Chris Billam Smith Vs. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez: Cruiserweight Unification Clash Set For Riyadh On November 16th

Chris Billiam Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez will Battle in an undisputed cruiserweight fight on November 16th in a Riyadh Season event at The Venue.

WBO cruiserweight champion Smith faces ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) in the main event of this contest. There’s no word yet whether it will be on regular DAZN or PPV. Either way, it’s an excellent location for the Billiam Smith-Zurdo Ramirez fight, staging it in Riyadh.

There’s little interest in the cruiserweight division in the U.S., so it makes sense to stage it in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Golden Boy, the promoters for Zurdo Ramirez, 33, likely wouldn’t have been keen on having him travel to England for this risky fight against Smith.

It’s unclear who will fight on the undercard. Since it’s in Riyadh, there should be some good fights to set the stage for the main event clash between Smith and Ramirez.

It would be even better if this fight could lead to a unification match against IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. That’s the guy that Billiam Smith and Ramirez need to be targeting next.

Ramirez has looked good in his last two fights since moving up to cruiserweight in 2023. He beat Arsen Goulamirian to capture the WBA title and outboxed Joe Smith Jr.

Interestingly, Ramirez has changed his fighting style, becoming a slick boxer who uses movement, holding, and jabbing to win his fights. Zurdo Ramirez has become a negative type of fighter, but it’s the only way he can win at the cruiserweight level. He doesn’t punch hard enough to brawl with the fighters in this weight class, and he’s not fast.

Billiam Smith has looked exceptional recently, beating Richard Riakporhe last June to avenge his lone career defeat from 2019 and beating Lawrence Okolie to capture the WBO title. Those two wins were impressive, showing that Smith has evolved as a fighter and is in his prime at 33.

5 exceptional matchups at “Latino Night” in Riyadh 🇸🇦🏆
featuring a main fight between Cruiserweight champions Ramirez (WBA) and Smith (WBO), along with fights featuring top boxing 🥊🔥

🗓️ November 16
📍 The Venue #BigTime#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/0iO06YP4q0

— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) September 10, 2024