WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) has opted to defend his two belts against #1 WBA-ranked contender Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) on June 28th.
The Ring is reporting that Ramirez, 30, has chosen to defend against the 39-year-old Dorticos next. That fight won’t attract nearly as much interest as if Ramirez had agreed to face IBF champion Jai Opetaia in a unification match. This fight won’t move the needle with the fans, but it gives Gilberto a chance to hold onto his two titles a little longer.
Dorticos: Then and Now
The section of Dorticos by Gilberto Ramirez will please sentimental older fans, who remember how exciting the Cuban fighter was during his best years many years ago. However, Dorticos hasn’t beaten noteworthy opponents since his victories over Andrew Tabiti in 2019 and Mateusz Masternak in 2018. Even those two were more fringe-level than top of the tree quality fighters. That’s a long, long time for a fighter to go between facing contenders. That’s why Dorticos is a poor choice for the Golden Boy-promoted Ramirez to defend against. If the idea is for him to milk his two belts for as long as possible, he’s a great choice.
Ramirez took a career’s worth of punishment in his last fight, beating Chris Billiam-Smith by a 12-round unanimous decision in a war on November 16th last year in Riyadh. Some of the headshots that Gilberto absorbed in that fight from the heavy-handed Billiam-Smith were brutal. After that fight, it’s understandable why Ramirez is choosing to defend against the 40-ish Yuniel rather than face the walking guillotine Jai Opetaia.
Dorticos hasn’t fought anyone of note in five years, and it’s unclear how much he has left in the tank at his age.
Division State
The World Boxing Association has given Dorticos a #1 ranking, but the level of opposition he’s beaten in his last three fights suggests he should be ranked near the bottom 15 spot. It also reflects how weak the cruiserweight division is now. It’s one of the weakest weight classes in the sport, next to the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
Dorticos’ last three opponents
– Alan Campa – 19-9
– Deibis Berrocal – 18-12
– Jesse Bryan – 20-5-2
The former IBF and WBA cruiserweight champion Dorticos was once one of the top names in the division. However, he’s fought only once since losing his IBF title to Mairis Briedis by a 12 round majority decision on September 26, 2020.
It looks like Dorticos has gotten on the tune-up circuit and stayed on it for the last five years rather than returning to fighting world-class opposition. Who knows what the reason for that is—a lack of ambition or confidence on Dorticos’ part?
How do you fight only three in five years against second-tier opposition? When you see a fighter that has been inactive for a long time, there’s a reason behind it. Did that loss to Briedis do something to Dorticos’ self belief?
Last Updated on 03/04/2025
