By Mark Eisner: Former WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (44-0, 3o KOs) used his huge size advantage to destroy Dominic Boesel (32-3, 12 KOs) by a fourth-round knockout in a WBA light heavyweight title eliminator on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Ontario, California.

The victory for Ramirez makes him the mandatory challenger to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

“Everyone knows I want Bivol. Stop running. Sign the contract,” said Ramirez after the fight. I’m smarter, stronger, bigger than him, and more handsome.”

After rehydrating from 175 to 204 lbs, Ramirez used his heavyweight-sized frame to dominate the German fighter. In the fourth round, Ramirez dropped the 32-year-old Boesel with a body shot.

The referee then stepped in and halted the contest right away at 1:33 of the round.

Undercard results:

Super flyweight John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez (10-0, 8 KOs) beat Jan Salvatierra (8-2, 4 KOs) by a first-round knockout. Ramirez landed a beautiful right-hand shot to the head and knocked him out. The time of the stoppage was at 2:25 of the round.
Featherweight prospect Katsuma Akitsugi (11-0, 2 KO) stopped Jose Gonzalez (23-10-1, 13 KOs) in the fourth round. Akitsugi nailed Gonzalez at will with shots through the first three rounds. At the start of the fourth, the contest was halted
Super featherweight Jorge Chavez (3-0, 3 KOs) beat Eduardo Melendez by a third-round knockout. After pounding Melendez at will, his corner chose to halt the fight by throwing in the towel to end the slaughter. The time of the stoppage was at 1:57 of the third.
Super featherweight Japhetlee Llamido (7-0, 3 KO’s) stopped Edgar Figueroa (4-3-1, 2 KO’s) in the fifth round with a hard shot to the midsection. The time of the stoppage was at 1:27.
Cruiserweight Kareem Hackett (10-0, 5 KO’s) was forced to go the distance with journeyman Josue Obando (20-34-2, 15 KO’s) winning by a six-round unanimous decision. The scores were 60-54.
Unbeaten lightweight prospect Carlos Nava (8-0, 5 KO’s) stopped Yampier Fernandez (1-1) in the sixth round. After having his way with Fernandez through the first five rounds, Nava unloaded on the Cuban in the sixth round to get the stoppage. The time was at 1:57.

Preview:

“Gilberto Ramirez returns to the ring against Dominic Boesel, and while Zurdo will attempt to extend his perfect record, he does not have, he does not have a big fight on the horizon,” said Chris Mannix to DAZN Jabs.

“Any thought of taking on Dmitry Bivol was likely dashed while Bivol waits to figure out what’s happening with Canelo Alvarez, and the light heavyweight titles are tied up elsewhere. What is the next big fight for Gilberto Ramirez?”

“Right now, there’s not a big fight on the horizon [for Zurdo] because, as you said, all the light heavyweight monsters are tied up,” said Sergio Mora.

“Beterbiev is fighting Joe Smith Jr. We’re going to get one monster out of there, and Bivol just beat a monster in Canelo. I just don’t see it happening in the next six months.

“Because of that, keep doing what you’re doing. Ramirez is 4-0 with four knockouts at light heavyweight and maybe #5 on Saturday.

“What they [Golden Boy Promotions] are doing with Zurdo Ramirez correctly is they’re moving him right on the big stage with Hispanic communities, with Mexican American communities.

“They took him to San Antonio to get a stoppage [against 36-year-old Yunieski Gonzalez]. They took him to LA to the Bank of California and got the stoppage [of 40-year-old Sullivan Barrera].

“On Ontario this Saturday [against Boesel], we’ll see if he gets the stoppage. His brand is building, and he’s becoming more popular on the main stage, and he’s filling out arenas, filling out crowds,” said Mora about Gilberto Ramirez.

“Do you even look at the DAZN boxing schedule because, in less than two weeks, we’re going to see a light heavyweight in the UK, who is also is looking for a big-name opponent,” said Mannix.

“Joshua Buatsi is a 2016 British Olympian who is undefeated, got good power, who is trying to make a name for himself on his own. He’s going to take on Craig Richards in the UK.

“If he wins, he’s going to be on the lookout for a big opponent, and with the world titles all tied up for the near future, why not make Buatsi against Gilberto Ramirez?

“You have one Mexican fighter who is a big name in Southern California [Zurdo], and you have another rising star over in the UK. You can do it on either continent. You can do whatever you want. You can make that fight.

“Those are two big power punchers. Buatsi, even though he’s relatively new in his pro career, just turning pro after the Olympics, he’s 29-years-old and ready for a challenge.

“Gilberto Ramirez would be an ideal challenge for Joshua Buatsi,” said Mannix.

“Yeah, you’ve spoken high of Joshua Buatsi, and I think the world of him. You have your stories about him from the Olympics; I get it,” said Mora.

“He’s going to be something special, he is something special, but he’s NOT a champion yet. Gilberto Ramirez is a former champion, and he’s already on the cusp of getting a title shot at light heavyweight. So right now, he brings more to the table,” said Mora.

“That’s not the point,” said Mannix.

“That is the point because nobody knows Buatsi on the West Coast,” said Mora.

“Okay, so do they know Dominic Boesel? Is that a guy that West Coast boxing fans are going to be buying tickets to go and see?” said Mannix. “Of course not.”

“Dominic Boesel is not going to demand Buatsi money; that’s my point. So just keeping him [Zurdo] busy on the West Coast in front of his fans,” said Mora on why the little-known German fighter is a good choice for Zurdo Ramirez over an arguably more talented fighter like Buatsi.

“What do you care how much it’s going to cost?” said Mannix. “It’s not your money. They’re not taking money out of your pocket. This [Zurdo vs. Buatsi] should be an easy fight to make.

“Gilberto Ramirez is with Golden Boy. Joshua Buatsi is with Matchroom. Make the fight happen, combine the budgets, and do whatever you have to do to make that fight happen.

“Buatsi is out there, and if he beats Craig Richards [on May 21st], who is this fringe type of contender, who gave Dmitry Bivol all he could ask for a couple of fights, Buatsi is going to want a big fight. Zurdo is out there.

“Zurdo, to his credit, calls out everybody. For years, he was calling out Canelo Alvarez. For the last year, he was calling out Dmitry Bivol. I got press release after press release from Ramirez’s team calling different fighters. Why not turn your attention to Joshua Buatsi?

“He’s undefeated, well known in the UK, and the winner would take a big step forward and put himself in prime position to get that world title shot next year,” said Mannix.

“[Zurdo] Ramirez was calling out the #1 fighter on the planet [Canelo], and he was calling out an undefeated champion in Bivol,” said Mora. “That’s the reason he was calling them out. He wants a title shot at 175.

“Buatsi, yes, he brings a lot to the table, but he brings no straps. So why is he [Zurdo] going to go backward? Why is he going to give that fight to the promoters? I don’t see that fight happening.

“Yes, they could be popular if they go across the pond and do it in a stadium. We know British boxing fans are the biggest fans, but they’re not marketing Ramirez that way.

“They’re doing it on the West Coast with Mexican American fans, and they’re taking care of business. He’s one of the next fighters on the Golden Boy roster right now, and with a big win on Saturday [against Boesel], they’re this close to making a lot of money with Zurdo.

“They’re moving him the right way. Why are they going to move him towards Buatsi to get him in a tough fight or maybe even get him to lose that fight? It doesn’t make sense,” said Mora.

Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (43-0, 29 KOs) is battling Dominic Boesel (32-2, 12 KOs) in a 12-round WBA light heavyweight title eliminator tonight to determine a mandatory challenger to 175-lb champion Dmitry Bivol. The fight card will be streamed live on DAZN at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Ramirez, 30, and the German fighter Boesel are headlining on DAZN from the Toyota Center in Ontario, California. If Ramirez comes out victorious, he hopes to challenge the unbeaten Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) next.