Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) has denied a claim by WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) that Zurdo had turned down an offer to fight him.
Bivol was quoted in a recent boxing news report, which was also picked up by other media outlets, as saying, “I know for a fact that my team did offer Team Ramirez to fight me December 11th in Russia, and the purse offered was about the same as what I was offered to fight him on a (Golden Boy Promotions) show. He rejected the offer.”
Zurdo claims that never happened.
“I don’t know why he’s saying they offered a fight to me,” Ramirez said, “but he must be really confused. To be clear there was never a contract that was sent to my team or Golden Boy for a fight, unlike how a contract was delivered to him and his team from Golden Boy for the December bout.
“I’m confused why he continues to be a pawn and create false narratives and tries everything to hide from this fight. It’s just a matter of time before that belt comes to where it belongs.”
“After Bivol, Joe Smith is my next target since he has my belt (WBO) that I had at 168 pounds,” Ramirez remarked. “I am the best light heavyweight out there and it’s not even close. There’s a reason why these champs are scared to call my name, but soon they won’t have a choice. I would end Smith in less than six rounds.”
But you need to stay active bro… 5 fights in the last 5 years? Come on man…
Everyone including Chris knows that Bivol is scared to fight Zurdo, as Roy would say Zurdo in 2!
He is full of confidence and undefeated why would Bivol be scared of anyone at this time ?! Stupid comment of the section.. Do you think any good undefeated belt holder is scared ?? Do you know your boxing ??
maybe I was fishing and caught something, thank you numbnut
See scared undefeated fighter not taking risk all over the sport.
I wonder how well you know Boxing. Ryan Garcia is a great recent example and I could go on. Not to say that they are generally scared but they are not trying to fight the toughest guys. That 0 is a part of their identity and they are scared to lose it. And they should be because Boxing is so unforgiving.
i know boxing enough to support all colours and races, you always seem to have your black shades on
Bivol has already fought and beaten better fighters than poser boy Zurdo. You also need to keep my name out of your mouth, kid.
Was talking about Chris Mannix dipshit, dont flatter yourself
I would love to see this scrap, one day.
They’re going to keep going back and forth accusing one another of being scared, but I think they end up fighting sometime this year.
Man, i forget about Zurdo. He doesnt fight enough to keep fresh on peoples mind. I wld like to see that fight with Bivol or Beterbiev. Or even Benavidez stepping up to his actual weight class and fighting Zurdo. Wld be a good clash too.
Bivol grossly over-rated…his last fight…yaawwnn.
I would love to see Zurdo against Smith or Callum Johnson. But looks like it’ll be Beterbiev vs. Smith later this year.
Zurdo might get fed to Alvarez when he decides to tease on a Beterbiev fight, which of course won’t happen.
Just fight for a title already ffs! Talk about dragging the chain.
Zurdo beats Smith hands down, but that match will never be made. If Zurdo was with Matchroom he would be known all over the place, he is being badly promoted. GB is not digging into their pockets to get the type of matches the guy needs to be a household name. Right now i think he is good enough to beat all the light-heavies, Bivol, because of his skill, would be his most difficult match in my book.
Zurdo vs Bivol would be a great fight and would at least clear the fans about who is the overrated fighter of these two.. Bivol is at his best when his opponents are good or are a real threat.. Zurdo and Bivol don’t fight enough but i can’t even say why ? One thing i’m sure is that both are skilled boxers with decent pop and both could gave Canelo a good fight.. But both are big risk low reward types of fighters because neither of them have fought any big name yet (Zurdo fought an old Abraham and Bivol fought an old Jean Pascal on PEDS). These two are an enigma for us boxing fans at this moment.. Hope smoke will clear before they are in their fouries !!!! LOL
Bivol thinks he is in the Canelo sweepstakes and is avoiding any potentially difficult fight as a result. Zurdo won the eliminator for the WBA and can force the match this year with a purse bid or Bivol can vacate and become a non-factor without a title. Glad to see Smith and Beterbiev getting ready to mix it up though. At this point Canelo has so many options that it is foolish to waste years of your career in hopes of a payday that may never happen.
I don’t know if Bivol would make up a story like that. Maybe his people. Either way, this would be an interesting fight. Zurdo should now fight on principle alone so we have another scrap to watch.
Likely the other way around, GB promo makes stories up, may not have disclosed he had an offer or made offers they can’t keep. This is a fact. They’ve lost in court over thus.
I believe Bivol over the poser Ramirez any day. I mean, Bivol has about a third as many fights as the Mexican yet his resume is Light Years better. Not really a indicator of ducking, unlike the Mexican who has still not fought anybody but washed up fighters and never were’s. Bivol is an undefeated light heavyweight champion who is on the cusp of potentially big fights, and Ramirez is just a privileged Mexican running his mouth. I really despise these NABE business athletes. Zurdo is one of the worst IMO