Former light heavyweight champion steps up to face cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto Ramirez on Cinco de Mayo weekend
David Benavidez will move up to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the WBA and WBO titles on May 2 in Las Vegas. The fight lands during Cinco de Mayo weekend at T-Mobile Arena.
On May 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Benavidez challenges Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts. The fight lands during the Cinco de Mayo weekend stretch, the time of year when Mexican fighters traditionally carry the sport’s biggest stages.
Ramirez arrives with a record of 48-1 with 30 knockouts. Benavidez is unbeaten at 31-0 with 25 knockouts.
Both men stand well over six feet. Ramirez carries the thicker build. Benavidez brings the sharper hands.
The fight grew from a simple idea. Two Mexican fighters, both aggressive, both comfortable letting their hands go, both willing to test themselves. The rest followed.
Benavidez spoke openly about what the move means for him. A third division title would place him in a rare bracket of fighters willing to chase bigger challenges.
“I’m very happy with everything that has happened in my life,” Benavidez said. “Sometimes the hardest lessons I had to learn were the ones which made me the strongest.”
He has already ruled the super middleweight division and now holds the WBC light heavyweight belt. The jump to cruiserweight brings a different kind of physical reality. The punches land heavier and the men across the ring usually stay there permanently.
Benavidez believes speed will be the difference.
“Over the years, learning different stuff and different techniques,” he said. “I never stop watching boxing and I’m a big fan of boxing. I’m always studying, trying to be the best and I can still learn.”
Ramirez carries a calmer presence when he speaks. The tone is quiet. The message is simple. Cruiserweight is his division now and the power comes with it.
“David is an excellent boxer and for sure this is going to be a truly great fight between the two of us,” Ramirez said. “The twenty-five pounds heavier division at cruiserweight at which I’m comfortable is going to be an advantage for me concerning power.”
Ramirez also believes the difference between 175 pounds and 200 pounds becomes obvious once the punches begin landing.
“By the end of this fight, David will know, understand and appreciate the difference between light heavy and cruiser,” Ramirez said.
Promoters like to talk about styles, but the reality here is straightforward. Benavidez throws in long combinations once he sets his feet. He keeps the workrate high and pushes the pace with heavy right hands and left hooks. Ramirez prefers a steadier rhythm, bringing straight left hands through the middle and working the body once he settles into distance.
Some fights take months to negotiate. This one came together quickly. Both fighters wanted it.
The WBC placed its own stamp on the event with a commemorative belt that will go to the winner, another reminder of how the sanctioning bodies attach themselves to major fight weekends.
Still, the real story stays inside the ropes.
Benavidez believes his speed and combinations can travel up to cruiserweight. Ramirez believes the added strength will tell the story over twelve rounds.
One of them will discover very quickly which version of that theory survives once the punches start landing.