up for a firefight, he excels. When opponents can management their very own tempo with a jab, he has a behavior of being lulled right into a duller battle that doesn’t profit his personal talent set.

William Zepeda edges previous Tevin Farmer

Zepeda (32-0, 27 KO) acquired dropped within the fourth spherical of this battle, a bit greater than a “flash” knockdown however not one thing that had him in actual hassle, only a peach of a shot that landed clear. However he deserved this win, which got here on a cut up resolution with all three judges scoring the battle 95-94, two to Zepeda and one to Farmer.

Dangerous Left Hook scored the battle barely wider, however simply barely, at 96-93 for Zepeda. Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KO) gave an amazing effort on this battle, and although that is two straight losses, the losses have come at fairly excessive degree. It’s heartbreaking for Farmer to come back this shut this time, particularly, however the world has seen that he nonetheless has lots to supply. There will likely be “gatekeeper” sort affords going ahead, and whereas that’s not what he needs his profession to be, there will likely be extra possibilities to upset some guys, and a kind of instances he may simply do it.

Zepeda, 28, has flaws, and he’s a completed product. Fighters at this stage don’t change that a lot going ahead, he’s not going to change into defensively sound, that’s at all times going to be a difficulty. He’ll win or lose primarily based on what he’s acquired because it stands now. He can perhaps right minor points, however he’ll at all times be iffy defensively.

The plan now’s for Zepeda to face Shakur Stevenson in 2025 for Stevenson’s WBC title. Zepeda was awarded the WBC’s interim belt on this one regardless of it solely being a 10-round battle, as a result of sanctioning our bodies haven’t any precise requirements and so they make up their very own guidelines, to allow them to observe them or not, it doesn’t actually matter. However Zepeda was already in place because the No. 1 contender, anyway, they only acquired some sanctioning cash from this.

This battle additionally achieved its foremost function, which was to get Zepeda in with somebody who can at the least type of replicate the expertise of combating a technician like Stevenson. Zepeda could merely not be capable to beat Shakur, however he’s now as prepared as he can actually get, and his energy, cardio, and output will at all times give him some probability.

Oscar Collazo now unified at 105

Collazo, 27, ripped from Niyomtrong’s palms no matter torch the long-reigning Thai titleholder nonetheless held, scoring three knockdowns and a seventh spherical stoppage so as to add the WBA title to his already-held WBO belt.

Collazo (11-0, 8 KO) was clearly the youthful, stronger, more energizing man on this battle, as Niyomtrong (25-1, 9 KO) got here in with only one battle since 2022, and that was solely two months in the past, and it wasn’t a simple one. Alongside together with his age — 34 is pushing laborious for a 105 lb fighter — and day off, that fast turnaround won’t have been one of the best factor for the person often known as “Knockout CP Freshmart,” however time was ticking anyway.

Niyomtrong was down as soon as within the sixth and twice within the seventh earlier than referee Ricky Gonzalez known as it off and not using a depend on the third knockdown. It was a reasonably dominant efficiency for Collazo, who has clearly staked his declare as the highest fighter within the minimumweight division.

Collazo’s plan is to change into the primary undisputed, four-belt champ within the division’s historical past, and proper now the chances look good for him, he’s a terrific fighter.

Extra outcomes

Oscar Duarte UD-10 Batyr Akhmedov: Good, hard-nosed battle, and one other robust loss for Akhmedov, who falls to 10-4 (9 KO) however is a rattling sight higher a fighter than that win-loss proportion would lead you to assume. Duarte (28-2-1, 22 KO) acquired scores of 96-94, 97-93, and 98-92, however it was extra aggressive than that final one would make you assume, though my perception is the judges acquired the winner proper in a troublesome battle. Duarte did the extra apparent injury, however Akhmedov additionally rolled with the handful of instances he was pretty clearly rocked, and he nonetheless has one thing to supply at 33, he’s not going to be some straightforward out if he turns into extra of a gatekeeper sort; he’d be a high-end gatekeeper, a legit check to cross. Duarte retains himself energetic as a possible contender at 135/140.

Ziyad Almaayouf D-6 Juan Garcia: A joke end result, as Garcia (5-6-1, 0 KO) was completely and clearly the winner of this battle, however we’re going to proceed to endure the concept Almaayouf (6-0-1, 1 KO) is an actual prospect with high-level upside. It’s straightforward to grasp, due to how boxing truly works, the need to have a star Saudi boxer. However to genuinely produce that, it takes actual time, and Almaayouf is just not that man. That is his second straight battle the place he’s gone to a draw, and the final one acquired overturned to a DQ win for Ziyad as a result of the opponent — a low-level membership fighter — reportedly failed a post-fight drug check in California. If Saudi Arabia develops a severe novice program, extra for the long-term coaching than leads to novice competitions, then sure, a star or a number of will develop. However the ones who may do which will at the moment be about six years previous, too. Almaayouf is 24 and unlikely to get a lot better than he’s now, there’s a clear lack of expertise that even somebody as low-level as Garcia took full benefit of on this battle. Commentary was very cautious with their phrases, however no one sincere may watch this battle and assume Ziyad deserved higher than a loss.