WBA/WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) has been ordered by the WBA to defend against his mandatory Yuniel Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs) in his next fight.
Cuban-born Dorticos, 38, has fought just three times in the last four years, defeating obscure, low-level opposition to earn a mandatory spot in the World Boxing Association. It’s not ideal for a fighter to capture the #1 spot, but the cruiserweight is devoid of talent. Dorticos is one of the few good fighters in this category, and he is not young.
Unification postponed
Ramirez’s plans for a unification fight against the IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia it must be put on hold. He’ll have to wait until he finishes this fight against Dorticos. Of course, there’s always the possibility of a deal if Ramirez’s promoters at Golden Boy want to go that route.
It’s a shame the IBF didn’t use former WBA champion Arsen Goulamirian as a mandatory, but that wouldn’t have made sense either, considering Ramirez beat him last year on March 30 via a one-sided 12-round unanimous decision. Still, that would be infinitely better than fighting an inactive Dorticos.
