WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez says he’s open to combating a unification combat in opposition to IBF belt-holder Jai Opetaia.
U.S. Recognition
The Aussie, Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs), has been harping about desirous to combat him and speaking nonstop concerning the topic. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old Opetaia’s lack of name-recognition in the united statesand his poor resume makes it a combat that does little or no for Ramirez’s profession financially. It will be a one-sided state of affairs in the event that they had been to combat no, as Ramirez is the a lot greater identify because of his many wonderful fights within the U.S.
Ramirez advised Ring Journal that he’d be inquisitive about combating Opetaia. He didn’t say WHEN he would do it. From the sounds of it, it’s a kind of ‘One among as of late’ kind of fights that would occur sooner or later after Gilberto exhausts all of the viable cash fights obtainable to him. Till then, Opetaia actually wants to start out combating higher opposition so he can turn out to be recognized to boxing followers in North America.
It’s not sufficient that Opetaia is thought by the ultra-hardcore boxing followers within the U.S. He’s received to extend his recognition to the place he’s a family identify amongst People, and it doesn’t seem like that’s ever going to occur.
Opetaia’s subsequent combat, he’s going to defend his IBF strap in opposition to the unknown 34-year-old Italian Claudio Squeo (17-0, 9 KOs) on Might thirteenth on the Gold Goast Conference Centre in Broadbeach, in Queensland, Australia. It’s simply one other throwaway combat for Jai, identical to his final one in opposition to David Nyika.
Larger Fish to Fry
Jai is principally only a belt-holder at this stage of his profession and is generally recognized for his two fights in opposition to a past-his-prime 39-year-old Mairis Briedia. He did NOT look good in both of these fights, particularly the second the place he ran from Briedis when he started getting pressured.
The Golden Boy-promoted Zurdo Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) can make more cash combating David Benavidez, who has expressed curiosity in shifting as much as cruiserweight to problem him. There’s additionally Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev as potential choices for Ramirez.
