Former world champion and light heavyweight Mexican boxing star Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez (43-0, 29 KOs) of Mazatlán, Mexico, will face former WBA Interim Light Heavyweight World Champion Dominic Boesel (32-2, 12 KOs) of Freyburg, Germany on Saturday, May 14. The 12-round fight will pit the WBA #1 ranked, Boesel against the #2 WBA ranked Ramirez in a winner takes all event that will propel the winner to the door of a world championship fight. The co-main event will feature one of the most exciting Mexican boxers in the lightweight division, the undefeated William “El Camaron” Zepeda (25-0, 23 KOs), defending his WBA Continental Americas Lightweight Title against the resilient, former world champion, Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (32-11, 21 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua in a 10-round lightweight fight. The event will take place at Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA, and will stream live exclusively on DAZN.
Tickets for Zurdo vs Boesel are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboypromotions.com or the Toyota Arena box office Monday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
“I’m excited to be fighting back in California,” said Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez. “May 14 is not too far away, and I feel great about how everything is going. I know Dominic is the best light heavyweight from Germany, and he’ll bring his best. This is a good step towards my overall goal, and I’m glad I’ll be able to put on a great show come fight night.”
“I’m looking forward to going to California for a great fight against a tough opponent in ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez,” said Dominic Boesel. “I’m sure this fight will please the boxing fans worldwide watching live on DAZN.”
After spectacular back-to-back knockout victories over Cuba’s Sullivan Barrera in July 2021 and Yunieski “El Monstro” Gonzalez in December 2021, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is knocking on the door of a world championship title shot when he faces #1 WBA ranked Dominic Boesel. ‘Zurdo’ is committed to continuing his winning and knockout streaks as he proves that he is an elite, feared fighter in the light heavyweight division. Having previously held the WBO Super Middleweight World Championship, ‘Zurdo’ is ready to conquer another weight class on his road to glory.
Ranked #1 by the WBA and #5 by the WBC in the light heavyweight division, Dominic Boesel formerly held the WBA Interim Heavyweight World Championship in 2020 and currently holds the IBO World Light Heavyweight Title. The German fighter is set to make his U.S. debut on May 14 and is determined to make a good showing for the passionate SoCal boxing fans. Defeating ‘Zurdo’ will cement his standing in the world rankings, putting him closer to another world title shot. Having faced previous undefeated fighters like Sami Enborn and Tony Averlant and winning multiple regional titles like the WBA Continental Light Heavyweight Title and WBO Continental Light Heavyweight Title, Boesel is ready to prove he is the best at 175lbs.
Fighting for 44-0 vs. Dominic Boesel
Rather than wait for the winner of the May 7th Las Vegas showdown between superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Light Heavyweight Champion Dmiity Bivol, or take a meaningless stay-busy fight, former World Super Middleweight Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will put his impeccable 43-0 (39 KOs) record on the line May 14th versus German Dominic Boesel (32-2, 12 KOs), the reigning International Boxing Organization (IBO) Light Heavyweight World title holder and WBA No. 1 rated contender.
“Zurdo vs. Boesel,” presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zurdo Promotions and SES Boxing, will stream live and exclusively on DAZN from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
The winner of their 12-round main event will position himself for a shot at the Canelo vs. Bivol winner.
“Boesel is the No. 1 European light heavyweight who has all the accolades to make this a challenging fight,” Ramirez said. “Of course, Bivol (WBC & IBF champion Artur), Beterbiev and (WBO champion Joe) Smith are still at the top of my list, but they were all unavailable. Even though they are on the top of my list, I’m not waiting for them, I’ve got my own legacy to chase. I’ve said before, Beterbiev and Smith are average fighters at best, and they know not to mention my name. Bivol was close to making it (fight vs. Zurdo) happen, but he got the Canelo opportunity, so I don’t blame him.”
Boesel, who has fought outside of Europe, is 2-1 in IBO world title fights, losing to Robin Krasniqi, while Zurdo is 6-0 fighting in world championships. Boesel is also a former WBA Interim, European and WBO Youth World lightweight champion.
“I’m looking forward to this challenge,” Zurdo added. “He knows this fight can change his life. I’m the best light heavyweight in the world, but I still need to bring my best come fight night. I will have an advantage in experience, but I can’t take him lightly because he’s a longtime pro who knows how to take advantage of the moment.”
Because he was blocked from fighting for the WBA, WBO, WBC or IBF light heavyweight world titles right now, due to the aforementioned unavailability of Bivol, Beterbiev and Smith, Ramirez considered formally challenging WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Ilunga Junior Makabu (29-2, 25 KOs). It never came to that, however, Zurdo does plan to move up, but only after he takes care of business clearing out the 175-pound division.
“I still plan on moving up to cruiserweight and eventually heavyweight,” Zurdo offered. “It’s always been my goal to be a 4-division world champion.”
The Legend of Zurdo continues to grow!
GILBERTO ‘ZURDO’ RAMIREZ, LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER:
“I always want to put on a good show for the fans. There will be many Mexican people, many Latinos, and a lot of boxing fans. I want to make a statement and get the winner from Canelo vs. Bivol, that’s the fight I want, and I need to pass through this guy first on May 14.”
“I am confident in myself and my training. I knew the fight would be in May, but not the date, but I like to be in shape. I am always training and am ready for these big opportunities. On May 14, I will be 44-0, 30KOs, and no losses. I am looking for the knockout.”
“It’s a pleasure to work toe-to-toe with a living legend, and the Golden Boy family has welcomed me with open arms, and I am very grateful for that. We have a great relationship in boxing, but also outside the ring. They have treated me like family.”
“I am the best in this division, and I will prove myself. I will give everyone a good show. I have been looking for the opportunity to fight the best because I know that I am the best. Here in LA, there are many Mexican people, a big community, and I love them, and they love me too. The Hispanic community is great in LA. That’s why Oscar likes to bring all the fighters here, and it’s exciting.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDENBOY:
“[Zurdo] is 43-0, and he has the vision, the drive to become a world champion. He was Mexico’s first super-middleweight champion; that is something we should never forget. To be 50-0 is a goal; it’s exciting to see him fight. May 14 will be another difficult fight for him, but that is what he is all about.”
“We possibly have two ‘fight of the year’ candidates with Zurdo and William Zepeda. William is an inspiring fighter. He is undefeated, and he is ready to take on the world. He is facing a tough durable in your face with a lot of power and a lot of action, and it’s going to be one of those fights you will not want to miss.”
“I want to make sure that I keep boxing here in LA, and I keep it strong and make it grow to give these young guys an opportunity. We have established champions like Zurdo, and we have the young prospects that have dreams, which I want to build off. I used to be a young kid from East LA who had a dream, and tons of kids have that same dream. So we want to keep that alive.”
“One thing about Zurdo is that he comes out and fights. Anyone who has seen his last fights was one of those fights where you are on the edge of your seat. Every single round was exciting. You never knew what was going to happen. He’s in great shape, and he is always training; he is professional and wants to give everyone a good show. And the great thing is that he will be in a good position to fight the winner of Canelo vs. Bivol. So it took a while, but he worked hard and never gave up, and the opportunity is right around the corner.”
